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?

Buying Your Way Into the Daytona 500?

Originally Posted on January 23, 2006 on Foxsports.com

It was announced late last year, that in 2006, Michael Waltrip will be driving for Bill Davis Racing.  His sponsor, NAPA Autoparts, would stay with him, and his car number would become #55.  His problem?  Although Waltrip finished 25th in driver/owner points, those points remained with his old car owner, DEI.  His new ride would require that he qualify on speed for the first five races of the 2006 season, including Daytona 500.

Add to Waltrip's problem the fact that the Daytona 500 is a race that many teams attempt to make - even if they are not planning on running a full schedule.  The 500 generates a lot of media exposure for sponsors as it is a big race and kicks off the season - thus, there is incentive to be in the show.  Waltrip is a 2 time Daytona 500 winner, and he loves to run this race. 

How  big was Waltrip's qualification problem?  If he isn't in the top eight non-guaranteed spots, he won't run the 500.  In a nutshell: when Nascar announced its 35 car lock-in for qualifying, the plan was guarantee teams who were racing weekly a spot in the race.  This was a way to reward consistency in showing up and supporting the series and  a way to help those teams attract sponsors.  However, the practical effect has been to create a catagory of competitors who attempt to qualify for the races each week, mainly for the last 8 spots on the grid.  Many of them miss races due to poor qualifying and then are "stuck" outside the top 35 with no hope of ever being locked in. 

Last year, drivers who had qualified in on speed were paid to sit the race out while another took the spot (the qualified car was decaled to the "new" team and the "new" driver drove in place of the qualifier). 

This system of locked in positions also led to "guaranteed" cars taking the green flag, even when cars who were sent home were faster in qualifying.   In other words, slower cars started races whenfaster cars were sent home. 

As Waltrip worked on his new Dodge (he drove a Chevrolet last year), a new wrinkle developed in Nextel Cupland.  Penske-Jasper Racing announced that it would not be fielding its car, the #77 Kodak  Dodge.  The car finished the season 33rd in points, and was locked into the Daytona 500 and the first few races of the season.

Immediately, speculation was that the 36th place car would be the beneficiary of the "dropped" #77's automatic qualification spot.  Car owners scrambled for a way to "buy" the #77's points and thereby relieve the pressure of qualifying for the Daytona 500 and other races.

Speculation ended this week when Michael Waltrip announced he had teamed up with Doug Bawel, the President of Jasper to form Waltrip-Jasper Racing, which will field the #55 NAPA Dodge to be driven by Waltrip.  Bill Davis Racing will supply the cars, engines and other equipment, while Waltrip-Jasper Racing will supply the people to run the show.

The big upside for Waltrip?  The 2005 owner points came with Bawel to the deal.  Waltrip is now guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500.  In essence, Waltrip has bought his way into the Daytona 500. 

Should this be allowed? 

While I don't like the idea of buying your way into the race, in reality, all these competitors are doing it - by paying big bucks for technological advances, skilled drivers, savvy crew chiefs, or quick tire changers.  

Waltrip's deal - a guaranteed start for a beginning Nextel Cup team with a new car - a pretty astute business move.