Ku qor sii wadida sadarkan - Sannadkii 2001, kooxdu waxay ku tartantay NAPA oo ay maalgelisay No. 15 (tixraac macquul ah oo ku saabsan No. 15 Ford Thunderbird oo Earnhardt uu kaxeeyay 1982 iyo 1983 Bud Moore Engineering). Michael Waltrip ayaa lagu dhawaaqay inuu yahay darawalka xilli ciyaareedka 2001. Markii ugu horeysay ee uu bilaabo DEI, Waltrip wuxuu ku guuleystay tartankiisii ugu horreeyay ee xirfadiisa 16 sano ee Daytona 500 ee 2001
Waxaad Riyadii Waltrip ee farxadda leh ayaa si dhakhso leh isu bedeshay riyo xun, si kastaba ha noqotee, guushiisa waxaa hoos u dhigay geerida Dale Earnhardt. Waltrip wuxuu si dhakhso leh u cadeeyay inuu awood u leeyahay superspeedways, isagoo hogaaminaya wareegyada inta badan Talladega iyo Daytona tartamada. Intii u dhaxeysay 2001 iyo 2003, Waltrip wuxuu ku guuleystay afar tartan (saddex Daytona iyo mid Talladega). Si kastaba ha ahaatee, wuxuu inta badan ku dhibtooday inuu helo xawaare ka baxsan labadaas wado. Ka dib laba xilli ciyaareed oo niyad jab leh oo aan guuleysan, oo ay ku jiraan kaalinta 25-aad ee dhibcaha dhammaadka 2005, Waltrip wuxuu ku dhawaaqay inuusan mar dambe u wadin DEI, isagoo u qaatay kafaalaqaadkiisa NAPA Bill Davis Racing muddo hal sano ah ka hor inta uusan abuurin kooxdiisa tartanka.