HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. -- Sports perpetuate rivalries. It’s the competitive nature of an athlete to find a point of reference to which his skill can be compared. NASCAR, more so than most professional sports, nurtures such competition in the form of paternal or sibling rivalries.
Volumes can and have been written on the track battles between fathers and sons, but the competition between brothers strikes a different cord with fans. These are battles far from the playground sandbox; fights a mother’s watchful eye cannot prevent. Fans know that when two brothers meet at speeds over 180 mph the results can be nothing short of thrilling.
Entering the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series in the shadow of older brother and champion Darrell Waltrip, Michael Waltrip, driver of the No. 55 NAPA Dodge, set out to carve his own niche among the NASCAR faithful. This successful journey began May 26, 1985 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway where Michael made his first career start in the Cup Series. Darrell Waltrip won a record six times at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and did so on that day en route to the 1985 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP Championship. Michael Waltrip did not finish the race and earned a 28th finish.
Twenty-one years later, Michael Waltrip will drive the No. 55 NAPA Dodge in his 42nd start at Lowe’s Motor Speedway where he has earned four top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. His best finish in the Coca-Cola 600 occurred in 2004 when he finished second to Jimmie Johnson.
Although the Waltrip’s no longer rub sheet metal on a weekly basis, the rivalry lives on, only the battleground has changed. Instead of fighting for track position, the Waltrip brothers compete for broadcast ratings as hosts of popular television programs. Michael Waltrip is the co-host of Inside NEXTEL Cup on SPEED Channel while brother Darrel is a commentator for NASCAR on Fox.
Michael Waltrip Fast Facts…
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will make his 22nd start in the Coca-Cola 600; Waltrip’s best finish was 2nd (1994) and his worst 37th (1999).
Waltrip’s average starting position in 42 starts at Lowe’s Motor Speedway is 19.404; his average finish is 18.023.
Waltrip made his series debut in the 1985 Coca-Cola 600. Other drivers to make their debuts in the race include Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (1975), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (1999), Elliott Sadler (1998), Jeremy Mayfield (1993), and Brett Bodine (1986).
Waltrip’s last win was at Talladega Superspeedway in the 2003 EA Sports 500; 87 races have passed since this event.
Waltrip’s best start of the 2006 season came at Talladega for the Aaron’s 499; he qualified in 21st position. Waltrip’s best finish of the 2006 season came at Daytona in the Daytona 500 where he finished in 18th position.
At this point last season, Waltrip was 17th in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver points.
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip on the Coca-Cola 600...
What does it take to be successful in the Coca-Cola 600?
“I ran second in the Coca-Cola 600 two years ago and I ran third in the 600 in 1990 right on Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace’s bumper, so I understand what it takes to be successful in the 600. We had hoped to get a car running well enough in the All-Star race so that when we returned for the 600 it made us better.”
What are your expectations for the Coca-Cola 600?
“Charlotte is a place I always enjoy racing. It’s close to home. All the guys that work so hard on the cars in the shop and don’t travel get to come over to the track and see that hard work in action. We ran second in the 600 in 2004. We won the All-Star race several years back and I have won the Busch race there a couple of times, so this has been a good track for me. Anytime you go somewhere where and run well you are optimistic about your chances.”
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip Coca-Cola 600 Stats...
YEAR START FINISH YEAR START FINISH
1985 24 28 1996 8 8
1986 34 26 1997 22 17
1987 38 11 1998 37 18
1988 22 23 1999 26 37
1989 7 27 2000 12 18
1990 20 4 2001 28 28
1991 2 15 2002 11 8
1992 15 25 2003 9 6
1993 6 13 2004 12 2
1994 30 10 2005 23 36
1995 5 3
Coca-Cola 600 Broadcast Coverage…
On Sunday May 28th, the running of NASCAR’s longest event, the Coca-Cola 600, is set to begin at 5:00 p.m. Coverage for the event will begin at 5:00 p.m. EDT on FOX. If you can’t catch the race on TV, it can be heard on your local PRN Radio affiliate and XM Satellite Radio – Channel 144 starting at the same time. Remember to check your local listings as dates and times of the race may change.
