LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (Feb. 22, 2001) Michael Waltrip, winner of the NASCAR Winston Cup Daytona 500, will drive a car owned and prepared by Orleans Racing of Las Vegas, in the NASCAR Winston West NAPA Auto Parts 300 on Wednesday, February 28, at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Orleans Racing is home to the 2000 NASCAR Winston West Champion, driver Brendan Gaughan, and NASCAR Winston Cup and Winston West veteran Hershel McGriff. Orleans Racing runs the only full time two-car team in the NASCAR Winston West circuit.
“We really look forward to fielding a car for Michael Waltrip, especially after his win in Daytona,” said Bill McAnally, president of Orleans Racing. “We are also thankful for the help provided by CBA Motorsports, led by Daniel Larson, who is crewing the car.”
Waltrip will have his work cut out for him, though. The Winston West series has tough competition, including Eric Norris, Mark Reed, and Austin Cameron, to name a few, and, of course Gaughan and McGriff, whose hometrack is Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Since Orleans Racing is located on the grounds of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, both Gaughan and McGriff have been able to test at the Bullring recently and are ready to engage Waltrip in a bullfight to the checkered finish.
NAPA Auto Parts is the title sponsor of the NASCAR Winston West Race No. 2 and is the primary sponsor of Brendan Gaughan’s No. 16 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Michael Waltrip’s primary sponsor in the Winston Cup series is also NAPA, and his No. 17 Chevrolet Monte Carlo will keep the familiar NAPA blue and yellow paint scheme for the Winston West race. Seventy-three-year-old McGriff will drive the No. 04 MBNA/Park Corporation Chevrolet Monte Carlo. MBNA America, N.A. is the world’s largest independent credit card issuer with managed loans of $88.8 billion. MBNA has offered NASCAR fans credit cards featuring their favorite driver’s photo since 1993. For more information about MBNA and its services call 1-866-GET-MBNA.
For more information about Orleans Racing, Hershel McGriff and Brendan Gaughan, visit our websites at www.orleansracing.com
