Michael Waltrip Racing shutting the doors at the end of 2015

[jeffro151]

Clint Bowyer free to pursue other opportunities | NASCAR.com

 

[bksballer89]

wow surprising

 

[wildturkey]

wow surprising

Eh...it is and it isn't. Mikey has never really been the money man so when Kaufmann decided to go elsewhere, you pretty much knew MWR was in trouble. The surprising bit would be if they can't find any buyers for what's left. They have a fairly impressive operation. If you're a smaller team looking to expand or just someone that wants to break into ownership, that's a pretty good place to start.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

I figure that Bowyer will end up over at EGR. No idea what will happen with Ragan though. Wonder if he'll have to go to one of the lower level teams, maybe be in the second Furniture Row car that's been discussed? Or do what Regan Smith did and just go down to the Xfinity Series and try to tear that series up and hope a team comes calling.

 

[jeffro151]

I'm pretty sure Bowyer has 5 hour energy in his pocket, so does he go with Kaufman to Ganassi, or to Furniture Row for a 2nd team since they seem to definitely be switching to Toyota?

 

[Retroram52]

Mikey found out how difficult it is to be an owner in today's NASCAR dog and pony show when he is often doing court gesture duties as a commentator. Another diarrhea mouth, the man never shuts up when he is on with his brother. He basically is the brightest bulb on the planet and apparently got overwhelmed by managing three race teams at one time.

 

[jeffro151]

Believe it or not, the strongest rumor right now has Bowyer going to Harry Scott Motorsports (#51) just for 2016, until a better ride opens up in 2017 (Tony Stewart retiring?). Bowyer and Kaufmann have pretty much said that they will no longer be working together after 2015.

 

[Retroram52]

Money is slowly drying up as this economy and the uncertainty continues with asswipe in Washington D.C. Guys like Bowyer may not have a "better ride" to go to in the future.

 

[Psych-Ward]

Waltrip can no longer attract the big name sponsors because of how many times he has been nailed cheating. So now with all his pocket money drying out he pretty much is left with no alternative. Maybe if he'd of just tried to do things on the up and up he'd stool be able to stay a float......

 

[Retroram52]

Spot on Psych-Ward. Waltrip has warn out his welcome in the garage area because of the overt cheating. This is hypocritical to some degree because as Richard Petty stated long ago: Everyone cheats; It is just a matter of who gets caught. With all of the corporate money and influence, gone are the days of doing things willy-nilly and then acting like a complete amnesiac in a futile attempt to deny that anything illegal was done. The new standard is Joe Gibbs Racing. Just ask Rousch-Fenway Racing.

 

[4down20]

Rob Kauffman announces Michael Waltrip Racing to cease operations at season's end

They aren't doing the part time thing in 2016.

Rob Kauffman, an amateur racer who is a highly successful businessman, said Friday he had enough of pouring his own money into Michael Waltrip Racing without seeing results and announced that MWR would cease operations after this season.

 

[Retroram52]

Yea, Mikey's "operations" are done.

 

[Chewbaccer]

I figure that Bowyer will end up over at EGR. No idea what will happen with Ragan though. Wonder if he'll have to go to one of the lower level teams, maybe be in the second Furniture Row car that's been discussed? Or do what Regan Smith did and just go down to the Xfinity Series and try to tear that series up and hope a team comes calling.

Bowyer won't go to Ganassi, he and Kauffman won't work together again.

My guess is Bowyer will be a one year driver for a new Furniture Row team, and then he'll take over Tony STewart's spot in 2017 once Stewart announces that next year will be his last.

 

[Nascar Addict]

Waltrip can no longer attract the big name sponsors because of how many times he has been nailed cheating. So now with all his pocket money drying out he pretty much is left with no alternative. Maybe if he'd of just tried to do things on the up and up he'd stool be able to stay a float......[/QUOTE

Cheating in NASCAR? I'm shocked. Although, I'm a fan of the guy, and I do have to admit that he has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar a more than a few times, I hate for any team to close up shop.

 

[Psych-Ward]