Buuxi weedha soo socota: Sannadkii 2001, kooxdu waxay ku tartantay NAPA oo maalgelisay lambarka 15 (waxaa laga yaabaa inay tixraac u tahay lambarka 15 ee Ford Thunderbird ee 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 ku biiro DEI, Waltrip wuxuu ku guuleystay tartankiisii ugu horeeyay ee 16 sano ee xirfadiisa
Daytona 500 ee sanadkii 2001 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.