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10 Questions: Michael Waltrip

Michael Waltrip is three races away from concluding his five-year tenure as driver of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated's No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet.

As he comes to Texas Motor Speedway for Sunday afternoon's Dickies 500, Waltrip is trying to regain a position in the top 20 in the standings.

During a break in his schedule recently, Waltrip sat down to answer 10 questions not necessarily related to his racing career.

What's your dream vehicle that you don't already own?

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Waltrip: I've always been a Corvette guy, so I really want to get one of those Z06s, if I can. That would probably be my next car that I'd like to have.

I think those are cool, so I might get one of those.

Buffy's dream car is one of those little Lexus convertibles -- she really likes those.

The Hardtop convertible?

Waltrip: Yeah, the little bitty one. She likes those, so that's cool.

If time on the road weren't an issue, what would be your ideal pet?

Waltrip: I like my dog. He is my ideal pet even though I am on the road. He stays at home but he's always happy to see me.

He never asks me how I run, or what the weekend was like. He just has love for me.

What's your biggest pet peeve while driving on the road?

Waltrip: My biggest pet peeve driving on the road is people that get mad -- about anything. Like, we're all just going to work.

If somebody cuts you off, they might just be in a hurry to get to work because they're late. If somebody follows you too close, just pull over and let them pass you -- don't get mad.

I race a car for a living and we stay on the edge. It's just constant road rage.

So when I drive down the road, I just try to blend in and I hope everyone else does, too.

You travel a lot, so what's your worst hotel experience?

Waltrip: My worst hotel experience was staying at that Days Inn in Rockingham -- 100 years ago.

The people next to us smoked, and the smoke came through under the door and it stunk.

Plus, evidently they put their trashcan by the door that joined the two rooms and they would throw their empty beer cans at it, and they would bounce off the door and into the trashcan.

I didn't want to go say anything to them because they'd probably want my autograph or just wanted to be able to say they beat Michael Waltrip up, so me and Buffy just laid there and had to deal with it.

What's your favorite food?

Waltrip: My favorite food is chicken. I like chicken every which way you can make it.

If you had to choose, would it be being honest, or being nice?

Waltrip: If you had to choose? Well, fortunately, you don't have to choose, so I'm not. I like to try to be both.

What's your fondest childhood memory?

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Waltrip: Just being able to come to Daytona as a kid, to watch my brother race in the (Daytona) 500. All my memories are wrapped around racing.

Winning my first go-kart race when I was 12 was big. And getting to come to Daytona to watch my brother race in the 500 was always fun.

What would your dream date be? Where and with whom?

Waltrip: My dream date is when I take Buffy to the Bahamas and we eat at the Ocean Club. We make that a date night and that's a lot of fun.

What's your worst prank, either perpetrated by you, or done to you?

Waltrip: I really can't think of anything. I'm really not a practical joker. I don't know.

I remember one time at (North) Wilkesboro 100 years ago, I went to the port-a-john and Chocolate Myers rolled a set of tires up in front of the door and I couldn't get out.

But that was more funny than it was mean.

What would you consider your "Welcome to NASCAR" moment?

Waltrip: The first day I rolled out onto the track at Darlington, in 1985.

I ran around there and I said, 'Somebody has got to be kidding,' because that track was so weird and I had never seen anything like it or done anything like that.

I ended up qualifying for the race, my first time at Darlington and I was running in the top-20, I think, in '85. And I broke an engine.

I had a good experience, but it was definitely an eye opener.