Michael Waltrip Racing Makes It's First Chase in 2012

I'm not sure about you, but I think it's pretty neat to see the relatively new race team of Michael Waltrip Racing achieve a milestone by making it into the 2012 Chase for the Cup.  Actually, they nabbed two spots!

That means two teams in the top-12, when, in 2009, their best points finish was 16th (David Reutimann).

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Michael Waltrip Racing "went live" and full time in 2007 and hasn't looked back.  Sure, it was a bit bumpy, but all new race teams have some hurdles to get through.  With MWR, that hurdle was getting their first win, which came in 2009.  This year, Martin Truex Jr. (fifth) and Clint Bowyer (eighth) are the drivers setting this precedent for MWR.

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For Truex, despite no wins this year, he is having his best season to date.  He's tied his single-season record for top-10 finishes (14).  He's one top-5 finish away from matching is personal best (7).

I'd watch for him to have some more success before the year is out.

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This is Clint Bowyer's 3rd time being in the Chase.  He previously was in it in 2008 and 2010. (What's up withe the even-numbered years?)

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I had an impromptu conversation with Michael Waltrip back at Sonoma on pit road while we were hanging out waiting for the start of the race.  He looked proud of what his team was accomplishing this year.  He made mention how he really enjoyed that his teams were further up front in the line-up and that he could get used to it.

It looks like he is doing just that.