Waltrip given new life at Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Fifteen year Winston Cup veteran Michael Waltrip announced today that he will drive a NAPA sponsored Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the 2001 NASCAR Championship alongside rising stars Steve Park and Dale Earnhardt Jr for Dale Earnhardt Inc.

The move is a great boost to Waltrip, whose hopes of taking his first ever Winston Cup victory had faded in recent years, and the younger brother of NASCAR legend Darrell is expected to act as a tutor to his teammates. The ever popular Michael is regarded as one of the unluckiest drivers of the past ten years and although he hung on to win the 1996 edition of the non-points scoring 'The Winston', success on the WC tour has always eluded him.

Currently sitting 28th in points with just one top five finish to his credit this year, Waltrip has endured a tough year with Ultra Motorsports (nee Mattei Motorsports) and with the team swapping to the un-proven Dodge Intrepid chassis next year, Michael felt it was time to move on. He was quick to state that the split with Ultra was not a hostile one and that he would be trying as hard as ever to succeed with the team in the final nine races of this year's series.

The main bonus for Waltrip is that DEI has proved itself to be a winning outfit this year and with both Park and Earnhardt Jr gaining confidence with almost every race, a man with Waltrip's experience could make a vital difference to the team. It is hoped that with a proven package beneath him, Michael will finally be able to display the talent that many believe has been restricted far too long.

The deal between Waltrip and Earnhardt, two of the most famous names in NASCAR history, was only completed on Tuesday and the rest of the crew for the as yet unnumbered car have yet to be announced although one man who definitely knows where he stands is the car's current Busch Series driver Ron Hornaday, who is now left looking for a drive after just one year away from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series where he really came into the limelight.

The continuation in sponsorship from NAPA is also a major coup for the team as the company are regarded more as a race sponsor and have not made a concerted effort as a main sponsor for several years, preferring to restrict their on-car partnerships to the Busch Grand National Series.