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| NAPA Out At MWR |
“Michael Waltrip Racing respects the decision NAPA announced today
following the events at Richmond,” said the team in a written statement. “There
is no doubt, the story of Michael Waltrip Racing begins with NAPA Auto Parts,
but there are many more chapters yet to be written.
“MWR has the infrastructure and support of Toyota for three teams
plus three Chase-caliber, race-winning drivers. With the support of our
corporate partners we are preparing to field three teams in 2014. MWR is a
resilient organization capable of winning races and competing for the
championship and that remains our sole focus.”
Mike has had a rough month.
ReplyDeleteWOW!!!!!!!! MWR must have a Fairy Godmother hidden some where!
ReplyDeleteA Classy comment from a Team Owner. Classless NAPA....
ReplyDeletethats b.s.... Would you sponser a cheater....
DeleteLowes does
DeleteJimmie Johnson seems to keep his sponsors, doesn't he???? He has been caught more times in the last couple years than anyone. Has to go through tech inspection over and over in order to make it on the track.
DeleteClassy, where's the apology to NAPA?, NAPA deserves better than to be associated with this cheater any longer
DeleteClassless???? You are talking about NAPA that way??? Really??? Michael has no class. To change an event like they did. ALL of them should be ashamed to be so "in your face" cheating. Maybe 5hr. Energy will be next for Bowyer.
DeleteIf you aren't cheating, you aren't winning. If you've ever raced you'd know you are always looking in the "Gray Area" of the rules to gain advantages over your competitors. It's when you cross the line that you get spanked and that's exactly what happened. Cheating or "bending the rules" is a huge part of racing and will never go away. It's how a lot of new rules and part/body modification in the rulebooks come about. It's almost encouraged in order to progress the cars and the sport. This infraction was different...it was blatant in front of millions of viewers. That is why it is much much different.
DeleteMWR, are you sure of the status of your other sponsors? There may not be many more chapters. This could be the final chapter.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the heart felt apology. I don't hear any sorrow at all for the actions of his teams. I hope NAPA stays in the sport. I feel really bad for Truex, JR.
ReplyDeleteThey ARE staying in the sport. Saw an article earlier saying such.
DeleteWhen you mess with fire you will eventually get burned.
ReplyDeleteIt is worse when you are covered in sterno!
DeleteWow! Still no remorse? I love you MWR but you keep breaking me heart. Please stop it. Remember when you were the underdog? You won me over. I stood by you during the struggle. You then became a winner. A true winner. With people that came a long way with you.
ReplyDeleteAs a fan I was heckled for rooting you on, and I was still a loyal fan. Through out the last two weeks I have waited for a true heart felt response.
Now I must go forward!
MWR I will be rooting for someone else. It is you baby. It is not me. Good luck to you buddy. It is over! Good bye MWR.
Michael has been an awesome representative for all of his sponsors over the years. I believe he has now lost his credibility and NAPA leaving the team is not going to be the end of this. 5 Hour is in the Chase so they are not going to do anything now. Aaron's departure could come anytime. This is not about having the 55 pit for which the team was penalized for. It is about the unapologetic attitude and continuing to deny that Bowyer's spin was intentional.
ReplyDeleteYou all make exceptionally good livings in this sport but greed will bring you down everytime. :)
I totally agree! No apologies, no remorse Michael. Really! I don't think the other shoe has fallen yet. But it will. Who is he going to blame? Everybody else except himself.
DeleteI wonder how much of this was the initial act on the track and how much of it was due to the lack of owning up to Bowyer's actions?
ReplyDeleteI hate to see NAPA leave. they have done a fantastic job of activating their sponsorship and you hate for the sport to lose that.
it all started when HE hooked up with toyota....
ReplyDeleteIt's the sponsors that drive the sport and want their teams at the top at any cost and expect it with the money they put into the teams to preform. Cash = speed / speed cost money // the more money a sponsor(s) give a team, the team is always under the gun to be on top of the mountain. Sponsors don't have a perforce line to cross till it is by the eyes of Nascar,and fall out happens and then the sponsor(s) pull out instead of standing behind the teams they have invested millions into, ride the wave and weather the storm and have the back bone to do the right thing if they push the teams to be the best they can be week end and week out.
ReplyDeleteAngie called it right the Mon after. Guess actually being in the marketing side helps you be a better host
ReplyDeleteWasn't to long ago if I remember Napa announced a 3 yr ext and Michael was gushing about what a wonderful world it was in today's economic climate to have 2 38 race sponsors
Oh well it's not over yet.
Michael Waltrip Racing has succeeded in coming full circle in about 5 years. From nothing, to something (winning races and Chase particpants) and now back to nothing. But one thing has remained constant... Cheating. From sterno in the manifold at their team's outset at Daytona a few years ago, to collusion and manipulating the race outcome at Richmond a couple weeks ago. Michael has brought it all upon himself and his organization. I hate it for Bowyer (he looks like he's lost his soul in interviews) I hate it for Truex (he's poised to suffer the most) and I hate it for the employees of MWR. This may well be the beginning of the end for this organization.
ReplyDeleteLowes dont seem to mind cheating! Guess they should help out at MWR!
ReplyDeleteHendrick has more money to pay them off when they cheat.
DeleteMaybe I read too much into this, but that sounded a WHOLE like, "we respect NAPA's decision, but we don't need them anyway". It's a shame that BALCO and A-Rod's Miami PED clinic have both gone out of business...would have been a perfect sponsor for an unrepentent cheater. Maybe they can find one of those internet companies that help folks pass work-related drug screenings. Or maybe one of the hundreds of tax-scam companies that pop up every year at tax time! Daytona in February would a be a great kick-off for The Cheat-The-Taxman Camry to kick off its campaign!
ReplyDeleteBut in all honesty, MWR employs a LOT of good people that had nothing to do with any of this, and I sincerely hope that they can get this cleaned up and move on as an honest, respectable company. But only for the sake of the employees that are working there that probably just got a LOT more nervous than they were a month ago!
Funny napa has no problem with cheating in nhra.
ReplyDeleteNAPA probably already wanted out. This just gave them the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI really feel bad for Martin Truex. He was knocked out of the chase for something he did not do and he now has lost his primary sponsor, again not his doing. Bowyer did the bad and he is in the chase. Does not seem fair to me. Bowyer should have put on the outside of the chase and Truex, Newman and Gordon should have been the three in the chase. If they had taken Bowyer out of the chase for his action, even if it was no his own thought but his superiors that told him to do it, I bet no other team would ever dare to do such a thing again.
ReplyDeleteThe 48 has not cheated and you can't "prove" they have. If they went through inspection and NASCAR found something that was not approved, the team had to make repairs and then roll through again. Therefore, they didn't cheat. Now, if they did cheat and got away with it, you wouldn't know about it. Again, no proof of cheating.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of MWR, they actually get Caught Cheating. No Doubts about it. And their level of cheating is so flagrant that it's embarrassing to their sponsors and fans. There is simply too much "Ugly" surrounding MWR for it's fans and sponsors to look the other way.
explain the several races Chad had to sit out over his career because of his being caught cheating.
DeleteMWR fans have you back Michael. Clint, bring home the title this year and Truex win NH and let NAPA regret their decision.
ReplyDeleteGood job NAPA!!!!
DeleteMWR caused a Napa no no.
ReplyDeleteMWR its called NAPA KNOW HOW. They know how and you don't.
ReplyDeleteClint Bowyer should have been taken out of the chase ! He is NOT innocent in all this mess, he could have said "NO" But he didn't he chose to be a mouse instead of a man. And Michael Waltrip? I lost ALL respect for you!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete