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April 24, 2005
Michael Waltrip Finishes Second at Phoenix!!!!!!
Absolutely outstanding race for Michael Waltrip in last night's race in Phoenix! A second place finish at a non-plate track - awesome! I didn't get to watch any of the race last night since we were up at my parent's house in Connecticut for Passover, so I just finished watching my recording of the race a little while ago. Wow! I'm so impressed with the way Michael raced! He really gave 110% and everything he and the car had to try and win this race. Tony Eury, Jr. and the entire #15 gave Michael a great car and they had very good pit stops too. I had such a good feeling about this race for Michael when I woke up on Saturday morning and I literally had my fingers crossed for him at one point on Saturday night just wanting to send some good vibes his way. When I got home and discovered that he finished 2nd I was so happy!
At the end of the race Michael was right on eventual winner Kurt Busch's bumper but in spite of doing everything he possibly could he was never able to complete the pass at the end. In fact he was trying so hard to figure out a way to pass Kurt that he got himself loose and got into the wall once. That might have hurt him a little but he was just doing everything he could to try and get that win. Winning at a non-plate race is something that I'm sure Michael is almost desperate to do so he was going to do everything short of wrecking the car to try and pass Kurt. It would have been so sweet if he had been able to get the win but 2nd place is almost just as good, particularly with how much bad luck they've had at times. Hopefully now Michael is in for a string of great luck!
I'm just so excited for Michael! Last week he finished 6th at Texas and to follow that up with a 2nd place finish is exactly what he and the team needed. Michael moved up to 18th in points which doesn't sound great on the surface but is actually awesome considering how far down he was in points early on. Next week is Talledaga, a plate race, and the expectations are always high for both DEI cars at all the plate races. I'd love to see Michael follow-up this 2nd place finish with a win next week but since anything can happen at a plate race I never feel comfortable making too many predictions. Actually, with how unpredictable racing is in general that's probably true of all races - anything can and will happen, even to the best cars and the greatest of drivers. But there are some guys who definitely have a knack for running up front consistantly at some tracks and Talladega is one of those for Michael.
The only thing that bothered me about Michael's run last night was two things he said after the race was over. First he reportedly said to his crew over his radio thanks for "making up for my lack of talent." Then during a post-race interview he also referred to running out of talent. I suppose that's disappointment talking that he couldn't pass Busch for the win. No racer is really ever fully satisfied unless they are in Victory Lane. Yet it also comes across as Michael being down on himself, which I find a bit distressing after what I think might be his best finish since Charlotte last May when he also finshed 2nd. He should be feeling good about himself yet two references to his "lack of talent" indicate that while he's probably thrilled with the finish, he's not feeling as good as he should. Maybe he thinks that he messed himself up by over-driving a little but I don't think he can be faulted for pushing himself and his car as hard as possible to try and get that win that he wants so much. Hopefully, his disappointment will fade and all he'll feel is happiness at such a great finish. Confidence is really important for a racer, for anyone, and this race shows why Michael and everyone else should have confidence in himself.
Michael made reference during his pre-race interview to having people around him who believe in him. Well, it's not just his crew chief and crew. In spite of the fact that Michael is frequently a target for those who like to bash drivers who aren't those elite drivers who have had a tremendous amount of success, there are just as many people who believe in him, myself included. Though it's impossible to predict with any certainty what will happen, I believe with all my heart that Michael is capable of beating the best of the best drivers and winning many races. He is a much better racer than he's sometimes able to show between the equipment he's given and the bad luck he has to endure. I hope to see him in Victory Lane more than once this season and dare I say it, be in the Chase for the Championship.
On to Talladega next week...
Posted by silverdsl at April 24, 2005 05:53 PM