We're getting within sight of the end of the season, and so it's time to begin our look back. In a feature shamelessly ripped from Puck Daddy's Death Watch and Big League Stew's Walk Toward The Light, we'll be counting down each and every car that fell short of the Sprint Cup this year. And yes, I know there aren't taillights on Sprint cars. It's a metaphor. Roll with it.
Driver: Michael Waltrip
Record: 32 races, 2 top-10 finishes
Season summary: After a reasonably promising start, things went south in a hurry for Mikey. He plummeted from the teens and the Chase hunt -- granted, this was in March -- to settle in the mid-30s. In all likelihood, this is Waltrip's final full season, and he'll transition into the broadcast booth.
Where it went right: Waltrip notched two seventh-place finishes -- one at the rain-shortened Daytona 500, and one at the wreck-marred Amp Energy 500 in Talladega. Things went better as an owner rather than as a driver, with teammate David Reutimann in the Chase hunt until the very end.
Where it went wrong: Waltrip wrecked twice in a row in the early part of the Chase, not that it mattered. And not long afterward, he was involved in a traffic accident in which he'd been drinking, but not to the legal limit.
Prospects for 2010: Waltrip will almost certainly go part-time in 2010, and with two of the more talented young drivers in Martin Truex Jr. and Reutimann in his stable, he'll be riding like a proud and soon-to-retire papa.
Next up: Paul Menard
Related Michael Waltrip posts from 2009:Michael Waltrip jumps in on the quest to land Danica Patrick (dated, but great pic)
Wreck of the week: Darlington lights Michael Waltrip's fire
State of the Teams 2009: Michael Waltrip Racing
Michael Waltrip lights the world on fire on "My Name Is Earl"
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