Michael Waltrip Biography from Nascar.com
Birthday: April 30, 1963
Hometown: Owensboro, Ky.
YEAR-BY-YEAR CUP SERIES RECAP
2008 -- Finished 29th in series points. ... Won the outside pole for the Daytona 500. ... Finished second at New Hampshire, his best finish as an owner. ... Posted one top-five (New Hampshire in June) and two top-10s (New Hampshire in June and Dover in September).
2007 -- Finished 44th in series points. ... First full season as an owner/driver. ... Won the pole for the second Talladega race ... Notched two top-10s (Michigan and Charlotte)
2006 -- Finished 37th in series points ... Season-best finish was 14th at Talladega in October. ... Announced partnership with Toyota and Michael Waltrip Racing, to field three Cup Series entries in 2007.
2005 -- Finished 25th in series points. ... Started third in the Daytona 500 and led 42 laps, but finished 36th due to engine problems. ... Best finish of the season was second in the spring Phoenix race. ... Pole-sitter for first Pocono race. ... Moved to Bill Davis Racing's Dodge team in 2006 after five full seasons at Dale Earnhardt Inc.
2004 -- Finished 20th in series points. ... Disappointing season started with 38th-place finish in Daytona 500. Highest spot in points after that was 16th. ... Best finish was second in Coca-Cola 600; best start was second in Talladega spring event and Daytona summer race. ... Had fourth-place runs in two non-points events, the first 125-mile qualifier for the Daytona 500 and the All-Star Race.
2003 -- Finished 15th in series points. ... Won Daytona 500 for the second time in three seasons, becoming one of eight drivers to win the series' most prestigious race two or more times. ... Had first multiple-win season of his career by adding a victory at Talladega in September. ... Led points following third-place finish at Las Vegas, and stood firmly in the Cup top 10 for 27 race weeks. ... His 10 finishes of 26th or worse in the last 13 races -- which included all six of his DNFs -- dropped him to his final standing. ... Also drove part-time Busch Series schedule (20 races), winning at Bristol in August.
2002 -- Finished 14th in series points. ... Dominated restrictor-plate races, winning at Daytona in July and finishing fifth at the Daytona 500 after winning a Duel 125 event. ... Recorded finishes of second and eighth, respectively, at Talladega. ... After a slow start, surged from 24th to 12th in the points with three of his four total top-fives and six of his 10 top-10 finishes within a nine-race span beginning with a second-place effort at Talladega in April. ... Finished the year with seven top-15 finishes in the final 14 events. ... Points finish was highest in six years (14th in 1996). ... Signed a four-year deal with DEI in July.
2001 -- Finished 24th in series points. ... Won his first series race in 463 career starts at the Daytona 500. ... Finished second to teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona five months later. ... Was second at Homestead in first season with DEI for a total of three top-fives; his two runner-up efforts were his first since 1988, at that point his best finish in the series.
2000 -- Finished 27th in series points. ... Had one top-five finish, a season-best third at Martinsville in April. ... Ran season's first 19 races for Jim Mattei and finished driving for Jim Smith.
1999 -- Finished 29th in series points. ... First season with Mattei Motorsports produced his first top-five finish in three years, a fifth-place effort at the Daytona 500. ... Also recorded two top-10s.
1998 -- Finished 17th in series points. ... In his final season with the Wood Brothers, managed five top-10 finishes, including a season-best sixth in the Daytona 500. ... Had string of 387 consecutive starts snapped when he failed to qualify at Phoenix.
1997 -- Finished 18th in series points. ... Six top-10s, including four seventh-place finishes ... Best start of the season (sixth) came at Sonoma.
1996 -- Finished 14th in series points in his first year with the Wood Brothers. ... Won All-Star Race at Charlotte, becoming the first driver to win the event after transferring from the qualifying race.
1995 -- Finished 12th in series points, tying his career-best set the prior season. ... Final season with Chuck Rider, ending an eight-year association. ... Had two top-five and six top-10 finishes.
1994 -- Finished 12th in series points, his career-best in the standings. ... Had two top-five and eight top-10 finishes. ... Best finish was third at Talladega.
1993 -- Finished 17th in series points. ... Posted five top-10 finishes, including a season-best seventh at Talladega in July.
1992 -- Finished 23rd in series points. ... One top-five and two top-10 finishes in a season of struggles that included eight DNFs.
1991 -- Finished 15th in series points, at the time his career-best. ... Earned first two poles of his series career within a four-race span (the July races at Dover and Michigan). ... Four top-fives and 12 top-10s.
1990 -- Finished 16th in series points. ... Five top-five finishes and 10 top-10s.
1989 -- Finished 18th in series points. ... Earned five top-10s despite nine DNFs in 29 starts.
1988 -- Finished 18th in points in first season driving for Chuck Rider. ... His runner-up finish at Pocono in June was a career-best effort at the time. ... Had one other top-10 finish.
1987 -- Finished 20th in series points. ... Earned first career top-10 with a 10th-place finish at the Martinsville spring race.
1986 -- Finished 19th in series points. ... First full season in the series, driving for Dick Bahre. ... Runner-up to Alan Kulwicki for rookie of the year honors. ... Best finish was 11th (Martinsville and Pocono).
1985 -- Finished 57th in series points. ... Ran only five races. ... First series start came in Coca-Cola 600, which was won by brother Darrell; Michael finished 28th.
PREVIOUS RACING HISTORY
Began racing go-karts in the mid-1970s and won numerous races. ... Started in stock cars in 1981. ... Kentucky Motor Speedway champion in mini-modified division. ... Won NASCAR Goody's Dash Series championship in 1983 and was named the series' most popular driver in 1983 and '84.
NOTEWORTHY
Cites winning NASCAR's All-Star Race in 1996 and a Busch Series race at Bristol in 1993 as top memories; he took a backward victory lap in memory of Alan Kulwicki at Bristol. ... An avid distance runner, Waltrip has competed in several marathons, including the prestigious Boston Marathon. He also had the honor of being a torch bearer in the 2002 Olympic Torch Relay to Salt Lake City. ... Waltrip lived with Richard and Lynda Petty when he first moved to North Carolina from his native Kentucky in order to establish himself in Cup racing. ... Younger brother of three-time series champion Darrell Waltrip. ... Avid Kentucky Wildcats football and basketball fan. ... Popular television commentator for several NASCAR-themed shows on SPEED.
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