2014 Team Spotlight Review: Michael Waltrip Racing

Michael Waltrip Racing 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

2014 Team Stats

Wins: 0

Top 5: 8

Top 10: 24

Pole: 1

Just as recently as 2012 I thought this MWR team was on the verge of being a big player when it came to NASCAR teams. They entered 2013 and had a great season until it fell apart at Richmond before the 2013 Chase when "spin gate" became a term.

Enter 2014. Not much has changed since that incident at Richmond. The team and sport has moved on (for the most part), yet MWR still is in that same funk how they left the 2013 season. In 2014 MWR moved back to only two drivers because spin gate cost them NAPA Auto Parts as a sponsor. Martin Truex Jr lost his spot on MWR due to that sponsorship loss and no new sponsors for a third car were brought in.

Clint Bowyer came back in the #15 and Brian Vickers was cleared to race and took over the #55 full time. Nothing was smooth sailing in 2014 for either driver as neither found a win or made the Chase. 

Clint Bowyer

• Before Richmond in 2013 (spin gate) Clint seemed to be making a push to be a rising star. He had just finished 2nd in 2012 and he was helping MWR try and reach a new level. A lot of things seemed to have crashed down after the incident at Richmond and he hasn't quite found his step yet. Some of this maybe due to the lack of speed some Toyota's experienced in 2014 compared to 2013, but maybe spin gate has something to do with it. He finished 2014 with 0 wins, 5 top 5's, and 15 top 10's while having an average finish of 17.1. All of those stats were lower than 2013 and most of them were close to career low's.

Brian Vickers

• Expectations were not as high for Vickers entering 2014. 2014 was the first time he ran a full time schedule since 2009, which in itself is a win for the #55 team and his health. Bad news struck this offseason that he will have to have heart surgery again and will miss the start of 2015. With lower expectations Vickers did about what most thought he would when he posted stats of 0 wins, 3 top 5's, 9 top 10's, 1 pole, while finishing the season 22nd in points.

Previous Team Spotlight Review: Ganassi Racing

Pit Road Week 19

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Camping World 301

Well I don't think anyone could have predicted that Brian Vickers would be in Victory Lane following the race on Sunday, at least not celebrating his own win. On that note not many are upset he found his way there either. Vickers was strong all weekend and it finally paid off with his first Sprint Cup win since 2009 when he still had a chance to be that rising star everyone touted him as. Well NH may have solidified him as now a possible bounce back star and assure himself a ride in the #55 in 2014.

Beyond Vickers take a look at the full race results here. Also worth noting that Bobby Labonte saw a lot of time running up front (until falling apart late), Aric Almirola found a top 5 (5th), Jeff Burton with a top 5 (3rd), and Front Row Motorsports finished 18th and 19th respectively.

**New Hampshire Preview**

Rising:

• Brad Keselowski- He got the Pole for Sunday but didn't find a way to win. At the end of the day BK was happy with his 4th place finish and the fact that he is once again in the top 10 in points. This finish is his 4th straight top 10 at NH. Maybe this will turn his season around (but we have thought that before)?
• Aric Almirola- He once had a nice top 10 streak going, but since has struggled with consistency. Aric finished 5th and is still in contention (with small hope) while sitting 16th in the standings.
• Jeff Burton- If Burton was out front at the end of the race not many could have beat him. Jeff ended up finishing 3rd on the day which is his best finish in a while and still has him fighting for a Chase spot.

Coasting:

• Kevin Harvick- Since the ASR all he has done is finish in the top 10. No really, he has 8 straight top 10's. If he continues this consistency into the Chase and finds a few wins here and there he could contend for the Title.

Falling:

• Tony Stewart- Am I the only one who thought it was great luck for Smoke on that last caution? Am I also the only one who thought that because he had a chance to pit and salvage running out of gas? In my opinion he made a dumb move by not pitting and finishing in the 12th-15th range rather then running out (not even close) to the finish after the Green-White. He needed the big picture in mind (Yes a second win is key, but so are points when you are running that well).
• Kurt Busch- Bad luck and spinning out with Newman led to Kurts demise. He fell right out of the top 10 that he finally got into last week after having (once again) one of the fastest cars on Sunday.
• Joey Logano- Miscues all over the place, JoLo had a rough outing at NH. Not only was it rough, but it kills his Chase chances (and my pick he could squeak in or for that matter get a win in 2013 before the Chase).

Brian Vickers Celebrates after he finishes with the win at Loudon

Pit Road: Week 19 Power Rankings

1. Jimmie Johnson (LW-1)- Well he started 43rd and finished 6th. Not much to see here, move along folks.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- Another Nascar Weekend another top 10 for Harvick. Not much to see here, move along folks.
3. Kyle Busch (LW-4)- Rowdy just couldn't keep the win from Vickers on Sunday but did win on Sat. That doesn't effect his move but Kyle had a fast day overall which he needed (without too much harm (Newman)).
4. Clint Bowyer (LW-3)- Clint had a rough day at NH yet still finished 13th on the day. That is a very dissapointing 13th though because he is normally solid at NH and he let one get away on a season which he has no wins.
5. Matt Kenseth (LW-6)- He led a few laps, looked good, and then finished 9th. Kenseth didn't move too far up but he also didn't have a bad day.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-5)- Jr switches spots with Kenseth after a 14th place finish. On Sunday at NH Jr really wasn't a factor and I actually forgot where he finished (that's a quiet day). Still an ok day and at least he didn't fall way off the pace.
7. Carl Edwards (LW-7)- Did anyone know Carl finished 8th? Not really a factor all day, Carl notched a top 10 and stayed steady on the season.
8. Greg Biffle (LW-8)- A 15th place finish and the Biff stays put, mostly because everyone around him has gone crazy. Biffle stays consistent and keeps his Chase hopes alive (and stronger each week).
9. Kurt Busch (LW-7)- Well Kurt is out of the top 10 in the standings but was once again bad fast, that is until he and Newman had a little "thing." Kurt's 102 led laps go to waste with a 31st but he is still 14th in points and looks more and more like he is prime for a win.
10. Jamie McMurray (LW-NR)- McMurray gets the nod here with a 12th place finish. It wasn't great but he had a 7th and 2nd the previous weeks so with all the turnover he gets the benefit.
11. Tony Stewart (LW-12)- I debated moving him up a spot after a bad call late in the race (and that's my opinion, even the broadcasters knew he was going to run out of fuel) but no one seems to want to hang around the bottom of the Rankings. He was good all day in retrospect. 
12. Brad Keselowski (LW-NR)- Well Kahne may have deserved this spot as well, but BK (after a terrible run, 9th) is still higher in the points then Kahne (after his terrible run, 10th). That was my determining factor this week, plus a Pole and strong 4th place finish.

Dropped Out: Joey Logano (LW-10) and Ryan Newman (LW-11)

Just Missed: Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon

**Pit Road: Week 18 Power Rankings**

Well this weekend we have no Sprint Cup action as it is a bye week. With it being a bye week either this week or next (or the weekend) I may try and get a few other articles out since I have a few idea's bouncing around. When Nascar returns to racing they will head to Indianapolis and also to ESPN Coverage for the remainder of the season (with a few ABC appearances).

If you haven't yet check out the Half Season Review on Nascar Behind the Wall and take a look at the Article Archive for any stories you may have missed. As always, check back to see if new articles are posted!