Michael Waltrip Racing Statement On Richmond Penalty

It's been a crazy day in NASCAR... After the incident with Michael Waltrip Racing on Saturday, NASCAR went to work and after reviewing all the information at their disposal, they handed down penalties.

I didn't expect that.

And after the penalties were handed out, I was quietly expecting some kind of appeal from MWR.

But instead, the team got in front of this debacle they created, and said they accept the penalties and will move forward.

Leave it to Waltrip to hit it big in the penalties department again.  Remember the "not jet fuel" issue from 2007?  Well, this one seems just as insidious.

The thing is, had they not been so blatant about this stunt, from the obvious radio chatter to the lame duck explanations, and Michael telling Martin he has the best teammates ever... it all just added up to the layman watching it.  Who knows what NASCAR had access to.

I remember hearing the rumored (alleged) stories about his older brother, Darrel, and though that kind of stuff can't happen in this era.  But Mikey keeps trying... that's for sure.

Check out the press release MWR released this evening"

"Michael Waltrip Racing accepts the penalties issued by NASCAR this evening and plans to move forward in the 2013 season.

Michael Waltrip, founder and co-owner of MWR: “What occurred on the No. 55 radio at the end of Saturday night’s race in Richmond was a split-second decision made by team spotter Ty Norris to bring the No. 55 to pit lane and help a teammate earn a place in the Chase. We regret the decision and its impact. We apologize to NASCAR, our fellow competitors, partners and fans who were disappointed in our actions. We will learn from this and move on. As general manager, Ty Norris has been an integral part of Michael Waltrip Racing since its founding and has my and (co-owner) Rob Kauffman’s full support.”"

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