If he has his way, Michael Waltrip’s budding racing operation will compete in the complete Craftsman Truck Series next season. Waltrip said his older brother Darrell’s successful outing in the Advance Auto Parts 250 at Martinsville Speedway provided the final incentive for him to seek enough sponsorship to field a driver next season in the Truck Series. Darrell Waltrip drove a #17 Tide Chevy in the debut outing of Leroy’s Boys Racing, which honors the pair’s late father. “I was real proud for him and real proud of my team for providing him with such a great truck to race,” Michael Waltrip said. “We’re very interested in trying to run a full Truck Series season in 2004 with our team, to provide someone with an opportunity to run for a championship.” Waltrip, whose Michael Waltrip Racing also competes in a select schedule of NASCAR Busch Series races, said his brother’s racing aspirations would dovetail well with a full program for another driver. “I think a nice complement to that (full schedule) would be Darrell running in a second truck,” Michael said. “That would be for as many races as he wants or as many as (wife) Stevie would let him — so we’ll have to see what develops.” Darrell Waltrip will drive the #17 truck, which Leroy’s Boys purchased from Hendrick Motorsports, in August at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Michael’s Busch Series crew chief Bobby Kennedy and veteran mechanic Buddy “Red Dog” Barnes lead Leroy’s Boys’ truck effort.(NASCAR.com)(4-24-2003)
