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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
VENTURINI: ‘Real Deal’ with Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann from Atlanta
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann on the Atlanta edition of “Real Deal”...
Wendy Venturini  |  Posted March 18, 2009   Atlanta, GA
Get the 'Real Deal' with Wendy Venturini on SPEED. (Image: SPEED)

SPEED’s Wendy Venturini with Michael Waltrip, David Reutimann and his new crew chief Rodney Childers on the Atlanta edition of “Real Deal”.

Wendy Venturini: "Let’s head right over here to this tech inspection area where Michael Waltrip’s car is going because this week's "Real Deal" focuses on Michael Waltrip racing. This is their third year in business and three races in, two of their cars already in the top 12. Now, Michael Waltrip, as the owner, has brought on a lot of new personnel, and as we’re seeing, those changes are paying off."

Wendy Venturini: "You have extra pep in your step lately. The old Michael Waltrip seems like he is back in full form. What’s changed about you?"

Michael Waltrip: "I’m just happy, I feel real good about where I’m at. I told Bootie Barker, our crew chief, I said I’m going to push all in for you in ’09. It’s going to be 100% Mike, and hopefully that’s good enough where we can go and win a race and contend and run up front. Bootie said that’s what he wants out of me. I have so much respect for him and what he has accomplished with the challenges he has been faced with, that it just inspires me to be a better person, or be all I can be, because I know he is being all he can be, and has been his whole life, and it just makes me want to give more for him, and hopefully our whole team."

Wendy Venturini: "It seems like people were being harsh on you the first couple of years, getting started, getting off the ground, but now they’re being harsh on you, because they are saying hey, wait, you guys are running good, like it is a surprise."

Michael Waltrip: "Well it should be a little bit of a surprise, if you look at our humble beginnings, the way we came out of the gate, missing races and not being able to compete, but I would remind people, we were trying to race against organizations that have been doing this for 20 some years. We showed up at Daytona in ’07 with a smile on our face, and we were happy, because we didn’t know what all we didn’t know. We were so far off base but we didn't have any idea. We just built a team and we were ready to go. To take that scenario, where we were two years ago and fast forward it to 2009, a couple of cars in the top 12 in points, and competing, you know contending. It’s just incredible, I am very proud of this team and this story of the people that work here."



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