Darrell Waltrip Visits Homestead

DARRELL WALTRIP GIVES THUMBS UP AFTER VISIT TO HOMESTEAD SPRING TRAINING

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Feb. 4, 1999) -- Three-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip made his first visit to the Miami-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex on Wednesday, and came away looking forward to the inaugural Jiffy Lube Miami 400 on November 14. Waltrip will campaign the No. 66 Big Kmart/Route 66 prepared by Haas/Carter Motorsports in 1999. The Jiffy Lube Miami 400 will be the debut of NASCAR Winston Cup racing in South Florida. "This is the kind of track where we'll get them on their feet pretty easy," said Waltrip. "They won't have to worry about having a good show. They've got a great facility. I can't wait to come back here and run some." Waltrip visited the Speedway to join CART FedEx Championship Series drivers Michael Andretti and Christian Fittipaldi for a photo shoot, featuring three Kmart-sponsored cars and drivers. Carl Haas is co-owner of both teams, joining Paul Newman in the Champ Car ranks and Travis Carter in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Andretti will seek his third consecutive Homestead triumph March 21 in the Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami Presented by Toyota. He and Fittipaldi drive Newman/Haas Ford Swifts in CART competition. "It's beautiful. I could see why the Winston Cup Series is coming here," said Waltrip. "I think it's a good place for Winston Cup racing. We'll pack the joint. "It's got big sweeping turns, and it's going to be challenging. You're going to have to work to get on the outside to make your passes, but we'll make it work." The March 19-21 Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami Presented by Toyota weekend also includes the season opener for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Saturday's Florida Dodge Dealers 400. The Nov. 12-14 Jiffy Lube Miami 400 weekend also includes the NASCAR Busch Series finale on Saturday. Tickets are now on sale for both weekends, and can be reserved by calling (305) 230-7223. For additional information, visit the Speedway's official website, www.racemiamia.com.