Loudon II: Michael Waltrip preview

Team Notes

Michael Waltrip will compete in his 20th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway on Sunday afternoon where he will look for his second consecutive top-10 run, his first top-five finish and his fourth consecutive top-five start at the Magic Mile.

Waltrip dominated this race one year ago before the gas can got caught in the racecar during a gas and go stop. Waltrip had to return to the pits. The fastest car in the Sylvania 300 finished 26th, the last car one lap down.

This Week's Race Car is Chassis #18. This racecar ran in July's race at NHIS (finishing sixth) as well as both races last year starting in the top- five in all three races. The car also ran the 2004 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as well as the race at California Speedway this year. The car was tested at NHIS in June, and visited the wind tunnel the beginning of June.

Waltrip Motivated by Points and Cause

While Waltrip will focus in on his finishes so that he can close in on the 11th position in points which pays $1 million at the end of the season, he is also focused on his finishes because his sponsors are donating money based on his performance. Last week's 13th-place finish in Richmond got him $5,000 closer to his million dollar goal for Victory Junction Camp thanks to Cup sponsor NAPA AUTO PARTS. NAPA donated $5,000 to Waltrip's OPERATION MARATHON Fund because the No. 15 car finished in the top-15 Saturday night. NAPA will donate $15,000 for every top-five finish, $10,000 for every top-10 finish and $5,000 for every top-15 finish in the remaining 10 races.

NAPA Team supports Waltrip's OPERATION MARATHON

Every NASCAR Cup and Busch team were challenged by Michael and Buffy Waltrip to make a $1500.00 donation - the cost of sponsoring one Victory Junction Camp child for a week. The NAPA team, led by Slugger Labbe, was the first to contribute.

"All it took was bringing the cause to the (No. 15) team's attention and the giving took a total of one hour before we hit the $1500.00 mark," Slugger said. "Our entire team was anxious to support Michael's crusade to keep The Victory Junction Camp operating. We hope all the other teams will find this charitable opportunity as rewarding as we did."

The No. 15 team will carry a decal on their pit box this weekend that reads, "Another Child Sent to Camp.