Saturday, July 25, 2009

State of the Teams 2009: Michael Waltrip Racing

All week, we're looking at the top teams in NASCAR, surveying how well they've done and how well we expect them to do. Next up: Michael Waltrip Racing.

Drivers (rank): David Reutimann (14), Michael Waltrip (31)

Wins in 19 races: 1 (Reutimann: Coca-Cola 600)

The story: It's been a better year than anyone could have anticipated with Michael Waltrip Racing. Mikey himself ran fairly well in the early days of the season, and David Reutimann has come on surprisingly strong in recent weeks, flirting with the Chase and notching a win. A rain-incited win true, but a win nonetheless. And next year, a high-profile free agent joins the team ...

Verdict: When Martin Truex Jr. comes aboard next year, he'll be joining a team with a target on its back. Tony Stewart has shown it's possible for a small-time team to compete with the big boys (equipment alliances notwithstanding), and with Reutimann and Truex under the same banner, Waltrip will be expected to have some immediate success. And, of course, you can count on Michael Waltrip to tell you exactly how successful

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