Michael Waltrip

Michael Curtis Waltrip (born April 30, 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky) is a professional race car driver and team owner. He is the younger brother of Darrell Waltrip, a 3-time NASCAR champion (now retired). Michael drove the #15 NAPA Chevrolet Monte Carlo car in NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series for DEI through the 2005 season. In 2006, Waltrip and NAPA left DEI for Michael's own team, Waltrip-Jasper Racing. Waltrip currently drives the #55 NAPA Dodge Charger. He also drives the # 99 Aaron's "Dream Machine" car in NASCAR's Busch Series.

While many of his competitors started racing cars when they were barely old enough to walk, Michael Waltrip waited until his teen years to start tooling around the midwest in go-kart races.

Waltrip's stock-car career got off the ground in 1981, whe he captured the Mini-Modified division track championship at Kentucky Speedway. A year later, Waltrip entered the Goody's Dash Series, where he won the series championship in 1983 and was voted the circuit's most popular driver in 1983 and 1984.

Waltrip made his Cup debut in 1985 in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. He finished 28th in that race and finished 57th in the series standings after just five starts.

In 1986, driving for Dick Bahre, Waltrip finished second in the Cup rookie of the year race to Alan Kulwicki on the strength of a pair of 11th-place finishes at Martinsville and Pocono.

Michael Waltrip signing autographs at his trailer

In 1988, Waltrip began running Busch Series events, making five starts for his brother Darrell's fledgling team. It didn't take long for Waltrip to make an impact, as he took the checkered flag at Dover in just his fourth start.

Waltrip's most memorable Busch Series effort came in 1993 at Bristol. After taking the checkered flag, Waltrip made a "Polish victory lap" in honor of Alan Kulwicki, who had lost his life in a plane crash on his way to that weekend's events. What's more, he proposed to his wife Buffy in Victory Lane that day.

While Waltrip had always been a competitive driver through the '80s and '90s -- he had even won The Winston in 1996 -- he had the dubious honor of having the longest active streak of Cup point-paying starts without a victory. That 463-race streak ended at the 2001 Daytona 500. Later that same season, he finished second behind teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Pepsi 400, also at Daytona.

In his spare time, Waltrip lives with his family in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina and is a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys and an avid runner. In fact, he ran in both the Boston and Tampa marathons in 2000. Michael serves as a member of the "expert panel" on SPEED Channel's NASCAR Inside Nextel Cup series and he also often does fill-in work for Speed's coverage of the Craftsman Truck Series. He filled in recently on a TNT Busch Series Race. He also appears in advertisements for NAPA, Domino's Pizza and Aaron's along with his brother, Darrell. He often is loyal to his sponsors and calls his car by a list of different sponsors from time to time.

Waltrip's team Waltrip-Jasper Racing will field three Toyota Camrys in Nextel Cup racing for the 2007 season. Dale Jarrett current driver of the #88 UPS Ford will be bringing UPS with him as a sponsor in an as-yet unnumbered car, joining Michael Waltrip in the 2007 season as a driver for his Toyota team. The third team, #00, will be co-sponsored by Burger King and Domino's Pizza. A third driver hasn't been announced as of July 16th, 2006.

Driving Controversies

In 2006, when Waltrip failed to qualify for the Coca-Cola 600, he bought a slot from the #74 McGlynn Racing Dodge to drive in the race and to keep his streak of 262 consecutive races.

In the 2005 Sylvania 300, Waltrip was involved in a wreck with driver Robby Gordon the driver of the #7 Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon Chevrolet. The angered Gordon got out of his totaled car and threw his helmet at the #15 car as it was passing by. When Turner Network Television interviewed him about the crash he stated "People think Michael is a good guy, but he's not a good guy. The caution came out and he wrecked me; he's just a piece of shit." See video footage here. On the next caution lap around, some viewers claimed that Waltrip flipped Gordon the finger as he drove by, although subsequent video replays are inconclusive and Waltrip denies making the gesuture. TNT apologized for the incident on both driver's behalf, and both Gordon and Waltrip were required to meet with NASCAR officials after the race. Gordon was ultimately fined $50,000 USD and docked 50 drivers points. Gordon ultimately decided to auction it for the benefit of the Harrah's Employee Relief Fund, a fund that provides aid to Harrah's employees displaced by Hurricane Katrina. In the spirit of charity and forgiveness, both drivers signed the helmet, which was purchased by GoldenPalace.com for $51,100.

Waltrip had a much-publicized feud with Jeff Green, then driver of Petty Enterprises #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Charger in the early part of the 2005 season, which came to a head during races at Martinsville and Darlington, where Green and Waltrip wrecked each other on several occasions.[1]

Commercials Michael Waltrip has starred in

Michael Waltrip is well known for his enthusiastic loyalty to his sponsors, as well as his often corny portrayals of himself in his sponsors' advertising campaigns. They include:

2002

Waltrip realizes he is at the wrong track.

2003

Waltrip and then-teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. starred in a commercial where Michael talks about how an oil filter works and Earnhardt puts a restrictor plate on his mouth.
Waltrip in another NAPA commercial where he and Earnhardt tell about what each other learned, Earnhardt talks about NAPA and Waltrip raps.
Then-teammates Steve Park and Dale Earnhardt Jr. imitate Waltrip from previous commercials.
Domino's Pizza-Domino's Pizza is a pit crew and sets the table for the Waltrip family.
Darrell Waltrip tries to sneak into the #99 car by taking Michael's extra uniform and race helmet, Michael Waltrip catches Darrell and Waltrip walks away with Michael's helmet.

2004

Waltrip and Earnhardt are at a Washington Redskins game, Waltrip calls Earnhardt on his Nextel phone, and Earnhardt scores a touchdown in the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet.
Aaron's-Darrell Waltrip wants to drive the #99 car but Michael says no because he's "done the math".
Aarons'-Michael Waltrip gives Darrell his own suit and says he will get his chance to drive the "Dream Machine Jr.", a lawnmower.

2005

Waltrip and then-teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are on a QVC-style order show for NAPA Auto Parts, hilarious phone calls come in and an incident occurs on the set.
Michael And Darrell go golfing and Darrell is a caddy for Michael.

2006

Michael Waltrip teaches a one-room school on NAPA Auto Parts.
Waltrip visits a car care center but receives the wrong car.
Michael gets a big thanks from Darrell Waltrip for letting him drive his final race in the Aaron's Dream Machine.

Car History

Year(s)	Car Number	Sponsor	Owner
2006	55	NAPA Auto Parts	Michael Waltrip Racing
2001-2005	15	NAPA Auto Parts	DEI
2000	7	Nations Rent	Jim Mattei
1999	7	Philips	Jim Mattei
1996-98	21	Citgo	Wood Brothers
1991-1995	30	Pennzoil	Chuck Rider
1990	30	Maxwell House/Country Time	Chuck Rider
1987-89	30	Country Time	Chuck Rider
1986	23	Hawaiian Punch	???
1985	Various	Mell-Gear Tuning Components, Jim Testa Chevrolet, others	???

Races Won

Winston/Nextel Cup (4 career wins)

2003 ( 2 wins) Daytona 500 (Daytona), EA Sports 500 (Talladega)
2002 ( 1 win ) Pepsi 400 (Daytona)
2001 ( 1 win ) Daytona 500 (Daytona)

Busch Series (11 career wins)

2004 ( 1 win ) Pepsi 300 (Nashville)
2003 ( 1 win ) Food City 250 (Bristol)
2002 ( 1 win ) Cabela's 250 (Michigan)
1999 ( 1 win ) All Pro Bumper to Bumper 300 (Charlotte)
1993 ( 2 wins) Budweiser 250 (Bristol), Champion 300 (Charlotte)
1992 ( 1 win ) Gatorade 200 (Darlington)
1990 ( 2 wins) Pontiac 200 (Richmond), Budweiser 200 (Dover)
1989 ( 1 win ) Kroger 200 (IRP)
1988 ( 1 win ) Grand National 200 (Dover)

External links