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© St. Petersburg Times, published June 18, 2002
Michael Waltrip is saving his job.
Waltrip, one of two drivers rumored to be replaced next season at Dale Earnhardt Inc., finished fourth in Sunday's Sirius Satellite Radio 400 at Michigan.
It was his fifth top 10 in seven races. "He means so much in so many other areas, and all we needed was the performance," DEI vice president Ty Norris said. "Obviously, it's there every week now."
Since finishing second to teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Talladega in April, Waltrip has climbed 10 places to 14th in points. Sunday, he bumped Earnhardt to 15th. "I'm more content today than I've ever been," said Waltrip, whose only career victory was the 2001 Daytona 500 in which car owner and friend Dale Earnhardt was killed in a last-lap crash. "People are going to ask questions. That's their jobs."
The contracts of Waltrip and Steve Park, who is struggling in his return from a serious head injury, expire at the end of the season. Norris hoped to make decisions about their futures by Saturday but has extended the timetable to mid-July.
He seems content with Waltrip and the crew of the No. 15 Chevrolet.
"They said they were going to prove some people wrong, and that's what they've done," Norris said.
Maybe Junior can take advantage. Since winning at Talladega, he has had miserable luck with a top finish of 12th and four of 30th or worse. He was 22nd Sunday.
"I'm really happy with how (Michael's) doing now," said Earnhardt, who seems to be taking on more decision making at DEI. "I'm real happy with the communication that I'm getting from him as a teammate. We've worked together real well in the past, but the chemistry hadn't been there for a long time, in several months."
OUT OF SYNCH: Points leader Sterling Marlin had his worst finish of the year, 21st. Marlin's lead was trimmed from 136 to 110 over rookie Jimmie Johnson and four-time champion Jeff Gordon.
"We knew we'd have days like this," said Marlin, who failed to finish on the lead lap for just the second time this season. "We've just got to run better. There's a lot of racing left, but we've got to get better before we come back (to Michigan) in August."
UNLUCKY LE MANS: Gunnar Jeannette, the 20-year-old Florida native who competed in his third 24 Hours of Le Mans, was behind the wheel when the No. 12 Panoz Motor Sports entry succumbed to overheating in the 19th hour. After starting 17th and climbing to 10th near the midway point, the team finished 29th.
REALITY TV: Tony Stewart, whose doors have been largely closed to the media this season, will be the focus of ESPN's The Life at 8:30 tonight. Stewart granted unprecedented access to a four-man television crew for five days around The Winston all-star event.
The crew shot 21 hours of footage at Stewart's home, the track and at promotional appearances.
WHEN IT RAINS, IT HURTS: Defending Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish Jr. was not only stunned, but stung, when hail began pelting him in the cockpit of his car during Sunday's Radisson 225 at Pikes Peak.
"Stuff flying into the cockpit -- you're not used to that," Hornish said. "You're not used to being at a racetrack and having hail."
The race was stopped for 51 minutes.
INDY 500 APPEAL: Monday, the IRL heard CART owner Barry Green's appeal of the Indianapolis 500 results in which he claims his driver, Paul Tracy, passed winner Helio Castroneves before caution lights came on in the closing laps.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway president and IRL founder Tony George conducted the hearing, during which Team Green and Team Penske had the chance to present evidence. George is expected to rule in 10-30 days.
-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.