Ten years to the day of his first Daytona 500 win and the passing of his friend and mentor, Dale Earnhardt, Waltrip was able to pass Elliott Sadler on the last lap to put his No.15 truck in victory lane. “Ten years ago I stood here and I thought it was the greatest day ever and it turned out to be the worst day ever,” said Waltrip. “I just wanted to come back here this year and honor Dale and thank him and give his fans something to cheer for with the No. 15 car, the No. 15 truck and the honorary paint scheme. ”
“Congratulations to Elliott Sadler. He held onto that truck and I was pushing him all over the place. It feels really good to win a truck race. I haven’t won one before. I’ve been close a time or two and to pull into victory lane in the Vision Airlines Toyota with the NASCAR RaceView onboard. If you don’t have NASCAR race view, you better get it before Sunday because this is going to be the most amazing Daytona 500 ever. These drivers just figure out no matter what the rules are, no matter what the package looks like early, they figure out how to make it crazy at the end, and we did that today.”
Waltrip and Sadler, who raced to the checkered flag side by side, planned to work together on the restart. “I thought the high side was the way to go and it worked,” said Waltrip. “Elliott and I were both just guessing. I would’ve taken the outside if I were leading, working a deal with the guy in second. There were trucks behind us we didn’t know about and hadn’t been there all day. We made a deal and we raced for it just like we said we would do and he’s just a great competitor. Sadler is going to be a championship contender. I love racing with him. He and I both have something in common with Dale — Elliott shares the same birthday with Dale and I knew if he won we would get to be happy because of that and if I won because of the anniversary of the day that Dale made me a winner. He’s made a lot of people in this world a winner that admired him and looked up to him, and if you knew Dale Earnhardt you’re a better person because of it. I’m so thankful that I can stand here in victory lane and honor him.”
Friday night’s race was the first for the newly formed Vision Aviation Racing (VAR) and Crew Chief, Doug Howe’s, first trip to victory lane. Howe credited Waltrip saying, “It’s funny because Michael called most of the race. I just told him to get gas and tires and he said he’d handle the rest. It was the easiest race I’ve ever done and my first win. I’m excited!” VAR General Manager, Tom Davis, acknowledged the hard work of the entire team saying, “This win was a total team effort, from all the guys here and back at the shop in Mooresville, NC. We all worked so hard over the offseason putting this whole thing together and now we get to celebrate our efforts in victory lane at Daytona. This is great!”
Vision Aviation Racing –
Vision Aviation Racing is a NASCAR race team located near the metro Charlotte, North Carolina area. Still in its early days, the team has already proven itself as a force to be contended with. Driver Justin Johnson won the championship in the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series while teammate Dusty Davis finished a strong second. Overall the Vision Aviation Racing squad earned a win percentage of 74% over the 19-race season. 2011 is the team’s first season in the Camping World Truck Series, led by General Manager Tom Davis.
Vision Airlines-
Vision Airlines started in 1994 offering aerial tours of the Grand Canyon. Over the past 16 years, Vision Airlines’ fleet expanded to include Boeing 767′s, Boeing 737′s, Dornier 328 and Dornier 228 turbo prop aircraft. Vision Airlines has become one of the premier charter airlines in the United States. The company’s clients include US Presidential candidates, heads of state, countless celebrities, Fortune 1000 companies and some of the world’s most-recognized resorts. The company’s headquarters is located in Suwanee, GA. It also maintains offices in Las Vegas, NV; Louisville, KY and Miami, FL.
Wounded Warrior Project -
The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.
NASCAR.com Race View –
Watch your favorite driver and listen to LIVE in-car audio right from your computer. Have the availability of LIVE stats as well as pause, rewind and replay right at your fingertips. NASCAR.com Race View is the most comprehensive race experience online. Visit www.nascar.com for more details.
- Vision Aviation Racing Press Release
