10 Years Later and the #15 Wins Again

The Camping World Truck Series, the third of the top-three tiers of NASCAR racing, doesn't get a lot of attention.  It's kind of a proving ground for young talent, or a place where old talent goes to finish out their careers after they can no longer get rides in the Cup series.  Last night's season-opening race in Daytona was a crash fest, with most of the starting field wadded up in several big accidents, the the ending was pretty sentimental.

Michael Waltrip rarely runs in the truck series and had never won a truck race, but he entered last night's race driving the #15 truck for a new team.  Yesterday was also the 10th anniversary of his first NASCAR Cup win, the 2001 Daytona 500.  In 2001 he was also driving a #15 car, that time for Dale Earnhardt's team.  It was his first ride in the #15 and sadly the last ride for Dale Earnhardt who would die in an accident in the 4th turn of the final lap.

On the last lap of the truck race last night Michael, who had been running second, swept out and around Eliot Sadler to squeak out a win a the finish line.  It was a very emotional Michael Waltrip who entered Victory Circle.  Congrats to Michael on his first truck win on such a memorable night.