By Kellyanne Lynch, mikeypower.com
12 February 2006
After leading eleven of 72 laps, Michael Waltrip finished 11th in the Budweiser Shootout. His #55 Napa Dodge stayed in the top ten for forty laps.
Drivers selected cardboard bottle caps to determine their starting position in tonight's 70-lap nonpoints event. Because he drew 21st, Mikey began the shootout from the back of the pack. Ken Schrader drew the pole position.
Today's race took place in 47-degree weather, with 20 MPH gusts. The track was 73 degrees. The #55 crew came on the radio at 4:16pm. Ten minutes later came the command to start engines, and the team performed a radio check. NBC commentator Benny Parsons connected with the frequency shortly thereafter, requesting to talk with Mikey in a few minutes. Shortly after TNT returned from break, Parsons commented on how the #55 was starting from the back.
"I feel all alone back here!" Mikey commented. He said he wouldn't just keep up with former teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr's #8 Budweiser Chevy. "I can pass him!" He said he wasn't "the fastest dog in the race", but the car was handling perfectly.
When Parsons disconnected, the team discussed pit road speeds.
"I feel all alone back here," Mikey repeated. "That's pretty cool." His spotter soon told him to wave, because he was on TV.
"All right, man, twenty laps and then a break," the spotter noted. "Enjoy the first twenty.
"Pace car is off. Have a good day.
"Green flag, green flag. Nice clean start in front of you."
Schrader led the field to the stripe, as Mikey rolled off the grid last. His #55 Napa Dodge struggled to keep up with the pack. Straggling behind the rest of the field, he was over a second and a half behind Denny Hamlin's 20th place car on lap 3. Schrader continued to lead, as Mikey continued to lose ground. The #55 was four and a half seconds behind Schrader on lap 10, and over three seconds behind Matt Kenseth's #17 DeWalt Ford. Kenseth's #17 had been leaking since lap 7 and struggled significantly as well.
Jimmie Johnson took the lead on lap 14, with help from teammate Jeff Gordon. The next time around the track, Mikey's spotter warned him of a crash and a bunch of debris.
The first caution came on lap 16 for a multi-car wreck. Jamie McMurray's #26 had cut in front of Brian Vicker's #25, taking air off the #25 and causing Vickers to wiggle backwards. Ryan Newman then lost air running beside the #26, and turned into the wall. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch bumped teammate Vickers in the rear and sent him around. Other drivers involved included Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kasey Kahne, Scott Riggs, and Dale Jarrett. Kevin Harvick went to the garage during this yellow flag period, as smoke had begun to fill the greenhouse of his #29.
The #55 team discussed whether or not to make a stop. Crew chief Larry Carter opted to bring in the car, and Mikey agreed the practice would prove helpful for next week's Daytona 500. The top eleven cars stayed on the track. Mikey pit, commenting that he was nowhere near where he needed to be in the pack. He asked about his spot in the Gatorade 125, as to whether he'd start even or odd.
"You're odd, Michael, odd," the spotter replied.
"You don't have to tell everybody," Mikey commented.
The field came to pit road shortly thereafter for the mandatory midrace break. Mikey was scored 15th at the time. He said he wanted his team to check his tires to make sure he hadn't run through debris, and pit again as the rest of the field did the same.
Johnson led the lap 21 restart, with Mikey running 15th. Dale Jarrett pushed the #55 initially, but soon, Mikey had no help. Cars began checking up in front of Mikey along the bottom groove.
"Three wide, nice save," his spotter said. "Two wide."
The second yellow flag came on lap 24 after Jeff Gordon cut down a tire. Teammate Kyle Busch had tipped Mark Martin's #6 into McMurray's #26, causing the field to check up. Sadler slowed behind Busch, Kenseth slowed behind Sadler, and Gordon was nailed behind Kenseth's #17. Scott Riggs received the free pass back onto the lead lap. Meanwhile, Mikey was marked 11th under the yellow, with Gordon in the lead.
The #55 spotter told his driver the caution would be lengthy to clean up the debris.
"Okay, this is kind of boring," Mikey responded. "But at least I'm not losing the draft. That would be even more boring." He mentioned that he was hanging with the draft a lot better.
The spotter told Mikey to watch his eyes before explaining what had happened to draw the caution. Mikey said he figured it was something like that, and complained about bump drafting. The spotter said it wasn't like that; the #5 had gone way down on the apron. He also commented that it was cold in the spotter's stand. Mikey said he knew; that's why he said what he had earlier. He also commented that he was the highest running Dodge at the time.
Johnson led the lap 29 restart. Mikey advanced to 9th, with Jarrett pushing him. Stewart took the lead, but after a side-by-side battle, Johnson reclaimed it with Kyle Busch behind him.
Mikey had slid to 10th by lap 30. He rode inside, with Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman outside. The #55 initially had no help, but Kenseth's #17 soon came to Mikey's aid.
Johnson led as Mikey advanced to 8th on lap 31. The field went three, then two wide with Ryan Newman trailing the rear fender of the #55. Mikey moved up to 7th on lap 32, pushing Junior's #8. Newman slid into place behind the Napa Dodge. The field went three-wide with Mikey on the bottom. Mikey shot up to 4th the next time around the track, pushing the #8 as Kyle Buch took the lead. Sadler cut in line between Mikey and Junior, and Junior drove hard into Busch for the lead. Newman and Hamlin went with Mikey, pushing him in front of Junior on lap 35. Mikey took 2nd. Hamlin attempted to pass, and Junior ducked in line behind Mikey. The #55 drove outside the #5 and took the top spot from Busch going into lap 36. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Tony Stewart lined up behind Mikey.
On lap 39, Kyle Busch got knocked out of line, and Hamlin got behind Mikey. The trio got ahead of the group. Three laps later, Mikey discussed pit strategy with his crew. He asked if the drivers who had pit already had taken four or two tires. When Carter said everyone had taken four so far, Mikey said he wantef four as well. On lap 45, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, who had already pit, got in front of Mikey. Stewart pushed the #55 past the #5 before dropping outside the Napa Dodge for the lead with 25 laps to go. Mikey was 3rd by lap 47 as Stewart took the lead.
Many cars hit pit road. Mikey was 4th on lap 49 when Jamie McMurray took the lead. Junior was marked as leading moments later, as Mikey was marked second. The pair pitted. Mikey got off pit road behind Junior and McMurray.
"We couldn't afford to have a slow pit stop," Mikey commented. "I don't think I can hang on."
Mikey was 14th. Without a caution, he said the rest of the field would drive away as he was too slow by himself.
Scott Riggs took the lead on lap 52. Hamlin was marked in the top spot the next time around the track.
"You're catching them just a little at a time," Carter told his driver. Mikey's spotter confirmed this. By lap 55, Mikey had passed Bill Elliott and Dale Jarrett and was up to 12th. Jarrett took to pushing him. Two laps later, the #55 passed Johnson's #48 and Sadler's #38 for 10th. The #11 continued to lead.
All the help went with Mikey. Johnson pushed Mikey passed Scott Riggs on lap 60. Mikey was in the lead draft, with only Johnson behind him. The pair cleared Martin's #6.
With ten laps to go, Mikey drove outside Junior. Johnson was all over the #55, and pushed it passed the #8. Mikey was marked 5th on lap 62 and 4th the next time around the track. The field went three-wide in front of Mikey as he pushed the #5. Busch and Hamlin scrambled over the top spot as Mikey hung onto 4th. On lap 65, Busch shuffled out of the lead pack. Mikey pushed Junior as Johnson pushed Stewart, with Hamlin in front of the field. He rode beside the #48, pushing Junior until Newman scraped the wall behind him.
NASCAR brought out the third caution on lap 68 for debris after McMurray tipped Newman's right rear. Mikey was marked as 5th, with Stewart in the lead. The field prepared for a green / white / checkered finish. Pit road opened, and cars behind Mikey made stops. Under the yellow, Martin committed to working with Mikey and wanted to know the plan. Mikey said thanks, but he didn't know what he would do. "I'm just going where they ain't," he commented. He said he just wish he had gotten by Johnson's #48. He concluded that Martin's question didn't make sense to him; they would restart side-by-side.
Stewart ledt he field to the double-file restart, with Hamlin beside him. Kenseth dumped Mikey out of line. The #55 was 13th with one to go, as Hamlin took to the top spot. Mikey was outside a three-wide line across the stripe. He finished 11th as Hamlin won.
"Y'all did a great job," Mikey told his team. "Thanks." Carter said they would help more in the 500.
Mikey will compete in one of the Gatorade 150's this Thursday night. Watch TNT on February 16th, beginning at 2pm ET.
