Daytona, Fla.
To race in:
Waltrip must finish first or second among the following drivers in his 150-mile qualifying race:
1. Travis Kvapil
2. Todd Bodine
3. Casey Mears
4. Terry Labonte
5. Derrike Cope
6. Brian Keselowski
To qualify based on his speed:
On Sunday, Waltrip posted the fourth fastest speed among the drivers outside the top 35 behind Bill Elliott, Joe Nemechek and Travis Kvapil. If any of those drivers race into the Daytona 500 (Elliott or Nemecheck in the first 150-mile race or Kvapil in the second), Waltrip’s qualifying speed will be fast enough to make the race regardless of where he finishes in his race.
Waltrip’s odds of securing entry into the Daytona 500 are favorable especially considering his Michael Waltrip Racing teammates David Reutimann and Martin Truex Jr are both in the second qualifying race and could be potential drafting partners.
WALTRIP QUOTES
“I don’t take anything for granted but I’m confident we’ll not only race our way into the Daytona 500 on Thursday, but we’ll finish well and that means a good starting spot for Sunday’s race. Our NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota was rolling Saturday night. We had the fastest lap of the Shootout (206.7 mph) and could hook up pretty well in the draft. We’ll use Wednesday to figure out what works and what doesn’t work with some of the rule tweaks NASCAR announced Sunday and be ready for Thursday. Reutimann and Truex in our race is cool but I think all three of our cars are going to be up there battling for the victory instead of worry about getting me in the race. Our Toyotas are a lot better drafting than they are in single lap qualifying and that’s what you want. Thursday and Sunday is when you want to be fast and I know we are fast.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
Sunday’s Daytona 500 marks Waltrip’s 764th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and 48th Sprint Cup race at the track. He has led 351 laps at Daytona in Sprint Cup competition.
Waltrip is one of only eight drivers to win more than two Daytona 500 titles.
Waltrip’s book “In the Blink of an Eye” is No. 11 on the New York Times best-seller list.
Waltrip, Richard Petty and Mark Martin are the only drivers to start more than 1,000 races in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series.
Waltrip will appear on SPEED-TV’s live edition of Trackside airing Friday at 6 p.m.
Waltrip will make his Daytona truck debut driving the No. 15 Race View/Wounded Warrior Toyota in the Camping World Truck Series on Friday and the No. 99 Pastrana-Waltrip Toyota in Saturday’s Nationwide race.
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— No. 15 NAPA AUTO PARTS driver and two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip has two ways to make the 43-car field for Sunday’s Daytona 500. He can race his way into the field in the second of Thursday’s 150-mile Duel qualifying race or qualify based on his single-lap qualifying speed posted last Sunday.
