Can Waltrip Survive?

Is Michael Waltrip the right man to lead Toyota’s march into NASCAR? Based on results from the 1st quarter of the season, I’d say definitely not. He committed a cardinal blunder in the first race of the season (Daytona 500) by entering a car that was caught with illegal fuel additives. How does this happen? Especially when you’re trying to make a great impression, not only to your new owners (Toyota, Inc), but NASCAR, your peers, and everyone else that are stakeholders in your team. And things have gone progressively downhill since then for Waltrip’s racing team.

What I don’t understand is why Waltrip was picked to actually run the entire organization. Yes, Waltrip is great at marketing his team and sponsors, week-in and week-out, and this has always been his strength. He’s always come across as somewhat goofy,but he’s everyman’s type of racer, and that sells in the greater NASCAR markets. But this hardly makes him qualified to manage and run an entire business organization. He’s been racing for 22 years in NASCAR and has 4 wins to his name, all when he was with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and all on restrictor plate races. So he doesn’t bring a winning record to Toyota either.

And you have to wonder why didn’t Waltrip go to Rick Hendrick, Robert Yates, Joe Gibbs, and Richard Childress to pick their brains as much as possible. People make great organizations. Not technology. This has been true of successful businesses for ions and its no different in auto racing. If I’m Toyota, I give Waltrip to the July Daytona race to turn things around for at least one of his cup teams, and if not, then I’m looking for someone else.