NASCAR driver visits Odessa

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Michael Waltrip has been to the pinnacle of his sport, twice winning the Daytona 500.

Thursday afternoon, he finally made it to the Permian Basin.

Waltrip, in conjunction with one of his sponsors - Best Western International - participated in a "Fan Swap" that allowed the highest bidder to spend time with Waltrip in North Carolina at his team's race shop, with Waltrip then going to the winning bidder's hometown to spend time there.

Murray Erickson of Odessa submitted the winning bid, with the proceeds going to charity.

"First time that I can remember being in Odessa," Waltrip said. "Murray's a good dude, and I really think it's cool that he donated to the cause with Best Western."

Erickson flew to Charlotte, N.C., in October for three days and immersed himself in everything that Michael Waltrip Racing does, from working in the race shop to taping a segment with Waltrip on his XM Radio show.

"He came to Charlotte and we hung out, and he told me about his race car shop, so I wanted to come see it. This is one of the cool things about being a race car driver; this is the stuff you don't think about - being able to meet a guy like Murray and check out his race car collection and come to a part of the country that otherwise I wouldn't see."

Erickson, a race car driver himself, also had the chance to get on the track at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., for some laps, after watching Waltrip film a television spot.

"I saw everything; nothing was off limits," Erickson said as Waltrip signed autographs at his shop. "My interest in it wasn't so much on the racing side, but the business side of it.

"I wanted to come get a look at how the business of NASCAR operates. Michael was gracious enough to participate with Best Western, and it was a wonderful opportunity to donate money to a good cause and get an inside look at NASCAR," Erickson said.

Waltrip left the Permian Basin Thursday night headed for Sacramento and another meet-and-greet with the fans. From there, he'll head back to North Carolina for a few days before traveling to Daytona Beach, Fla., to prepare for this year's Daytona 500 on Feb. 15.