Internal drive Daytona 500 winner, Waltrip, is ready for more

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- At 40, Michael Waltrip thinks he may finally be a championship contender.

After a long journeyman's career, during which he was mostly known as Darrell Waltrip's little brother, "Mikey" says he's ready to step into NASCAR's elite with a lot more victories, and maybe a Winston Cup title.

The morning after winning his second Daytona 500 in three years, a bleary-eyed but smiling Waltrip was riding a cloud of optimism, buoyed by the victory in Sunday's rain-shortened race.

With crew chief Richard "Slugger" Labbe sitting at this side Monday, Waltrip said the biggest change is that his team no longer is floundering without a leader.

"In 2001, we were a new team and went through a lot of growing pains," Waltrip said. "In 2002, I think we established a decent foundation. We got Slugger in there full-time and we felt we were a decent team -- not great by any stretch, but close to getting the consistency we need to contend each week.

"Now, the natural progression of that would be for us to be a title contender this year, or at least be a team this year that's going to win more than one race and win some poles and do some good things."

A full-time driver in the Winston Cup series since 1985, Waltrip has never finished better than 12th in the points. A year ago, his second full season with Dale Earnhardt Inc., he was 14th.

All three of his career victories, though, have come since Dale Earnhardt took a surprising chance on his friend and added him to what had been a two-car team, joining Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Park.

Sunday's win makes it one victory in each of his DEI seasons. He has 35 more chances to add to that total this season, and with all of his wins in Daytona, Waltrip is anxious to prove that the No. 15 Chevrolet can find Victory Lane at other tracks.

"Slugger has put his signature on our team," Waltrip said. "He runs it. It's his.

"He respects my opinion, and that's important to me that we have that type of relationship, because you have to work as a team to win. We have what I think is the perfect definition of a team."

It's a very different situation from the chaos Waltrip found himself in after winning the 2001 Daytona 500.

Dale Sr. was killed in that race, stunning everyone and leaving DEI without its key physical and emotional leader. The team became lost.

"There was nobody running the 15 team, basically," Waltrip said. "Scott Eggleston, our crew chief when we won the Daytona 500, left along about April. We pretty much got along without a crew chief until Slugger came along in September."

By the time Labbe joined the team, with 11 races remaining in the 2001 season, speculation was rampant that Waltrip would be fired and that the team's sponsor was getting ready to leave.

Labbe, 34, had worked for some of the top crew chiefs in the business but had been the man in charge for only one full year before joining DEI. Still, he knew what needed to be done.

"I got all the guys together and said, 'This is our goal, this is what we need to do. We've got to make sure that Michael remains our driver and NAPA's going to remain our sponsor,' " Labbe said.

Ty Norris, vice president of DEI, said, "At the time, there were probably about three or four different people who were trying to have input. When Slugger came on board, he said, 'What do you want me to do?' I said, 'Run it like you own it.' And he does."

Labbe knew the job wasn't going to be easy.

"Michael was kind of off to the left, and the guys were off to the right. They had no leader," he said. "Michael was lost in the mix and had no one to go to."

That changed with Labbe's arrival.

"We had everything to do the job, we just couldn't get it done," Waltrip said. "I think Slugger's presence kind of refocused me and made me a part of the decision-making process. ... I think, at times, everybody needs a partner ... somebody to lean on. With Slugger, we were able to start working in a positive direction."

Now, with Labbe the unquestioned leader, no turnover from 2002 and a victory in NASCAR's biggest race in their pockets, Waltrip said the team is ready to roll.

"Some people picked us to finish 22nd this year," Waltrip said. "I think a lot of people are going to be surprised."