Catchfence

Michael Waltrip Racing

What kind of race do you expect to see on Sunday at Kansas Speedway?

“We got to see a great race out in Kansas last year and I expect we’ll see another good show. It’s a mile-and-a-half track that provides a ton of grooves for us to run. We can run low and high. I saw Carl Edwards run into Turn 3 and if I tried to drive in as far as he did, I would have gotten around the competition, but it would have been by going backwards. He did some amazing moves. I would have never thought that you could run in that deep at Kansas and not spin out. It was like he was in his own video game.”

Do you consider Kansas to be a so-called cookie-cutter track?

“I really don’t like to hear people categorize the 1.5-mile tracks as cookie-cutter tracks. Those of us who actually race on them don’t buy into that common characterization especially now that the track has been weathered.

Kansas provides us now with so many options to run. There are several grooves. Kansas truly is a track that has come into its own. You will see lots of passing. We can go all over the place and that’s what we like and that’s what the fans like too.”

After two races, is the Chase over for some of the contenders?

“The points are starting to separate a little bit, but I don’t think you can rule out Carl Edwards who is 153 points out. I think he’s going to get on one of his rolls like he’s been on before and become a contender. Jeff Gordon is another driver to keep an eye on. He’s 122 points out and jumped up two positions after Dover. He’s quietly making a move up the ladder. They both have huge deficits to overcome, but those cars have proven over the course of the season that they can run right up front and that’s what they’ll have to do. They’ll also need some help, but I don’t think you can count Edwards and Gordon out of the mix yet. As for the other guys that are down there around them, I really don’t see them having the same chance. They haven’t proven to me this year that they can do what Carl and Jeff have shown that they can do. I think after two races, their bid in the Chase is pretty much over.”

NAPA GOES PINK! NAPA and Susan G. Komen for the Cure® are teaming up to raise $250,000 for the important cause. During the month of October, consumers who spend $25 or more at participating NAPA AUTO PARTS Stores or NAPA AutoCare Centers will receive a free NAPA/Susan G. Komen for the Cure travel mug.

Then on October 17, Waltrip will climb behind the wheel of the No. 55 NAPA/Susan G. Komen Foundation Toyota Camry for the NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Michael Waltrip Fast Facts

• NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will be competing in his 752nd NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when the 29th event of the 2009 Sprint Cup season, the Price Chopper 400, gets underway at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.

• Waltrip will start in his ninth Cup race at the 1.5-mile track. His best start is fourth (Sept. 29, 2002) and best finish is 11th (Oct. 10, 2004). Waltrip has completed 1,818 of 2,079 laps (87.4%) at the track. His average start is 27th and finish is 32nd.

• In Nationwide Series competition, Waltrip has raced in six events and earned two poles (Sept. 28, 2002 and Oct. 4, 2003) at Kansas Speedway. He has completed 753 of 804 laps (93.7%) and has led 170 laps in competition. His average start is 10th and finish is 21st.

• Entering this week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, the NAPA team is 33rd in the owner standings.

- Michael Waltrip Racing, Press Release