NASCAR WCUP: Michael Waltrip hoping to top spring run at Bristol
26 August 1999
HARRISBURG, N.C. (Aug. 25, 1999) - When the NASCAR Winston Cup Series visited Bristol Motor Speedway back in April, Michael Waltrip's afternoon looked bleak at the outset. He started in the 39th spot, which made him a prime candidate to become a victim of one of the many incidents that define the short-track chaos that is Bristol. But, Waltrip defied the odds in the spring, and drove over, under and around a host of accidents on his way to posting a 12th place finish. This Saturday night, Waltrip is hoping to better that effort in the Philips Chevrolet and continue chipping away at the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings as the tour heads into its final three months.Michael Waltrip at Bristol (career)...
Starts: 27
Poles: 0
Top 5s: 1
Top 10s: 7
Ave. start: 22.22
Ave. finish: 16.22
Winnings: $401,072
Best start: 3rd ('95)
Best finish: 5th ('94)
1999 (race 1): 12th
Michael Waltrip on...
...his confidence heading to Bristol:
"A lot of times when you head to Bristol, you're a little apprehensive because the way that place is, it's sometimes easy to have a bad night up there with all the crashes and everything that will go on in 500 laps. But, I'm really confident going up there this time. We had a good race up there in the spring, and that was encouraging. We feel like our goals have really been set on breaking down our run in the spring, and concentrating on what we had then, and what it's going to take to make the Philips Chevy better this time."
...staying out of trouble at Bristol:
"I've had a lot of good runs at Bristol. I feel like I understand what it takes to run well there-what I have to do as a driver to give our team the best chance to be successful. When you have that situation, and you're able to get your car the way you want to, that helps you miss a lot of wrecks. A lot wrecks that you can get into at Bristol come from guys hitting you in the back while they are trying to pass you. The key to avoiding those deals is to be good enough during the course of the night that there aren't many people that are able to pass you. You need to be the one passing people."
Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.