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Michael Waltrip opened up about the struggles of losing his race team, which stemmed from a cheating scandal in the 2013 NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond. Michael Waltrip Racing, which was a staple in the Cup Series for years, ceased operations at the end of the 2015 season.
On an episode of the Happy Hour podcast hosted by Kevin Harvick, the two-time Daytona 500 winner reflected on MWR's difficult end. Waltrip didn't mince words when he said it was the most disappointing moment of his career and something he couldn't recover from it.
"That's probably the most disappointing thing that has happened in my career because I couldn't overcome it. You lose 462 races and you win, you overcome it. You don't run well, you run better, you overcome it. It's been eight years ago. I lost. It's done, and that's hard to take." (1:45 onwards)
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The Federated Auto Parts 400 at the Richmond Raceway was the final race to make it into the playoffs in 2013. Ryan Newman, who formally drove for Stewart-Haas Racing, led in the closing laps and appeared to be on his way to the playoffs. This would eliminate MWR driver Martin Truex Jr. from playoff contention.
However, fellow MWR driver Clint Bowyer spun out with under 10 laps to go and set up a late-race restart. Newman would lose the race, which put Truex Jr. in the playoffs. That same week, NASCAR deemed that MWR cheated and Bowyer spun out on purpose, therefore Truex Jr. was bumped out of the playoffs and Newman was put in as punishment.
NAPA Auto Parts, Waltrip's longtime sponsor both as a driver and owner, cut ties with the team following the 2013 season. The company made it known it didn't support MWR's actions in the Richmond race, stating (via AL.com):
"After thorough consideration, NAPA has made the difficult decision to end its sponsorship arrangement with Michael Waltrip Racing effective December 31, 2013. NAPA believes in fair play and does not condone actions such as those that led to the penalties assessed by NASCAR. We remain supportive of the millions of NASCAR fans and will evaluate our future position in motorsports."
MWR would continue racing until the end of the 2015 season. The organization won seven Cup races and finished a best of second with Bowyer in the points standings in 2012.
Michael Waltrip continues to work as an analyst for FOX Sports
Michael Waltrip is no longer a team owner in NASCAR but the Kentucky native is still involved in the sport. Waltrip works for FOX Sports as a color commentator for the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and an analyst in the Cup Series.
Waltrip won four Cup Series races in his career as a driver, including two Daytona 500s in 2001 and 2003. His final career victory came at Talladega in 2003. He made 784 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series across 33 seasons, with his final race being the 2017 Daytona 500.
