Waltrip Redux: Buying Your Way Into the Coca-Cola 600

Originally Posted on May 26, 2006 on Foxsports.com

Michael Waltrip failed to qualify for the Coca-Cola 600, which will be run Sunday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. As most Nascar teams consider the Charlotte, NC area their home base, there is a lot of prestige in qualifying for and winning the races at Lowe's. Also at stake for Waltrip is his future success as an owner of the first Toyota Cup team next year. 

Waltrip, who is currently driving for Bill Davis Racing, has been flirting with danger for several races now. He has been out of the top 35 in owner's points, although he has been 35th in driver points. Unfortunately for Waltrip, owner points determine the "safe" car which do not have to qualify on speed. This weekend was the first weekend he did not qualify for the Cup race. Waltrip's qualifying time for the 600 was not good enough to make the field, despite his added "practice" and track time at last weekend's All-Star race (Waltrip was in the field as he was a prior winner of the Challenge). At the All-Star Challenge, Waltrip's car was obviously sub-par and could not maintain the speeds the other cars were going.

The solution for Waltip is to "buy" his way into the race. Waltrip's team has paid the No. 74 team for its car. By buying the car that qualified 43rd for the race, Waltrip will be able to start the race and continue his streak of starts. any owner points he wins will accrue to McGlynn Racing, who owns the 74. Current driver of the No. 74, Derrike Cope would presumably be sent home. Waltrip is buying the actual car, but will probably change engines. He has to drive the actual car chassis in the race to take the spot. More likely than not, he will drive a NAPA sponsored entry, but may or may not have his familiar No. 55 on the side of the vehicle. 

This is not the first time Waltrip has bought his way into a race. At the beginning of the year, Waltrip purchased the No. 77's owner points, thus guaranteeing himself a spot in the Daytona 500. Despite that advantage in points (others like Scott Riggs did not qualify for the 500 and had to go home), Waltrip is still having difficulties collecting points. 

The question is: Should owners/drivers be allowed to buy their way into the race? Why not? If a small team like McGlynn Racing can sell its spot to Waltrip and generate enough money to support further racing attempts by the team, why quash the American free enterprise system? This isn't the first time this has happened - last year there were several "purchases" of racing spots. Some teams want to race regardless of the money thrown at them by a non-qualifying team. Others, who run a limited schedule may take the money and add other races to their limited schedule. The bigger question is, how much money does Waltrip have to continue down this path? And how will it effect his Cup team next year?