After missing 12 straight races, two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip qualified 23rd Friday for Sunday’s NASCAR race at Dover International Speedway.
Embarrassed by an off-track incident in which he fell asleep at the wheel and was charged with reckless driving and failing to report an accident, a cheating scandal that cost him his crew chief and the string of DNQs, this has been a miserable season for Waltrip and his No. 55 NAPA Toyota team.
Waltrip hasn’t qualified in Nextel Cup competition since the season-opening Daytona 500.
Waltrip was caught cheating during Daytona 500 preparations when NASCAR found a fuel additive in his engine. He was docked a record 100 driver points.
Ryan Newman won the pole with a lap of 152.925 m.p.h.
*Robert Yates, who had been flirting with merging his team with Dale Earnhardt Inc., signed a five-year contract with Ford Racing Technology.
