Heading to Indianapolis team owner and driver, Michael Waltrip, states that his organization has been tinkering with the car in an effort to become more competitive. They have eliminated some weight, and lowered the center of gravity on their cars. Michael Waltrip Racing will bring their new and improved version of the COT.

"This is probably generation three of our [car of tomorrow] program," Waltrip said. "It is lighter. It has a lower center of gravity. To me, those two things are key elements to what this new car needs. Drivers talk about how this car is heavier than the old cars. That means the center of gravity is very critical. A way that I can explain this is if Jeff Gordon and I are racing, and if he has a lower center of gravity in comparison to mine, then he will have the ability to make it through the corners faster. We have to make sure that our cars are the best. That’s our challenge and charge here at MWR.

Going further into explaining the alterations of the revolutionized car Waltrip explains, "We have been able to lower our center of gravity by 5/8th of an inch. That may not sound like much, but it is a big deal. It is like lowering the engine by 4 inches. That’s how important we think our most recent gain is."

Believing that the organization is on the rise, Waltrip expresses that he feels stronger about his organization than he ever has. They have tested the new generation of the car and are pleased with the results.

"Everything has gone real well in testing so we are really optimistic about the Indy race," he said. "I am really looking forward to the second half of the season. I believe we are putting together some really special cars. We are really organizing and coming together as a group. I feel better about MWR today than I ever have because of the things we are doing and accomplishing. I also love the job that David Reutimann and [his crew chief] Ryan Pemberton are doing on the track. [My crew chief] Bobby Kennedy and I have almost won two races this year. You just can’t argue that.

Unable to contain his excitement, Waltrip notes that the drivers in his organization are making races and settled in the Top-35. That is a major improvement from last year.

"Last year, we didn’t have that to hang our hats on," Waltrip said. "We missed races and had two top-10 finishes. We weren’t able to contend for races. Now we are. Reutimann is poised to break into the top 20 in points. Last year, he was 45th. We have got ourselves rooted solidly in the points.”

Waltrip has changed the rookie’s, Michael McDowell’s, crew chief. Peter Sospenzo will debut as crew chief starting at Indianapolis.

“Now we’ve added another veteran crew chief with Peter Sospenzo. Starting in Indy, he will be guiding rookie Michael McDowell. He’s all in. He’s here to take McDowell to another level. It’s really fun here at MWR. I can get excited when I talk about this right now because I can really see it happening.

Envisioning a rise of his team, Waltrip only knows how to smile anymore. “There have been so many days when I have wanted to see the needle moving. I wanted to know what we were doing in order to get to that next point. I knew it was all going on, but it wasn’t coming together like I wanted it to. Now, I see it coming together and that is a great thing,” stated Waltrip.