Waltrip looking ahead with NAPA/DEI.

Michael Waltrip's recent hot-streak, which included his second career Winston Cup victory at Daytona, may have ended with a mechanical related accident at Chicagoland last Sunday but the NASCAR veteran can look ahead to the rest of 2002 and beyond with a new sense of security.

After many had predicted that he might find himself on the way out of the #15 NAPA Chevrolet at the end of 2002, sponsor, team and driver all confirmed that they would be remaining together for the next two-and-a half years.

After speculation arose at the Pocono Raceway in early June that all was not well in the #15 stable, Waltrip, who was 17th in the driver's standings at the time, was seen as a man driving for his job. However he finished eighth at Pocono and fourth next time out at Michigan before a 22nd place finish in Sonoma and then his all-conquering drive at Daytona.

Leaving Daytona, Waltrip was twelfth in the drivers standings and the #15 team, headed up by Slugger Labbe, looked more competitive than ever before. Indeed before his early departure at Chicagoland, Waltrip had been a constant presence in the top five almost since practice began and few would bet against him adding his first non-restrictor plate victory to his resume before the year is out.

"The team is where we had hoped to be about a year ago with our performance and the way we?re running on the track," said Waltrip. "I think that we have the second best starting average in all of Winston Cup from the beginning of the year. I believe that?s correct; maybe only Jeff Gordon has a better starting average than us. And at the last six races or so we could be leading the points but we?re definitely top three.

"Six races is not a season, but it?s certainly enough events to say that there?s a trend there. It all comes down to performance as far as the driver is concerned. When there was a lot of talk about what I was doing or whether I would be back next year or not that didn?t affect Slugger or me at all. Because we understand that the racetrack is where we want to perform. If we go out on the racetrack and do our job all the rest of the issues will take care of themselves. And, if we can?t get it done together and at DEI, then we?re wasting our time staying there. It didn?t affect me or this team at all.

"And the big reason that we were able to really perform during this difficult time is because of the leadership role that Slugger plays. He went to the shop, he said don?t worry about what you read, don?t worry about what you hear, just worry about what I tell you. Line up behind me, guys, and we?re gong to do this deal. I really appreciate and admire Slugger's leadership skills and I think they?re as important of a reason why we?re standing here today as anything. More often than not the driver gets way too much credit. And more often than not he shoulders more of the blame than he deserves. This is a team sport, and we?ve got a great team right now.

"This announcement is more about NAPA than me. I think the commitment a company like NAPA Auto Parts or anyone who wants to sponsor a first-line Winston Cup team makes to our sport is news to me. I?m a footnote because I feel it?s a huge commitment on their part and I?m so proud that they believe in us and they are happy with how we?ve been representing them over the last couple of years and want to continue doing so.

"The big deal for me was winning the race last week. I knew I would work everything out with DEI, but to have a great sponsor in these days and times when those commitments are getting more and more difficult to sign is what this story is all about to me."

"We?ve been involved with DEI since 1996 so it?s been seven years for the truck series, Busch Series, now Winston Cup," added NAPA Auto Parts President Steve Handschuh. "And when we took a look at whether or not we were going to renew our sponsorship, you take a look at the hard numbers, the ones you are familiar with, the Joyce Julius numbers, which we assign our own internal value to, and then you look at some intangibles and I can tell you one of the most important intangibles to us was how our organization, 6000 NAPA stores and almost 11,000 NAPA Auto Care Centres and all the thousands of people who work there, how they feel about our involvement in Winston Cup Racing.

"And I can tell you when we went out to start taking a straw poll I was amazed at the unanimous support for our involvement in Winston Cup racing and particularly with DEI and Michael Waltrip. Just completely unwavering support -- we need to do this -- even people who aren?t big NASCAR fans, because they know their customers follow the sport.

"So that was really important to us and the third intangible, the final one that I will comment on this morning, was one that meant an awful lot to us and that?s the fact that this was Dale Earnhardt?s vision. I can remember the day that Dale called me and said I want to come down to Atlanta and talk to you about going Winston Cup racing and I?m trying to think to myself how can I tell Dale Earnhardt no. Because we had no intention of going Winston Cup racing, really weren?t interested in it at that point.

"We were doing events, we had a Busch Series team. Dale came to Atlanta, got to our office. He was surly because the only rental car they had available was a Ford and he said he slumped down in the [seat], and he got there and he was just fit to be tied over the whole thing.

"Nonetheless, he laid out his vision and he said this is what I want to do, and I?m still thinking to myself how do I tell him no and then he said something that really piqued my interest. He says I think we can get Michael Waltrip. And I said, well, Dale, you let us know if you can get Michael Waltrip. He got on a plane, went back to North Carolina. I think he went immediately to your house, as I recall (directed towards Michael), and Michael said (I?m) due to sign a contract this weekend but right now I would love to come drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc., so Michael called me that afternoon to say how enthused he was about the whole thing.

"Dale said we had 48 hours to make a decision. And if you know anything about corporate America, you don?t make a decision this big in 48 hours, but we did. And we were delighted to have done that.

"It didn?t take long before Dale?s vision was realized, obviously with Daytona and we all know the tragic events that followed that. So we went through a lot of soul searching too. Because frankly the only reason we were in Winston Cup racing was because of Dale Earnhardt. But as we analysed whether we were going to renew we realized it was the vision of our good friend Dale Earnhardt that brought us there. It was his vision that his team would continue to perform like it?s performing now. So that intangible I would tell you was probably as an important a reason as anything for our renewing our sponsorship.

"We?re delighted to be involved with DEI, with Slugger Labbe. Congratulation, Slugger, on your first Winston Cup win last weekend. And with Michael Waltrip. Michael has not only been a great performer on the track, but I think all of you know how Michael performs off the track, and he has just been absolutely fabulous for NAPA. It?s with a great deal of pride and a great deal of enthusiasm that we tell you that we?ve renewed our sponsorship agreement. The blue and gold will be on the No. 15 car and Michael will be the driver."