Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Michael Waltrip leaving DEI

Hey gang, don't know how many of you NASCAR fans know this, but Mike's leaving DEI at the end of this season, and honestly, I can't be any happier for him. He's been screwed around by DEI long enough, and he knows it. I think something happened this past week that really irked him because last week he was saying how he was re-signing with DEI for another year at least, but then suddenly they dropped the bomb that he's not going to.
An article mentioned that they were taking Tony Jr away from him as crew chief and putting him back with Junior, and Mike didn't like that and neither did Tony Jr apparently. They were very happy working together. I think Michael finally realized that they weren't following what Dale Sr started for Mike, and he's ticked off about it, so he's finally leaving.
Now, just remains to see what he'll do next year. Rumor has it NAPA is refusing to sign an extension with DEI because Waltrip is leaving, and they'll go where he goes. Also, Mike & his wife own a cup car and a Busch car, both sponsored by Aaron's, so maybe he'll just run them next year.

Raceing is a BUSINESS, Waltrip has not performed so they have to get rid of him.

In his career he has finished THE HIGEST of 15th in points. He is currently 19th in points.

WHY should DEI keep him? His job is to win races and be competitive.

But what your not thinking is that Dale Jr. Has been performing well these past years... I believe he had been finishing top 10... am I not correct?

Even though racing is a business... and he isn't performing well, there are some teams that aren't performing well at all and they're keeping their driver. Example: Bobby Labonte. My favorite driver. But he has such a great relationship with his owner and he is such a respected driver that Joe Gibbs said he wouldn't have anyone else drive his car... which I think is awesome.

Anyway, my point is, though it is a business... they have every right not to keep him. But his commitment to that team should have been honored by not letting him go... I wouldn't be suprised if people got really p/o'd at this move.

Steve

Now lets compare there performance through out Mikeys time at DEI. If you look at Mikeys numbers through out his ENTIRE career. There not any better, he got ALL his wins with DEI.

Face it he does not have the talent, its not about equipment either. Why would you KEEP him on board when the best he can do is 14th? You also forget Jr. has ALOT better career stats then Mikey.

NASCAR is a BUSINESS, its not about loyalty.
Waltrip

2001

1 Win
24th in Points

2002
1 Win
14th in Points

2003
2 Wins
15th in points

2004
0 Wins
20th in Points


Jr.

2001
3 Wins
8th in Points

2002
2 Wins
11th in Points

2003
2 Wins
3rd in Points

2004
6 Wins
5th in Points

Yeah, Sure, ANYBODY can get better points than Mike when Mike's being given SH!T to race in. What you are all forgetting is that after Dale Sr died, DEI began to focus on Dale Jr ONLY and admitted they screwed Mike over all these years, thus the crew and equipment changes at the begining of THIS season. What happened? Mikey began performing better than Junior. MUCH better because Junior got all the shoddy equipment and team that Mike had all those years after Dale died. Remember, Mike only got to race 1 single race with Dale Sr leading DEI and that was his first win at Daytona. After Dale Sr died, everything changed, and that's when Mike's stuff started going downhill. You seem to be dancing around that fact.
I know this is NOT Junior's fault at all, it's the people who run DEI, and Junior doesn' RUN DEI. He's just another driver who apparently had HIS job threatened after he punted Mike into the wall in Charlotte because Junior made the comment before a race a couple of weeks after that when asked if there was going to be ANOTHER crew chief change for him, he said "No, no crew chief change, frankly I am more worried about a driver change." So someone put Junior in his place about what he did to Mike.
Also, another thing that led to Mike's decision to leave was that when he asked for Tony Eury Jr to return as his crew chief next year, DEI said NO. I guess he's either going back to Junior's car or to Martin's car, but it's just sad that here Mike's FINALLY found someone who understands the way he drives and can set the cars up for him that he can get the job done, and they want to take him away and put him back to their "star".
Anyway, Mike will be better off where-ever he goes. I guarantee you that you WILL see Mike in victory lane more often next year. You know, Mike got those wins and top 10s with the HELP of DEI, but when it comes down to a race, it's the driver driving that car that wins.

That's an awfully long rant to say that you basically hate DEI.

Just come out of the closet and say it.

Whether or not it is Michael's fault, the DEI organization made a mistake switching Tony Eury Sr/Jr to Michael's crew. It is crystal clear in the fact of Dale Jr's subpar performance excluding the last two weeks of this season. Dale Jr did better with the Eury crowd. Moving Eury over to Michael's crew has not shown any significant improvement in his performance.

So again, the point is made: Why should they keep things the way they are if Michael shows no improvement with a stellar crew chief that did Dale Jr. so well?

Let that marinate in your A1 sauce for a minute.

-SAV

I agree SAV, but from the way I remember reading it last season...

DEI was unhappy with Mike's performance and approached him about it. Actually made a press release stating that if he did not improve his performace, he would not be back for the `05 season.

Mikey then complained about his equipment and team. They blew it off.

So he talked one on one with Jr and they both decided (actually it was Mickys idea, Jr just agree'd to it) to switch teams. Reason, as I remember it, was because Jr was unhappy with Sr and Sr was unhappy with Jr. And anyone that had Trackpass last season would know this!

At the beginning of the year, Mikey and Sr said that they were reworking some of Jr's car, because Mikey did like the same kind of car that Jr did, but was sticking with the basics of the set-ups, and it would take a little while to get things together.

What did we see... Mikey has been way more consistant than Jr this season, bar none! And the only reason Mikey is only down one in the points standings is because Mikey has been involed in more accidents, that were not of his doing, than Jr.

Mikey has not made any changes to his team, that would be Jr's old team, and Jr has dang near overhauled his, that would be Mikeys old team. Jr has throwen out all of Mikeys car and started building new ones. Remember, Mikey only made changes to Jr's cars.

I think all this speaks for itself... Don't get me wrong. Jr is one heck of a driver. He can drive the wheels off of anything and I respect him for that. But after listen to him whine and cry at Sr all last season, on Trackpass, I lost a little respect for him. Jr sounded more like a spoiled brat, to me, rather than a race car driver.

I think Mikey and Jr will do fine, no matter what happens and I wish them both the best! Now... only if Mikey could land a ride with Roush or Hendrix...

On a different note : I read tonight, on Nascar.com that Martin might be back next year if Roush cannot find anyone to drive the #6. If it were me, I would retire as planned, but Martin and Roush have such a great relationship, I can understand why he would offer his services to Roush one more year.

A few quotes from the article on NASCAR.com...

"Waltrip wouldn't specify with whom he's spoken about future employment, but did make it clear he has no intentions of elevating his Busch Series team to the Nextel Cup ranks."

"He is also uncertain whether sponsor NAPA Auto Parts will stay at DEI or go with him to another team, but DEI motorsports director Richie Gilmore said in a statement Friday that the team was working diligently to re-sign NAPA and field a third team in 2006."


Just thought it was worth mentioning...