The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season is preparing to embark in the so-called home stretch of the 2007 schedule with the impending start of the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship. The last 10 races of the 2007 NASCAR schedule make up the play-off type scenario for the Nextel Cup Series teams that make it into the chase. This weekend's race at Richmond will determine the 12 teams that will compete for the 2007 Nextel Cup Series championship.
Only 12 teams will experience the thrill of competing for the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup championship during the last 10 races while the 35-plus other teams will look to serve as spoilers to the chase contenders while also making the most of what remains in the season. Michael Waltrip Racing's trio of teams is among the organizations trying to make the most of a season that has been anything but thrilling.
Starting the season as a brand new organization with a manufacturer new to Nextel Cup Racing, all involved at Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) knew that there would be plenty of challenges confronting the first year team. Dale Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR Cup Series champion, has been part of the sport since the late 1980s and has experienced the growing pains associated with a start-up team. Even still, Jarrett said he never anticipated the struggles that would come with the new venture.
"Even though I knew it was a huge undertaking, I felt like things would probably go better than they have," Jarrett said. "The difficult part is trying to find the answers as to why we're not as good as what we feel we should be. If it was one thing that would be easy, but we're only getting one and at most two cars into races, so we don't get a lot of information to pull from."
Jarrett missed the race at Richmond in early May, the first time he wasn't in the starting lineup for a Nextel Cup Series race since October 1994.
Throughout the summer, Jarrett and the #44 UPS Team have competed sporadically, making the race on time sometimes and then racing due to weather canceling the qualifying session other times. Despite the struggles that have plagued MWR and the three race teams, Jarrett continues to support the organization but with a renewed level of expectations and goals.
"Part of my whole reasoning behind this was to help Michael with his organization," Jarrett said. "Because we're not that close to being there, it's on my mind a lot as to what I can do to help put this in motion quicker.
"Even though it makes it difficult because you got to that level of success and expectation, I understand I'm the one who made this decision, and I can live with that," Jarrett added. "It's certainly not the way I want to finish my career. That's why we're working extremely hard to get to where I can finish it on a much more competitive note."
In the end, the drama that surrounds the Race to the Chase for the Championship will culminate at Richmond this weekend. Although MWR will not be part of that battle, it continues in its own race and that is the race to get its program up to the competitive level that will allow it to be in contention for the Chase in years to come.
