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Michael Waltrip enjoys the spotlight, and Monday’s Sprint Media Tour stop at Michael Waltrip Racing was no different. Instead of the normal press conferences where owners tout the talents of their drivers, Waltrip hosted a talk show-style event where he interviewed his new team.
The over-the-top owner prodded Clint Bowyer about letting him run a dirt car, which Bowyer laughingly declined. Waltrip then played the age card with 53-year-old Mark Martin, saying when he gets out of the car and Mark gets in he likes to say, “Out with the old and in with the older.” He then pointed out Martin Truex, Jr. had done a lot of the hard work in paving the way at MWR, to which Truex told his new teammates, “I took all the lumps for you guys.”
All kidding aside, MWR is in a no-excuse year with new drivers Martin and Bowyer joining the team, pairing with the "veteran" Truex who endured an up-and-down year in 2011. But new technology, new chassis and a partnership with Toyota Racing Development have the organization poised to move into
that next level of Sprint Cup Series organizations in 2012.
