By Kellyanne Lynch, mikeypower.com
26 February 2006
A loose plug wire at the start of the Auto Club 500 dropped Michael Waltrip to the rear of the field by the third lap. His #55 Napa Auto Parts Dodge suffered engine woes throughout the race, running on just seven cyllinders throughout the majority of today's Nextel Cup race. Mikey finished 36th, four laps down.
After the call to start engines, the #55 team performed a radio check. Mikey asked his spotter if it were raining.
"No, Michael, it's not raining," the spotter replied. "If it's sprinkling, it's just a drop or two."
The team attempted to determine pit road speed during the pace laps but was unable to gather the information.
"Well that was as crappy a pit road speed judgment as I've ever seen," Mikey commented. His spotter asked what Mikey got, and then said they would have to check with Dave Blaney's #22 team to see what they thought. Crew chief Derrick Finley announced the speed was 55 MPH.
As the pace car led the field to one lap to go, the #55 spotter told Mikey to let him know what he needed, and what information he found pertinent.
"Same thing in the pits," Finley added.
"Pace car's off," the spotter announced. "Green green green. Checking up in front of you. Checking up in front of you."
While pole-sitter Kurt Busch held onto the top spot in his #2 Miller Lite Dodge, the #55 machine fell through the ranks.
"I'm okay," Mikey told his team. "I've got a plug wire off. Son of a gun!"
He was marked 42nd on lap 2. Finley told him to do what he could with the car, and said they would have to wait for a caution.
"I know," Mikey replied. "I'm doing what I can. I've got my foot to the floorboard."
By lap 3, he was 43rd of 43 drivers and eleven seconds outside Busch's lead. He regained 42nd when Stanton Barrett pit on lap 6. His spotter said cars in front of him were going three-wide, and to see what he could do.
Greg Biffle took the lead on lap 7. Mikey remained 42nd. The next time around the track, he was over eighteen and a half seconds behind Biffle's rear fender. He was two seconds behind Kenny Wallace in 41st.
"Leader still half a lap back," the spotter mentioned.
By lap 9, Mikey was over twenty seconds behind Biffle. He lost three more seconds within the next two laps, and his spotter began letting him know when Biffle was at the line.
Finley asked about the car on lap 15.
"Needs a pound or two of air out of the left rear," Mikey replied. Two laps later, he was over thirty and a half seconds outside the lead. "Just loose on the throttle off." He made suggestions regarding what the problem could be.
Mikey continued to lose time to Biffle. By lap 25, he was 39.5 seconds outside the lead.
"Leader's in your mirror, about three and a half seconds back," his spotter noted. Finley commented they were halfway through the run, and asked about the car.
"Same," Mikey responded. "Everything's the same."
On lap 27, he was 41.5 seconds outside the lead, with Biffle all over his rear fender.
"Clear behind him," the spotter observed. "Clear behind him."
Lap 28 saw Mikey lose the lead lap. He lost the positioning for the free pass back when Biffle lapped Kenny Wallace the next time around the track.
Debris brought out the first caution on lap 31, and Kenny Wallace received the free pass back onto the lead lap.
"Let's get all caught up," Finley told the team. He told the "motor guys" to go over the wall during the stop. Mikey pit with the leaders so that his team would have more time to fix the plug wire and to work on the engine. Denny Hamlin led a lap under yellow. Mikey repit at the time Hamlin made his stop for a set of plugs; again, Finley called everyone over the wall.
"We only lost one lap in thirty-something laps," Mikey commented. "Maybe we'll catch a caution." He said now was not the time to fix all the problems they had.
Finley let him know that NASCAR sent them to the tail end of the longest line for pitting early.
"Well, the 61 won't pull up," Mikey replied. "I don't know what his problem is." He added that his car "runs crispy clean" until he goes up in RPM. "I've turned off all my switches. Don't know what else to do."
Finley said the valve spring was likely broken.
"It's been broken since I started it," Mikey responded.
Biffle led the lap 36 restart. Mikey was 42nd, one lap down. He fell to last one lap into the run, as Stanton Barrett passed him on the track.
Mikey gave temperatures on lap 41. "The car's better," he added.
His spotter warned him two laps later of a "slow one coming off Turn 2." The next time around the track, he noted that the leader was just half a lap behind the #55. Mikey had the slowest car on the track on lap 47, and was 4 MPH slower than race leader Biffle.
On lap 50, Finley asked about the car.
"It's good," Mikey replied. "Handles good." He said he felt like he had too much right front air, and no left front air.
"Leader's about ten seconds back," his spotter said on lap 56.
Three laps later, Finley gave Mikey times. "We're going to pit in about ten laps, guys. Ten."
Tony Stewart took the lead on lap 61, and promptly put the #55 another lap down. Mikey waved by him and Biffle. Finley noted that the car was getting "horrible mileage".
"Tony Stewart's leading," Mikey commented the next time around the track. "I wonder who would have ever guessed it."
Two laps later, Finley said, "We're going to have to pit in four more laps." Mikey was still last, two laps down. "How's the car handling?" Finley asked the next time around the track.
"Drop a pound out of both lefts and one in the right front," he said. "Swee what it does."
"10-4," was Finley's reply.
Mikey added that he wanted to go down on the right rear spring and to take one round out of the right rear trackbar. Finley repeated back the opposite of what Mikey said for the trackbar.
"Negative," Mikey said, and repeated himself.
Finley called four a four tire stop, and Mikey repeated his directions. In the FOX commentator's booth, his brother Darrell stated that Mikey was running on seven cyllinders.
Mikey pit on lap 69.
"It runs perfectly until 5,000 RPM," he commented. He said his team knew more about mechanics, and reiterated that the car ran "just fine" until that point. Finley repeated that it sounded like Mikey had a valve spring issue.
On lap 70, Mikey went three laps down due to his stop. As his spotter told him everyone who was passing him, Mikey said just to watch for crashes. He said he was tired of hearing that everyone was passing him. The leaders began pitting shortly thereafter. The spotter told Mikey leaders were coming with fresh tires on lap 81.
"Smoke," Mikey commented as he observed a competitor smoke his tires while coming to pit road. "Hope that guy gets four."
Matt Kenseth led lap 81 when Stewart pit. Mikey was marked two laps down, and Kenseth pit the next time around the track. Stops cycled two laps later, with Stewart back in the top spot. Mikey remained 43rd, two laps down. He commented on lap 86 that the "car feels okay".
Debris in Turn 2 drew the second caution on lap 89. Finley said the car needed two spark plugs changed on either said.
"I'm going to pit first time by, y'all," Mikey told his team.
Half of the plugs were changed during the first stop. With one lap to go before the restart, the team changed tires and the other set of plugs. Mikey said he might as well lose another lap and get it done now.
Mikey was marked 43rd and three laps down when Kenseth led the lap 93 restart. Busch ran along the high side and grabbed the top spot.
"Is that better, Michael?" Finley asked. The driver did not respond.
Busch may have led lap 94, but Kenseth reclaimed the top spot the next time around the track.
"40.50," Finley noted. "Good lap."
The spotter let Mikey know that Barrett's #95 was stuck in the middle of a three-wide pack off Turns 3 and 4. Mikey was led around Barrett.
"Too loose," Mikey commented on lap 100. Biffle took the lead around the same time.
Nine laps later, Finley asked Mikey if he were still too loose. Mikey said he needed more air, and that he thinks he needs a little more right rear air pressure. Finley responded with a "10-4". On lap 114, he commented that Mikey was running lap times in the top 7, and that Biffle was "in a league of his own" when he gave times.
On lap 118, Finley commented that Mikey was twenty-five laps into the run. "Still need air pressures?"
"Yeah, it's pushing now," Mikey replied.
Stewart smoked coming off Turn 4 on lap 123. The spotter noted this, and added, "Looks like Stewart blew up." Finley corrected him, saying Stewart's #20 had a tire going down. The spotter asked if Mikey saw any debris.
"Nope."
Finley announced that Stewart's left front was going down. Three laps later, the spotter reported that Ken Schrader saw something in Turn 2, and that some drivers were having tire problems. Finley told Mikey to pit in ten laps.
"We'll be pitting in eight, Michael," Finley added on lap 128. "Be thinking about your car."
"He's got a run," the spotter said of a car coming up on Mikey. "You're clear, clear."
"Is it still too tight?" Finley asked on lap 131.
"A little bit," replied the driver.
Finley asked if Mikey had the problem getting into the throttle.
"Yeah," Mikey answered. "Just a little skaty in the front."
"10-4." He said they would make the air pressure adjustment Mikey wanted, and that they would pit in three more laps. Meanwhile, Biffle was seven seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
On lap 135, Mikey announced that he would pit next time. He said he saw a piece of debris on the backstretch, but that it looked like a rubber. Finley told his driver they were talking with NASCAR officials. He also said they would need to start over with fuel mileage.
Mikey pit at the end of the lap, and was marked four laps down. Biffle made his green flag stop two laps later, giving the lead to Mark Martin. JJ Yeley took the top spot when Martin pit the next time around the track. Finley told his driver that fuel mileage was much better now.
When Biffle was marked as the leader on lap 140, Mikey was marked three laps down. Barrett ran out of fuel going to his box, allow Mikey to advance to 42nd on lap 141. Four laps later, Mikey went a fourth lap down.
"These adjustments suck," Mikey complained on lap 147. "It's plowing." He asked his crew chief if he'd taken air out of the left rear tire. When he did not receive a reply, Mikey demanded on lap 151, "Tell me what y'all did."
Finley answered, but had to repeat, as Mikey did not hear him the first time. Finley said he had gone down on the left side tire pressures and had raised the right rear.
"I said I wanted to go up on the left side tires," Mikey stated.
"10-4," was Finley's response.
"Ah, you're confusing me," Mikey said. He asked for someone else to confirm what Finley said, and somebody did. "What I was feeling made me want to go up on the left side. So when you do the opposite, tell me."
The spotter said the car looked bad off Turn 2, and on lap 158, Finley commented that they were halfway through the run. Biffle had an eleven second lead over Roush teammate Mark Martin in second.
Mikey picked up 41st on lap 160, passing Kenny Wallace. Two laps later, Finley noted they were fourteen away from a pit and they might want to raise the trackbar. After a pause, he asked, "Copy on track bar, Michael?"
Mikey did not respond.
On lap 169, Finley said they could go ten more laps, and asked if it were okay to raise the track bar and to make air pressure adjustments.
"Do whatever you want," Mikey answered.
Finley said he would go up two rounds on the trackbar and would go back to the original air pressures. On lap 179, he told Mikey to pit next time and repeated what adjustments he wanted to make.
Mikey fell five laps down when he pit on lap 180. He was marked 42nd, then last. His spotter informed him that two or three other cars were on his lap. When Biffle pit two laps later, Mikey was marked 42nd. He was still five laps down but 41st on lap 183.
Rookie Denny Hamlin turned late onto pit road and spun in front of the entrance. NASCAR did not bring out the yellow, and Hamlin had to drive around to make his stop. Mikey was warned of the smoke.
Lap 185 saw Dale Earnhardt Jr marked as the leader during green flag pit stops. Biffle regained it one lap later. Finley gave Mikey has times, and asked about his temperatures.
"210, 220," Mikey replied.
"10-4."
By lap 188, Mikey was being marked four instead of five laps down. Six laps later, he discussed the state of his car.
"Just plowing now," he said. "Just pushing like it did on the last set. It's just real bad."
"10-4," Finley replied.
Debris drew the third caution on lap 196. Mikey was marked 41st, four laps down. Finley said he wanted to take out wedge if the car was still plowing.
"Roger," was the driver's response.
Earnhardt Jr received the free pass, and Finley announced he would take out two rounds of wedge. When the leaders pit, Mikey asked what Finley would do with air pressure.
"Leave it," Finley replied. He said they were maxed out.
Mikey said he wanted to go up on the right rear and in the left. "Anything is better than nothing, because what we have sucks."
Finley okayed the driver's decision.
Mikey was 40th, ahead of Mike Garvey for the lap 201 restart. Biffle led. The pack went three-wide, and checked up as Hamlin attempted to dive under Robby Gordon with no space in the corner.
Passing Brent Sherman placed Mikey 39th on lap 203. He was the first driver four laps down. He went three-wide going into Turn 3 on lap 211, and three-wide again two laps later.
Tony Stewart's left side began smoking, bringing out the fourth caution for potential fluid on lap 215. Stewart became the first driver to retire from the race. Clint Bowyer received the free pass back onto the lead lap.
Finley asked if the Napa machine was running any better.
"Not really," Mikey replied. "You just gotta work on the air pressure, work on the track bar, change wedge. Don't just do nothing."
Finley said the right rear would be hard to get rubber in. He suggested doing "something crazy", like putting four rounds into the trackbar. Mikey commented that the left front was really skaty, and he wanted something done about that. When the #55 pit, Finley commented that the #51 of Mike Garvey and the #49 of Brent Sherman were on the same lap.
Mikey told his team that, when they went down on the left front air pressure, everything went wrong. He said, if they go up like he asked them to, that would help. Finley told his driver they were "way up" on the left sides, and they needed something quick. Finley reviewed the adjustments they made during their stop, telling Mikey he'd gone up three pounds in the left side air pressures.
Jeff Gordon led the lap 219 restart, after taking just two right side tires.
"Be ready. It's going to be crazy," the spotter warned his driver. "Pace car's off. Green green green."
The field went three-wide around Mikey, as Kenseth took the lead.
The fifth caution came on lap 220 when Stanton Barrett's #95 spun. Mikey was 38th with Stewart's drop. Finley told his driver they didn't need to stop again, as NASCAR brought out a quickie yellow. The spotter let Mikey know that Bobby Labonte in the #43 car wanted to pass to race Joe Nemechek in front of the #55; both Labonte and Nemechek were two laps down. Mikey let Labonte pass.
Racing resumed on lap 224 with Kenseth leading and Mikey in 38th. Dale Jarrett was suffering an overheating issue, but was not the one to bring out the caution two laps later.
The yellow flag waved for the sixth time on lap 226 after JJ Yeley turned Kurt Busch. Busch's #2 Miller Lite Dodge came within inches of colliding with Kevin Harvick's #29 as it came down the track.
"Stay down, stay down, stay down, stay down," Mikey's spotter warned him. "Keep going down." Finley said they would stay out, unless Mikey ran over anything.
"All right," Mikey replied.
Hamlin received the free pass back onto the lead lap.
Kenseth led the lap 229 restart. Mikey was 38th, four laps down. Biffle immediately shot to the outside groove. His car was smoking a great deal and would not move. He checked up the field, and Mikey's spotter warned his driver about Biffle. The #16 National Guard Ford went to the garage after NASCAR black-flagged it. Biffle would join Stewart; the pair were the only two to earn DNFs.
With Biffle's departure, Mikey advanced to 37th on lap 235.
The seventh caution came on lap 247 when Scott Wimmer lost his engine. Wimmer's #4 went to the garabe, and the leaders pit. The field prepared for a green/white/checkered finish.
Mikey was 37th when racing resumed, with Kenseth in the lead. Jimmie Johnson was all over Kenseth for the top spot, but Kenseth's #17 DeWalt Ford held its ground. With Wimmer's drop, Mikey gained a spot before the checkered flag. Kenseth won. The Napa Dodge finished 36th.
"Clear, all clear," the spotter said. "Coming to the checkered. Inside."
"36," Finley noted. "Good job, man. Good job in the pits."
Mikey did not respond.
Nextel Cup is not racing next week, as the Busch Series goes to Mexico City. The next race is at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12th. Coverage of the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 starts at 4:00pm ET on FOX.
