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NASCAR WCUP: Michael Waltrip can gain from double-duty at Richmond

13 May 1999

HARRISBURG, N.C. - This weekend's events at Richmond mark the eighth time in 1999 Michael Waltrip will run races in both the Busch Grand National Series and the Winston Cup Series. Friday night, Waltrip will pilot his own car in the Busch Series event before lining up for the 11th Winston Cup race of the year on Saturday night. In the past, the extra track time has paid off for Waltrip, whose four best finishes in the Philips Chevrolet have come the day after a run in his Busch car.

Waltrip at Richmond (spring races)...

Starts  13
Top 5s  0
Top 10s  0
Ave. start  21.23
Ave. finish  26.08
Winnings  $142,385
Best start  5th ('94)
Best finish  12th ('87)
1998   40th

Waltrip on...

...what can be gained from competing at Richmond in the Busch Series:

"You can gain a lot, from the track time with the sealer to things that work on Friday night during the race. There are tons of things that will relate and can prove very beneficial during the race on Saturday night. You can't gain quite as much when it comes to qualifying because the qualifying set-up seems to be so much different in Winston Cup than it is in Busch. But overall, just the way of thinking and the way you go about things is similar. If you have success in the Busch car, it can definitely parlay into helping the Winston Cup team."

...achieving a good set-up at Richmond:

"When we go to a track that I have a lot of confidence in like Charlotte or Talladega, then I get more involved in the thought process and in the set-up of the car. But on an occasion when we're going to a place like Richmond, where, as my record indicates, I struggle, then I really rely on Bobby [Kennedy] and the team to set up the Philips Chevy to give me something different and better than I've ever had before. That way I go there with an open mind to use whatever those guys run. I look to contribute everything that I can into the set-up, but my main focus is to just drive the thing."

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