October 10, 2011
By Kim Roberson
Kim Roberson
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Remember the days when Michael Waltrip was an "also-ran"?
When he raced more than 400 times without seeing Victory Lane (unless you count his non-points paying All-Star race win 15 years ago.) When he was known more for plugging his sponsors than what he did on the track?
Some might say that still hasn't changed.
Some wondered why this "also-ran" thought he would have any more success as a team owner than a driver when he left DEI in 2005 to branch out on his own. There was no way he could be a successful owner when he couldn't be a successful driver.
But when you look at other owners, some of them, like Richard Childress, chose that route after realizing they wouldn’t be a top notch driver.
Plus, many failed to realize that Waltrip had already been a successful Busch Series owner for years, fielding a team out of an old barn in his back yard while driving for other owners in the Cup Series.
In the five years since Mikey brought his fledgling Cup team to that first, almost disastrous, race at Daytona in 2007, they have fought and clawed to make a name for themselves. They have had several spectacular moments of failure (remember Michael McDowell's spectacular Texas crash?), but they have also have two victories, thanks to David Reutimann and the No. 00 team.
This week, they took the next step in what they hope will make them a Chase worthy team by announcing that they were adding Clint Bowyer to the team, having him join Reutimann and the driver of the No. 56 Martin Truex, Jr.
Bowyer will be taking over the reins of the No. 15, which has been previously driven by his new boss. He brings with him sponsorship from 5 Hour Energy, which has been a sponsor on Rusty Wallace Racing's cars for the last several years in the Nationwide series.
Clint said during the announcement on Friday, "I've never had a sponsor that came to me and said, 'We would like to have you. You're the asset. Where are we going to go to build a program?'"
Bowyer now not only had himself to look out for, but a sponsor as well.
No pressure there, right?
"I have got to go to an organization to where I could continue to build their brand and make sure I could continue to bring that sponsor with me as I go on through the years," was his thinking when looking for a new home.
What better driver and owner than Waltrip, who has been able to keep NAPA as his sponsor from his days at DEI. Think what you will of Waltrip, but he has found a way to be a sponsors dream and has kept the loyalty of his team sponsors from day one. He has instilled that same policy of working well with sponsors to his drivers, which seems to make this deal with 5 Hour Energy a perfect match.
Bowyer notes that he is looking forward to the fresh start. “I’ve been with one organization for my entire Sprint Cup career, and leaving (RCR) was the hardest part of the decision. But now I'm ready to start the next chapter in my racing career."
As for Waltrip, he's excited about the chances for the teams to start making the Chase and possibly even contend for championship. "We believe we are structured exactly how we want to be -- we are poised. We are on the edge of being able to accomplish that."
“This is a wonderful opportunity for me to prove myself to everybody," added Bowyer. "If we can go on and put them in the Chase and continue to move forward with MWR, you are going to build your brand even better."
Oh, remember when Bowyer called Waltrip the worst driver ever during a race a few years ago at Bristol?
"You never know when you will have to eat those words," Bowyer smiled. "He promised me he will be the best owner ever."
At the rate Waltrip is going, this "also-ran" driver may soon indeed be one of the best owners ever.
Follow Kim on Twitter: @ksrgatorfn
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