Michael Waltrip isn’t behind the wheel of the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine often but when he is the two-time Daytona 500 champion is as good as any restrictor plate driver.
The 50-year-old’s fourth 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup start comes Sunday on the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway. After a 22nd-place finish in the Daytona 500, Waltrip finished fourth at Talladega in May and fifth at Daytona in July.
He’s had a long list of Talladega accomplishments. Waltrip won this race in 2003 and nearly repeated the feat last October. His bid for the lead in the fourth turn of the final lap ended when Tony Stewart turned down across the nose of Waltrip’s No. 55. The contact triggered a 25-car accident that left Waltrip with a 25th-place finish. He’ll be at the front of the pack again Sunday.
WALTRIP ON TALLADEGA: “I have always enjoyed racing at Talladega. Having won there before and almost winning there last fall I always look forward to going back there. It’s rough racing at Talladega. It’s really hard to survive and keep your car in one piece. I have been able to put myself in position to win a Talladega a few times and have been wiped out in the closing laps. We have been really strong at the superspeedways this year and I am really looking forward to racing this weekend.”
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