University of Texas Football Coach Mack Brown poses with the UT National Championship Dream Machine April 6th at Texas Motor Speedway
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FORT WORTH, TX (April 7, 2006) - Michael Waltrip was greeted with thunderous applause as the University of Texas National Championship No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine rode onto Texas Motor Speedway for Thursday’s qualifying action in preparation for tomorrow’s NASCAR Busch Series race. The special paint scheme has drawn a tremendous amount of attention from the fans and the media alike, helping Aaron’s enjoy a new level of support and visibility throughout Texas.
The Dream Machine started out slow during the first and second practices, although Michael liked the way the car felt through the turns. He also wanted a little more grip in the rear tires before the afternoon’s qualifying laps. Waltrip went out 23rd in qualifying as thousands of fans stood and cheered as Michael brought their college colors down the front stretch for his qualifying laps. As the Dream Machine entered the first turn, the car drifted toward the middle of the track and Michael had to let up a little to get the car to grip. Michael had the same situation in turns three and four and the result was a rather slow qualifying time of 29.473 seconds around the 1.5-mile quad-oval track. That put Waltrip toward the back of the pack in the 39th position out of the 47 cars attempting to make the 43-car field.
While the 39th starting position is not what the team expected, crew chief Cully Barroclough feels positive the Dream Machine will perform better during the race on Saturday.
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(L-R) NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart, Elliot Sadler, Michael Waltrip, Ken Schrader and Kyle Petty relax in Aaron’s leather recliners while they entertain lucky fans during the Aaron’s Fandango party April 6th at Texas Motor Speedway
The University of Texas National Championship No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine, with Michael Waltrip behind the wheel, tries to overtake a competitor during the April 6 qualifying laps at Texas Motor Speedway
Michael Waltrip proudly displays a University of Texas Longhorns hat as he faces the enthusiastic Texas media before the April 6 qualifying laps for the O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway
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Michael reiterated that sentiment and spoke positively about his prospects in tomorrow’s race when he hosted the annual Aaron’s Fandango party last night at the track. The Aaron’s Fandango is a gathering of Texas Motor Speedway season ticket holders who get to be entertained by Michael and his surprise guests for two hours. This year’s guests included drivers Ken Schrader, Elliot Sadler, Tony Stewart and Kyle Petty. The attendance set a record as the excited crowd listened to the group tell stories of their racing careers and share their personal insights and opinions of various other tracks and drivers. Needless to say, the Aaron’s Fandango was a big hit with those who attended. Most will never forget the opportunity to hear such entertaining anecdotes first-hand
from Michael Waltrip and his special guests.
Saturday’s O’Reilly 300 is scheduled for 2:00 PM Central Time, and will be broadcast live on FOX television and MRN radio.
