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NASCAR WCUP: Michael Waltrip hoping for a 'break-out' trip to Martinsville

15 April 1999

HARRISBURG, N.C. - It's been a while since a trip to Martinsville Speedway yielded a finish that left Michael Waltrip feeling good. But, it's also been a while since Waltrip felt the kind of excitement that he feels in his new surroundings. This Sunday at Martinsville, the driver of the consumer electronics giant backed-Philips Chevrolet is hoping to turn that excitement into a finish that will not only make him happy, but will also strengthen his position among the top 10 in the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup point standings.

Michael Waltrip at Martinsville (spring races)...

Starts 13
Top 5s 0
Top 10s 3
Ave. Start 21.38
Ave. Finish 17.08
Winnings $159,087
Best start 7th (94)
Best finish 7th ('91)
1998 21st

Michael Waltrip on...

...preparing for Martinsville:

"We went and tested at Greenville [S.C.] a couple weeks ago, and we ran a time around there that was about as good as any time I've heard this year. That was pretty exciting, because Greenville presents some of the same challenges that Martinsville does. It's pretty flat and it's pretty tight, so that made me feel good that we'll be OK."

...getting a fresh start at Martinsville in 1999:

"The last couple years at Martinsville have been really tough on me. Last year, I didn't qualify well and I didn't race well. I finished 21st in the spring and 20th in the fall, and the highest I ran in either one of those races was on the last lap of both of them. I was proud of our persistence, but I wasn't very proud of our performance. Going there this year, I have a different car, a different chassis, a different engine, and a different team. The whole deal is different. I really feel like I know what I'm doing at Martinsville and I feel like I can do the job.

"You might think that I'm not looking forward to Martinsville because things haven't gone that well lately, but I promise you, I'm the exact opposite. I'm so excited about going up there with this new combination, thinking we will be able to run really well."

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