Michael Waltrip Racing News #44, #55, #00

[MuskyManiac]

How long will they let this go on? before they pull the plug on Waltrip racing?

and then UPS when Jarret runs out of provisionals? That whole Waltrip Racing doesn't

look very good to be in business very long.

[Realtree]

Not the kind of start that Mikey or NAPA or Toyota were counting on I'm sure. It's too bad. I have always like Mikey, but I think Woody is right, his best chance of winning anything was with DEI, but that bridge is long since burned.

I don't think any of the sponsors or Toyota will put up with too much more of this. And Jarrett only has a couple more Provisionals left for the entire season. It's gonna be a long year for MWRacing folks.

[Woody]

I kind of think that this could happen to anyone though.  Anyone starting fresh like Mikey did, with a new shop, teams, crews, Manufacturer, ect.  Look how dodge did when they first came back.  No one is spectacular out of the box-it will take time.  And right now the clock is ticking!  With each passing race the clock ticks louder and louder for Mikey.  I wish him luck, and hope that SOON things will turn around for them!  Toyota needs to get in there and do something more to help him out.  It is afterall their engines!  I personally think they should have spent another year or two is testing before coming to cup. 

I cannot image how poorly Mikey must feel right now.  Think about all he has on the line with this!  At least Reutimann made it in!  His wife must be his rock-this has to be tearing him up inside! 

[Realtree]

I echo your comments Woody. And like I said above, I have always like Mikey. I respect him for his moral character, and his ability to always remain positive in the face of adversity. But having said that, with all of the young talent there is out in NASCAR these days, I just don't know how long Toyota, NAPA, UPS or any of the other sponsors are going to stick with his teams the way they are going right now.

These days, the big $$$ sponsors want results immediately for their $$$ or they will take their ball and go somewhere else to play. I do hope that Mikey and his teams along with Toyota can get a handle on things and make some races, and start moving towards getting up into the TOP 35 Owner points.

[Woody]

It wouldn't surprise me a bit if Mikey quits racing and focuses on his teams.  Perhaps hire a Busch driver and bump them up-even this year!  I know Mikey loves to drive, but if he is the only one out of 3 that consistantly fails to qualify-then it's obvious what needs to happen.  To me, this seems like a more realistic scenerio vs Toyota pulling out from MW Racing all together.  Or maybe even bringing in someone without a ride right now.  Ricky Craven?   ???

[Fishahollik]

I have to disagree fellas. I hope that all the Toy teams disapear into obscurity. What does NASCAR stand for? And dont go saying that they make toy's here in the US now. The money still goes back to Japan. They shoyuld have never allowed them into the sport. They have F1 to play in with the other foriegners. Next thing you know we will have ferrari or porsche in nascar. Bet those teams could make a few HP.

Not to mention, I think Dale was about to loose his Ford deal anyway. He was the worst guy on the track for turning has back on a fellow ford ride when it came to working together to move up in standings. It was all for one as long as Dale was one.

If your a redneck driving a toy or nissan, you need to recheck your memebership card, turn in your bag of pork rinds for sushi, trade in your beer for rice wine, give up your chew and trade in them bib overalls for a set of them silk pj's.

[Realtree]

To me, more manufacturers in the sport will create more competition, bring in new ideas and such to the sport, and possibly even create a wider fan base. Not to mention that more teams and more competition should provide for more exciting racing.

I do have to admit though, that I too have some reservations about the "foreign" manufacturer in NASCAR, but what manufacturer is not making and selling cars outside of the US these days? I trust that NASCAR is going to do the best job that they can to keep the playing field as level as possible in the engine departments and not let ANY manufacturer just throw tons of money at the sport to outperform everyone else.

In regards to Dale, I believe that he was looking ahead to this year while driving last year and maybe not giving his all in his FORD ride. After all, if the 88 was in the top 35 by the end of the year, that is one more spot unavailable for his new ride in the 44. Just my personal opinion on that.

Same with Elliott Sadler in the 38 last year. Look how well the 38 ran at the end of last year with new driver David Gilliland behind the wheel. And vise versa, look how well Elliott started out right away in the 19 when Jeremy Mayfield could barely finish a race in the same cars. Again, just my personal opinion on that.

I guess I don't think you have to be a "redneck" per say to watch NASCAR. I enjoy the outdoors; hunting, atv'ing, hiking, fishing, camping, and watching NASCAR...but I would not consider myself to be a redneck by any means.

[Realtree]

Friday March 16, 2007
At What Point Does Toyota Ask Michael Waltrip For a Refund?
Strap In! by Big Bigelow

For the third time in three races, Michael Waltrip failed to be fast enough in time trials to make the Cup show. Sure he made the Daytona 500 -- but by way of a qualifying race and not on time and, of course, we all know he was caught not playing by the rules, as you know he was caught cheating.

At California he was 3-1/2 miles per hour (mph) off the pole time and last weekend at Vegas he was 11+ mph off the pace before he crashed in a car that looked almost undrivable. I know he has some quality crew guys but his performance thus far is scary.

You can tell me all you want about a start-up team but this bunch is in trouble. Odds are he'll never be in the top 35 in owner points so he'll have to get in on time every week. And he needs to find a lot of speed before that happens.

NAPA, his sponsor, just loves him and would sponsor him if he was driving the clown car for the Joey Chitwood Thrill show. But if Toyota goes by the win on Sunday, sell on Monday motto, I'm guessing they're less than happy at this point.

Waltrip's teammates aren't doing a whole lot better. Dale Jarrett has used three past championship provisionals in the first three events. Maybe he's working on race set up instead of qualifying but he too is way off the pace. At Daytona he was more than 4 mph off the pace, at California he was nearly 6 mph off the pole and last weekend Kasey Kahne ran a lap of 180.965 while Jarrett's Toyota ran 174.239.

David Reutimann, the third member of the team, made the first two shows but failed to complete either race and then didn't make the show at Vegas last weekend.

And it's not like Waltrip doesn't know he's in trouble. After he failed to make the show last weekend, he said, "It is not so much my lap; it is my whole company. Our cars are not running right. It's just real disappointing. I'm really concerned about why we aren't any better than we are, but we are going to work. I know how to do this -- not just as the driver, but as the owner. I know how to connect with people and get them to understand my goal and my vision. I'm not going to give up. Hopefully people will understand that this is just the start."

Suspended crew chief David Hyder, although not allowed at the track, has returned to work at Waltrip's shop while, and I quote, "The team continues to investigate what happened in Daytona."

Waltrip says, "David says he's innocent, and doesn't know what happened or how it (the illegal substance in the fuel) got there. We can't prove he did anything, so we couldn't fire him if we wanted to. Him helping at the shop, helping us get our stuff together, is something that we need. We need everybody we can get that's smart, and he's a real smart man."

I'm sure Toyota thought there'd be a bit of a learning curve but I don't believe they thought they'd struggle this bad. This situation could get very interesting over the next few weeks.

[MuskyManiac]

nice work Outdoors_realtree your on it when it comes to Nascar

thanks!

[Realtree]

Thanks Musky Maniac. My three main passions: My family, hunting, and NASCAR. Working on adding fishing to that list this summer.  :)
 Have a great weekend. 

[Bufflehead]

 Ford, Chevolet and Dodge have been making a V8 for like 80 years

 How long has Toyota been making a V8?

 Like 3 to 4 years I believe

 I think they have some catching up to do

[Realtree]

MWR hires Finley from BDR:
Sitting in his motorcoach at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday Michael Waltrip could hear the roar of Nextel Cup cars participating in the first practice. "It's just really tough … to hear those cars roll off pit road and know they were getting ready to win this Atlanta race [Sunday] and me not be a part of it," said Waltrip, who failed to qualify for his third straight Nextel Cup event Friday. "It's sad."

But Waltrip wasn't sleeping in on this unusually cool morning. He was meeting with Toyota Racing Development officials to find a way to integrate their people and resources more into his struggling organization. He hopes to have that plan in place this week and present it to restless sponsors such as NAPA -- his own car's sponsor -- that haven't gotten the race-day exposure it paid for.

"They gave us credibility and wind tunnel time and technical support," Waltrip said of Toyota. "Now we're stepping back and saying we need some help to implement the assets you're bringing to our team. We don't think we're doing a good job of implementing and taking advantage of all the wonderful technological help [they] can offer us. They're reassessing how that will go forward."

Waltrip would like to see a few key engineers move from TRD's Concord, N.C., office to his new shop in Cornelius, NC. Waltrip isn't standing still. He hired Derrick Finley, who had been the crew chief for #36-Jeremy Mayfield at Bill Davis Racing, to serve as project manager and part-time crew chief while the suspended David Hyder sits at home [Jayski Note: Hyder was reported last week to be back at the shop, but cannot go to the track].(in part from: ESPN.com)

[Woody]

I'm going to chime in my thoughts of this-Toyota in Nascar.  At first I was dead set against it.  Just as I was for the COT car.  I think they should have taken some of the improvements & safety innovations that the COT car has and put them in the current cars that are running.  In fact-I don't even TRUELY like the cars they are running now!  I liked it best when back in the old days they went to the dealer-bought some cars, gutted them, put a roll cage in it, and went from there to make them a TRUE NASCAR! 

Afterall, NASCAR stands for National Association For Stock Car Auto Racing.  There is nothing stock about NASCAR!  And now it's not "National" either.  It's INTERNATIONAL now.   To me it was all about money and greed for bringing Toyota in it in the first place.

And now that it's all said and done with Toyota, Cot and all the other things wonderboy Brian France has brought in the last couple of years there is nothing we can do.  I'm not happy about it, but really-what can I do?  Quit watching? Not a chance!!!

I do not now, have ever, or intend to own a foreign car.  Unless Ferrari sends me one! 

[Realtree]

Column: Waltrip Stalls As Season Starts

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- It's hard not to feel sorry for Michael Waltrip. Between the Daytona 500 cheating scandal and atrocious at-track performance, Waltrip's having a horrendous start to the season.

He failed to make the field for the last three Nextel Cup events. And the cars he fields for Dale Jarrett and David Reutimann are nothing more than backmarkers, frustrating for a car owner who can't put a competitive product on the track.

What was supposed to be Waltrip's dream season has become his worst nightmare - the kind you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.

Sponsors are getting restless, Toyota officials are scratching their heads and fans are finding it hard to root for someone who's not even in the race.

An embarrassed and humbled Waltrip's desperately trying to keep things together.

"We're not hitting it in many different ways," said the two-time Daytona 500 winner.

So, Waltrip's asking for help.

He's asked Toyota Racing Development to send some engineers to the shop. Even NASCAR is getting into the act. After three weeks of struggling through the inspection line, NASCAR had an official spend a day at Waltrip's shop to try to figure out why the organization isn't building cars that fit the templates.

"We've just got to look at every piece and part of our team to see how to improve," Waltrip said. "We really just have to adjust what we are doing as a team."

But is it too little, too late?

It's only four races into the season, but Waltrip admits NAPA, primary sponsor of his No. 55 Camry, is less than pleased. The sponsor had a happy relationship with Dale Earnhardt Inc. and found the ultimate pitchman when DEI teamed the company with Waltrip.

A goofball who tends to not take himself too seriously, Waltrip clowned his way through commercial after commercial and never missed an opportunity to slip "NAPA" into a sentence.

NAPA had every reason to believe leaving DEI for Waltrip's startup was a wise investment.

Maybe it still is. Waltrip's everywhere on TV, from commercials to stints in the broadcast booth, where he plugs NAPA several times a weekend.

But chances are the auto-parts retailer would rather see its logo racing for the lead than on a hat Waltrip's wearing far from the action.

Keeping the sponsor happy is NASCAR's No. 1 rule. If NAPA reaches its breaking point, Waltrip is in far worse trouble than he ever imagined.

Even without NAPA, he still would have three heavyweight sponsors - UPS for Jarrett, plus Burger King and Domino's Pizza for Reutimann. But he must find a way to make those cars competitive before company officials start asking for some money back.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of people who are all too happy to sit back and watch Waltrip struggle.

At his emotional news conference in Daytona - where he said he had no idea how a fuel additive found its way into his gas tank - detractors were convinced they were witnessing the best performance of Waltrip's life.

And plenty of people still aren't convinced Waltrip wasn't an accomplice to the cheating.

But how low must Waltrip sink before he's paid the price?

He can't seem to catch a break, proven in Saturday's Busch race when he wrecked twice in the first 16 laps and finished last.

Maybe Waltrip was too ambitious this year, his first as a full-time car owner. Perhaps he should have fielded two Cup cars instead of three, and maybe he should be spending more time in the shop and less in front of the TV cameras.

Mistakes have certainly been made, and it's up to Waltrip to correct them. This is his chance to prove he's cut out for the business-side of NASCAR, and he's got 32 races to figure it out.

Here's hoping he does. Love him or hate him, it's uncomfortable watching his career crumble.


 

[Realtree]

And the hits just keep on coming for Michael Waltrip who has failed to make any races this year except for the Daytona 500....now he is in trouble with the law for leaving the scene of a single car accident in which he feel asleep at the wheel of his car and went off the road hitting a utility pole and overturning. Will this year ever end for Mikey?


Michael Waltrip Charged After Vehicle Accident Saturday: UPDATE: Statement from Waltrip: #55-Michael Waltrip is charged with reckless driving and failure to report an accident after a crash on Molly's Backbone Road in Catawba County.

The Highway Patrol says Waltrip was driving about 70 miles per hour in the 55 mile-per-hour zone when he went off the right side of the road in a curve around 1:50 a.m. Saturday. His car then traveled back across the pavement and off the left side of the roadway, sliding sideways and striking a utility pole as it overturned. The car then rolled over and came to a rest on its side.

Troopers said a witness saw Waltrip crawl out of the vehicle and leave the scene. When a trooper went to his home around 2:30 a.m. no one was there, but when he went back at 8 a.m. he found Waltrip, who admitted he'd fallen asleep at the wheel. Waltrip, with scratches on his face and some deep cuts on his finger, spoke with Eyewitness News about the crash. He said he was on his way home to Sherill's Ford from Charlotte.

"I was almost home. I relaxed a little bit and ran off the road," he explained. "I woke up with gravel hitting the car and I tried to correct but it was too late. The seasoned driver says he instinctively got out of his car, and then decided to walk home because he often runs the route and was only a mile away. Waltrip will be in court in Newton on May 14.(WSOCTV.com)(4-10-2007)

UPDATE: Michael Waltrip was uninjured in a single car accident Friday night near his home in Sherrills Ford, N.C. The 43-year old was returning from Charlotte, N.C. when he fell asleep at the wheel within a mile of his home and ran off the road, striking a telephone pole.

?I am really embarrassed about the accident, but I feel fortunate that I wasn?t hurt,? said Waltrip. ?For 25 years I have had a great driving record. I consider myself to be a courteous and safe driver on public roads. I never expected to fall asleep behind the wheel of a car.?

The North Carolina Highway Patrol ticketed Waltrip for reckless driving (admitting to falling asleep at the wheel) and failure to notify authorities of an accident in a timely manner.(MWR PR)(4-10-2007)

[Woody]

You know what they say "If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all"

I sure hope things turn around for Mikey soon!  Lord knows he's had his share and then some of bad luck this year...time to turn it around!  ::

[Realtree]

See pictures taken at the accident scene of the vehicle Waltrip was driving.

Click here:   http://www.wcnc.com/news/slideshows/0411-waltrip/manual/01.htm      

[Realtree]

Update on Waltrips personal vehicle crash:

The witness who discovered Michael Waltrip's overturned car initially thought no one survived the accident until the NASCAR driver wiggled out the back window. The witness, an 18-year-old college student at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, requested anonymity during a phone interview Wednesday with The Associated Press for fear of reprisal from Waltrip's fan base. But she said she lives near the two-time Daytona 500 winner in Sherrill's Ford, and stumbled upon the accident when she was returning home around 2:00am/et Saturday.

She saw an overturned Toyota Land Cruiser in a ditch and rushed over to check on the occupants. She didn't see anyone in the car and no one answered her shouts, so she called 911 for help. "After I got off the phone I was walking around the car again and somebody stuck their foot out the back driver side of the window," she said. "That's when Michael Waltrip got out. He wiggled out the back window. I knew immediately it was him. He just got out the back driver side window and stood up."

The witness said she asked Waltrip how long he'd been in the car and he told her about 10 minutes. "He was bleeding from his forehead and had some cuts on his fingers and arms," she said. "I told him `You are really lucky you are alive. I didn't think anybody was alive in there.' We sort of talked for a minute or two, and I told him 911 was on the way, and he just turned around and started walking home.

 "I didn't know what to say or what to do. He had a T-shirt and sweat pants and socks on, he might have taken his shoes off in the car, but I wasn't sure. And he just turned around and started walking home in his socks."
NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said NASCAR would talk with Waltrip on Friday in Texas.


Waltrip had a scheduled interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, but a representative, Brooke Hondros, canceled it, saying Waltrip wasn't feeling well. But in an interview with The Charlotte Observer, he said he was embarrassed for leaving the scene. "I just feel stupid," he told the newspaper. "I feel like an idiot because this one is all me."

State trooper B.L. Buchanan said he arrived on the scene to find the wrecked SUV - which had also hit a telephone pole - but no Waltrip. He said he went to Waltrip's home to speak to him around 3:00am/et, but was unsuccessful in locating the driver. Hondros said Waltrip was showering in his pool house and didn't hear the police when they arrived. Buchanan said his shift ended at 5:00am/et, and he finally made contact with Waltrip at 8:00pm/et. Saturday when he returned to duty and Waltrip called him. The officer met him at Waltrip's home and issued the citation. Waltrip told The Observer alcohol did not contribute to the accident. "I didn't go home to avoid anything," he said. "I just went there trying to figure out what to do."(Associated Press)

UPDATE: Waltrip met Friday with NASCAR officials and was examined by doctors at the track's infield care center. NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Waltrip was seen and released, which would have cleared him to race this weekend.(Associated Press)

[Woody]

I posted the pics of the wreck Toyota-he is VERY lucky to come away from that ok!  I hate to admit it (as I'm a PROUD AMERICAN) but the safety features in his Toyota saved his hide!  If it wasn't for all the airbags-his mellon would surely have been mushed if not worse! 

I'm sure he'll do a public service announcment of some sort some day.  And look for Toyota to do something with this accident as a testimony how safe their vehicles are.  It'd be able the only way anything positive can come out of it.  And seeing as how Mikey isn't racing as of late-it would give him something to do! 

I sure hope they can turn things around over at MW Motorsports!

[Realtree]

Well, it looks like the free ride is coming to an end for Michael Waltrip and MWRacing...Just came across this story while surfing racing sites this afternoon.

Sponsor problems at MWR? Elliott to MWR? Rumors are swirling about Toyota driver #55-Michael Waltrip's future and his sponsorship support [NAPA], after failing to make the last six tour races. According to one unconfirmed report, Waltrip is having to return $300,000 to his sponsors for each race he misses.

There is also speculation that Bill Elliott may be under consideration for a ride with the three-team operation; Elliott, 50 and only a part-time driver these days, would have six championship provisionals, guaranteeing him a spot in at least six races. However Elliott, despite the multimillion-dollar contracts being waved at him by more than one team, has been less than enthusiastic about becoming too deeply involved in the sport again. (Winston Salem Journal)

[Realtree]

I'm hearing that NAPA Auto Parts is looking at options for their sponsorship in the Nextel Cup Series. NAPA has been the sponsor for Michael Waltrip in the Cup Series since 2001, first with the #15 DEI Chevy, then since 2006 on the #55 car.

Supposedly NAPA is talking to Richard Childress Racing as a possible replacement sponsor for Cingular, should AT&T not win its lawsuit against NASCAR to have the AT&T decals put on the #31 Chevy AND with Roush Fenway Racing as a sponsor for the #16 Ford that Greg Biffle drives. Biffles current sponsor Ameriquest has opted out of the sponsorship after the 2007 season.

[Realtree]

I have been told that David Hyder, former #55 Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) crew chief, who was suspended for the fuel violation at Daytona in Feb, has parted ways with MWR. Hyder has been working at the MWR shop.

David Hyder, one of two Michael Waltrip Racing employees suspended by NASCAR in a cheating scandal at Daytona in February, parted ways with the team on Friday. "As of this morning, Michael Waltrip Racing and David Hyder have ended their employment relationship," Waltrip said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway.

Hyder and team director Bobby Kennedy were both put on indefinite suspension and Hyder was fined $100,000 by NASCAR after an illegal substance was found in the intake manifold of Waltrip's No. 55 Toyota during an inspection prior to the season-opening Daytona 500. Kennedy remains on the team payroll but is still suspended. Both NASCAR and the team have investigated the incident, but no results of those investigation have been made public.

[Realtree]

Waltrip missing Talladega was a travesty
By Terry Blount
ESPN.com


Michael Waltrip's plight last weekend at Talladega is a clear example of why NASCAR's qualifying system has to change.

Qualifying has proven to be a nightmare for Michael Waltrip since the Daytona 500. The No. 55 NAPA Toyota is 0-for-8 since making the Daytona field.

Waltrip was 20th in speed out of the 52 drivers who made a qualifying attempt, but he didn't make the race. Twenty-four drivers who posted a slower qualifying lap than Waltrip made the field.

That's a travesty. If you turn a qualifying lap faster than 60 percent of the competitors, you should make the race. Period.

Waltrip's speed was 190.045 mph in the No. 55 Toyota. Paul Menard was the driver one spot ahead of Waltrip in speed at .034 seconds faster, but Menard started 19th in the 43-car field.

Yes, that's how it works, believe it or not.

Jeff Burton's qualifying lap was only 186.579 mph, but he got in because he ranks second in the points standings. The top 35 in points have a guaranteed spot.

Basically, qualifying meant nothing to Burton and his team, especially since Talladega was an impound race. Teams could not make adjustments to the cars from the end of qualifying until the start of the race.

So any team that had a guaranteed spot could qualify in its race setup. Why waste time on qualifying trim when you're going to change 20 spots in 10 laps anyway in a restrictor-plate race?

NASCAR officials said at Talladega they are considering several options to change the qualifying procedure. They should do it now because fairness is missing from the current format.

 

[Realtree]

I agree that something drastically needs to change with the NASCAR qualifying procedures and policies. When the TOP 35 rule and Past Champions Provisionals were introduced, there were not the amount of quality, competitive teams showing up at the track each and every week that we see with todays NASCAR.

I think the powers that be need to take a good hard look at qualifying and either completely do away with the Top 35 rule or align it with the Chase theme and make it the Top 12 rule or something like that.

When you have a car...regardless of if it is Micheal Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr, Mark Martin, whoever...that posts the 20th fastest speed overall in qualifying, and then is told that they are not in the race, that is just wrong. In all other forms of racing the fastest cars race and the slowest cars head for home. That's what racing was built on and thats what the fans expect...the fastest cars in the race each and every week.

Sure, it would stink if your favorite driver or mine missed a race, but they should not get to race based on popularity, it should be on performance.

[Realtree]

No one knows what kind of record Michael Waltrip's 0-for-11 string in the Nextel Cup Series is.

But after the veteran driver qualified for Sunday's Autism Speaks 400 on Friday afternoon at Dover International Speedway, it wasn't just relief that had him breathless.

"If I was top-35 in points and went out there to run, I'd come in like this because that's what it takes to get a [qualifying] lap at Dover," Waltrip said. "It takes that much energy -- or whatever you want to call it.

"You just go as hard as you can go and it just holds your breath."

Waltrip had raced his way into the season opening Daytona 500 in the No. 55 Toyota that's the standard bearer for his Michael Waltrip Racing team, but had come up short in the 11 races since.

"Studying, hard work and listening to other people's setups," Waltrip said when asked to explain how he'd done it. "There's a lot of people who have been really supportive of us, not only on the Toyota side, but other teams have pitched in and said 'think about this' or 'think about that.'

"I'm just real thankful for the fact that they have supported me and they cared enough to try to get us in."

In addition to Waltrip qualifying for his second race this season, teammate Dale Jarrett made it into his second consecutive race after two DNQs in a row.

Unfortunately, junior teammate David Reutimann's No. 00 Toyota failed to qualify for the second week in a row after making eight of the first 11 races.

"Having Bobby Kennedy [MWR director of competition] back and being able to run and have information [is important]," Waltrip said. "He's been a big contribution this week and it certainly hasn't gone unnoticed."

Waltrip said he saw only better things ahead.

"I think we'll continuously get better," Waltrip said. "It's quite a position to be in. When your heart and soul is into something it is so hard to get it heading in the right direction.

"It is really tough to take, but I've always been good at Dover. I won my first Cup pole here and I won my first Busch race here -- I always liked Dover."

[Woody]

first-It's about dern time!

2nd-good for Mikey-although I still think they oughta have him on suicide watch just in case. 

And the saga continues  ::