Michael Waltrip Racing
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| owner | Michael Waltrip |
| Racing series | Sprint Cup , Nationwide Series |
| Championships | 0 |
| Start number (s) | # 00, # 56 (Sprint Cup) # 99 (Nationwide Series) |
| driver | |
| Manufacturer | Toyota |
| Place of the workshop | Cornelius , North Carolina |
| Homepage | www.michaelwaltrip.com |
Michael Waltrip Racing was a motorsport team that is active in several racing leagues of the US NASCAR . It was directed by two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip . Michael Waltrip is also co-owner of his brother Darrell's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team . All Michael Waltrip Racing cars are Toyotas . After the 2015 season, the team was closed.
Sprint Cup
Car # 00 / # 98
Michael Waltrip Racing's first Winston Cup race was the Aaron's 499 of 2002, in which Michael Waltrip fielded a number 98 Chevrolet Monte Carlo , which was driven by Kenny Wallace . Wallace started in 27th and finished in 21st place. After the race, Waltrip sold the number 98 and its Owner Points to Innovative Motorsports . In the next race in which Waltrip started as the owner of the car, the Tropicana 400 , he used a car with the starting number 00, which was driven by Jerry Nadeau . Michael Waltrip Racing also tried to qualify for the NAPA 500 with Buckshot Jones as driver, but failed. The team took part in the 2003 season in the EA Sports 500 , in which Buckshot Jones was used again, and in the Ford 400 , in which Mike Skinner took over the wheel of the number 00. However, he was involved in an accident and finished the race in 39th place.
In 2004 Kenny Wallace returned to Michael Waltrip Racing. He drove four races. His best result was a 22nd place in the season finale, the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway . In the 2005 season Wallace was again active for Michael Waltrip Racing and drove the Daytona 500 and the Dodge Charger 500 on the Darlington Raceway . Even Johnny Benson was driving in the 2005 season two races in the # 0. He had, however, are struggling with technical problems, so his best finish a 42nd place in the GFS Marketplace 400 was. In the UAW-GM Quality 500 , which took place at Lowe's Motor Speedway , David Reutimann , who performed well in the Craftsman Truck Series for Michael Waltrip's brother, Darrell, was given a chance. He started in 26th place and finished the race in 22nd place on the leading lap, which was the best result of the season for Michael Waltrip Racing.
In the NASCAR Nextel Cup 2006 season , there was the start number 00 twice. On the one hand, Mike and Bonnie Anderson used the starting number 00 in a team they called MBA Racing and, on the other hand, Michael Waltrip Racing continued to use the starting number 00, which was driven in the 2006 season by Bill Elliott , who contested five races. His best result was 22nd place in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway . In October 2006 Michael Waltrip announced that David Reutimann would drive the full race calendar of the NASCAR Nextel Cup in starting number 00 in the 2007 season . The interesting thing is that the start number 00 was the long-time number of Buzzie Reutimann , the father of David Reutimann. The 2007 season was unfortunate for Reutimann. A couple of times he had a chance of a top 10 result, but then he was out with technical problems. At California Speedway in Fontana , California , he had a serious accident just before the end of the race. The evaluation showed that it was one of the hardest impacts since measurements began. However, he was uninjured, but still canceled test drives the following week. Reutimann's best finish was a 13th place in the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 on September 8, 2007 at the Richmond International Raceway , the best finish of the start number 00 by Michael Waltrip Racing to date. He finished the season in 39th place overall.
In the 2008 season , Reutimann drove the starting number 00 for the first five races of the season and brought the car safely into the top 35 owner points before it had to be handed over to rookie Michael McDowell . Reutimann then took over the starting number 44 from the resigned Cup champion Dale Jarrett . McDowell could not convince in his Sprint Cup appearances and left the team in the current season. In the 2009 season , Reutimann returned to the starting number 00 and impressed with some good races and a total of ten top 10 placings.
Car # 44
Michael Waltrip Racing is using the car with starting number 44 for the first time in the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. The driver of the car for the whole season is Dale Jarrett , who moved from Robert Yates Racing to Michael Waltrip's team and brought his sponsor UPS with him. Despite "Past Champions Provisional", a rule that allows former cup champions to take part in six races in which they would otherwise not have been able to qualify, Jarrett was unable to keep the car within the top 35 owner points. His best result was 22nd in the first race of the season, the Daytona 500.
In October 2007, during a Nextel Cup race in Concord , North Carolina, he announced that he would be stepping down in 2008. In the 2008 season he will only drive seven races. Five point races, as well as the Budweiser Shootout and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race , which will be the last race of his career. David Reutimann, who still drove starting number 00 in the 2007 season, will then take over starting number 44.
On March 16, 2008 Dale Jarrett then contested his last point race at Bristol Motor Speedway . He finished it in 37th place. David Reutimann , who then took over the car, finished in tenth place in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway . This was Michael Waltrip Racing's first top 10 finish for start number 44. Three more followed in the course of the year. At the end of the year Reutimann switched back to starting number 00, starting number 44 has not been used by Michael Waltrip Racing since then.
Car # 55 / # 56
The car with the starting number 55 was used for the first time in the Nextel Cup season 2006. This was done in partnership between Bill Davis Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing. The partnership between the two teams gave Bill Davis Racing the chance to add a second team to the full racing calendar while Michael Waltrip drove the car, which was sponsored by NAPA . The partnership agreement also allowed the owner points to be transferred to Michael Waltrip's team at the end of the season, who wanted to use the number 55 for the 2007 season. When Jasper Motorsports was closed, Michael Waltrip acquired their Owner Points, which gave him a secure starting position in the first five races of the 2006 season. Doug Bawel, who owned Jasper Motorsports, was a co-owner of the number 55 for these races. The season was made more difficult by the fact that Bill Davis Racing did not receive any brand support as they were in a legal dispute with Daimler-Chrysler .
In the 2007 season the car with the starting number 55 was then used by Michael Waltrip Racing as expected. However, the season did not go according to Waltrip's ideas. After the “pole qualifying” for the Daytona 500, an illegal substance was found in Waltrip's tank. He lost 100 points in the owner points and the driver standings. He didn't qualify for a race again until June 4th. A little later, on June 17th, he finished tenth in the Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan International Speedway . This was the first top 10 placement of his racing team in the Nextel Cup. He also came back tenth in the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In the two street course races and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard , Terry Labonte took over the wheel of the number 55, but did not get past 30th place. Waltrip finished the season in 44th place overall.
In the 2008 season, Waltrip was already doing a little better. He secured a place in the top 35 Owner Points and was able to take part in all races of the season so far. He finished second on the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 on June 29 after it was abandoned prematurely due to rain. After not significantly improving his performance in the 2009 season , Waltrip retired as a full-time driver to focus on the role of team owner. Martin Truex junior took over the car, which from now on bears starting number 56.
Nationwide Series
Waltrip already used its own car in the NASCAR Busch Series in 1996. It was a Ford Thunderbird with the starting number 12. Waltrip drove this car himself and made it into the top 10 three times in 13 races. At the Richmond International Raceway he started from pole position, but then retired. The following year his Busch Series car was number 21 and was sponsored by Band-Aid. He was again on pole position at the Richmond International Raceway, but only finished 28th. He experienced five top 10 placements.
In the 1998 Busch Series season he used a second car, which had the starting number 14 and was driven by Patty Moise. Moise for ten races. The best result was a tenth place on the Bristol Motor Speedway . The following year he won a race as a team owner and driver for the first time with the “All Pro Bumper to Bumper 300” at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In 2000 Waltrip changed the number again, so that he took part with the start number 7, which he also drove in the Winston Cup in the same year. The car was still sponsored by Band-Aid. Then there was Aaron's, who sponsored the car for three races that drove the number 99 in these races. From the 2001 season, Aaron's became the main sponsor and Waltrip only drove in the Busch Series with starting number 99. In the 2001 season, he made it into the top 10 three times in twelve starts. In 2002 he won the Michigan International Speedway and thus got his first victory with the starting number 99. Further victories followed at the Bristol Motor Speedway in 2003 and the Nashville Superspeedway , where he won the Pepsi 300 in 2004 . In 2006 he worked with Fitz Motorsports and took over their owner points for the number 40. He drove a large part of the races, but only got three top 10 placements.
In the 2007 season , David Reutimann took over the starting number 99 in the Busch Series. Reutimann performed well several times. He finished five races in the top 5 and twelve races in the top 10. His best bottom line was a win at Sam's Town 250 at Memphis Motorsports Park near the city of Memphis . Also in the 2008 season , Reutimann was active in the series with starting number 99. The following year Trevor Bayne took over the car.
Craftsman Truck Series
After the end of the 2006 season, Michael Waltrip became part owner of the Craftsman Truck Series team with starting number 00, which belongs to his brother Darrell. The team drove the full racing calendar of the 2007 season . The drivers were AJ Allmendinger and Josh Wise .
Partnerships
Waltrip-Jasper Racing
On January 20, 2006, Waltrip announced a collaboration with Doug Bawel, President of Jasper. The number 55 was then used by Waltrip-Jasper Racing in the team of Bill Davis. Because Waltrip took over the owner points of the closed Jasper Motorsport, he had a secure starting position for the first five races of the 2006 season.
Waltrip PPI Racing
On February 10, 2007 Michael Waltrip Racing officially announced that he would like to work with PPI Motorsports . Waltrip-PPI Racing was born. As a result of the partnership, Cal Wells is one of the owners of the starting number 00, which is driven by David Reutimann. The partnership agreement also includes the takeover of all equipment and personnel from the former racing team PPI Motorsports. In addition, their owner points from starting number 32 were transferred to starting number 00 by Michael Waltrip Racing.
Raceworld USA
Raceworld USA is the headquarters of Michael Waltrip Racing. It is located in Cornelius , North Carolina and is open to visitors daily. Waltrip calls it a sight. You can watch the work on the cars, learn everything about the team and its drivers and possibly even meet one of the drivers.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Michael Waltrip Racing before the end - US racing at Motorsport-Total.com . In: Motorsport-Total.com . ( motorsport-total.com [accessed on February 16, 2017]).
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