Adding on to what has been an impressive run in the past several weeks for Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR), team owner Michael Waltrip was able to guide his No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota to the team’s second top-10 finish of the season.

Starting 40th for this past Sunday’s Camping World RV 400 presented by AAA, Waltrip was able to improve 20 positions by the time lap 64 rolled around.

“I’m just real proud of my team,” said Waltrip. “We qualified bad. I told them after qualifying -- I said, ‘That’s me. I screwed up qualifying and you all gave me a good car here. I can race them on Sunday.’”

Waltrip was able to use the cautions to his advantage and keep his Toyota Camry moving forward until the checkered flag was woven at the conclusion of the race.

“To battle all day long and run good -- that's what it’s all about. We spent enough Sundays just trying to stay out of the way and it’s fun to race. That’s why I signed up for this job 25 years ago.”

With a less than eye-catching one top-5 and two top-10 finishes this season, Waltrip has not experienced the amount of success that he was hoping to achieve heading into 2008.

The owner/driver has ended all but three of the seasons races in 20th or worse, and did not show anything proving that he deserved better.

Starting at the event at Auto Club Speedway Waltrip’s organization has begun to show signs of improvement originating from the No. 44 team of David Reutimann (who earned a career high finish that weekend).

The success has seemed to be contagious as the other teams at MWR look as if they are catching it too.

Clouds have begun to dissipate, and MWR appears to be poised to contend with the likes of Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing as the 2008 season begins to wind down with only eight races remaining.

Is this string of achievement just a fluke? Or is it the real deal?

The remaining eight races are the only way to tell… off to Kansas.