Post by catfan52 on Mar 13, 2007 0:21:12 GMT -5
Toyota team struggles along with owner
Michael Waltrip said he's worried about more than the fact that two of his three cars won't be racing in today's UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
"It is not so much my lap; it is my whole company," Waltrip said after crashing on his qualifying lap Friday to miss his second Nextel Cup field. David Reutimann also failed to qualify, and Dale Jarrett will race today by using a third former champion's provisional in three races.
"Our cars are not running right," Waltrip said. "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."
It has been a rocky start, however. Waltrip made the Daytona 500 field but not before crew chief David Hyder and team competition director Bobby Kennedy were suspended indefinitely after an illegal substance was found in the intake manifold in Waltrip's No..55 Toyota. The team was fined $100,000 and docked 100 owner and driver points.
Despite that, all three of the Michael Waltrip Racing cars were in the field at Daytona. But Reutimann got the last spot at California, bumping Waltrip, and now Waltrip and Reutimann went home early from here - along with fellow Toyota drivers Brian Vickers and A.J. Allmendinger from Team Red Bull and Jeremy Mayfield from Bill Davis Racing. Allmendinger and Mayfield haven't made a field yet, and Vickers raced only at California.
As for his team, Waltrip said he knows what needs to happen.
"We have to go to work; we have to figure things out," he said. "We have to change some things up. We have to rearrange some people."
Waltrip remains determined.
"You cannot define the future by what we are doing here today," he said. "This isn't who we are. This isn't who we are going to be defined as.
"We've dug ourselves a hole this year, but it's not over. You just have to remember that my career has been defined with a lot of trials and tribulations. I have had a lot of highs and a lot of lows, and they have all made me a stronger person. A stronger person is what you need to be when things like this happen."
Michael Waltrip said he's worried about more than the fact that two of his three cars won't be racing in today's UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
"It is not so much my lap; it is my whole company," Waltrip said after crashing on his qualifying lap Friday to miss his second Nextel Cup field. David Reutimann also failed to qualify, and Dale Jarrett will race today by using a third former champion's provisional in three races.
"Our cars are not running right," Waltrip said. "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."
It has been a rocky start, however. Waltrip made the Daytona 500 field but not before crew chief David Hyder and team competition director Bobby Kennedy were suspended indefinitely after an illegal substance was found in the intake manifold in Waltrip's No..55 Toyota. The team was fined $100,000 and docked 100 owner and driver points.
Despite that, all three of the Michael Waltrip Racing cars were in the field at Daytona. But Reutimann got the last spot at California, bumping Waltrip, and now Waltrip and Reutimann went home early from here - along with fellow Toyota drivers Brian Vickers and A.J. Allmendinger from Team Red Bull and Jeremy Mayfield from Bill Davis Racing. Allmendinger and Mayfield haven't made a field yet, and Vickers raced only at California.
As for his team, Waltrip said he knows what needs to happen.
"We have to go to work; we have to figure things out," he said. "We have to change some things up. We have to rearrange some people."
Waltrip remains determined.
"You cannot define the future by what we are doing here today," he said. "This isn't who we are. This isn't who we are going to be defined as.
"We've dug ourselves a hole this year, but it's not over. You just have to remember that my career has been defined with a lot of trials and tribulations. I have had a lot of highs and a lot of lows, and they have all made me a stronger person. A stronger person is what you need to be when things like this happen."