Michael Waltrip finished 24th in the Sam's Town 300, today's Busch Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His #99 Cottman Transmissions Dodge crossed the stripe two laps down after NASCAR penalised Mikey for "aggressive driving".
The #99 team came on the radio at 3:15pm pacific time, and conducted a radio check.
"How come the spotter didn't say anything?" Mikey asked.
"I got ya," replied his spotter.
Mikey's crew chief reminded him that air pressures on the left side were at nineteen and twenty.
"Okay," Mikey replied. "Thank you."
The call to start engines came four minutes later.
"Fire it up, Michael," crew chief Cully directed. Mikey rolled off the grid 23rd. His #99 followed the second pace car, leading the second half of the field. Cully told him that he would be in pit stall #11 today, and said the team would wave the sign as Mikey passed.
"How am I sounding now that my motor's running?" asked the driver.
"Still good," Cully replied. He said the Nextel Vision was to the left of their pit; it was three before.
"Okay," Mikey repeated. "Thank you."
"How far from that big ol' tall scaffolding thing?" Mikey asked, but nobody responded. Instead, the driver was told he would have go to around somebody on pit road to get on the track. The spotter then noted that the driver got moving.
"Get as much heat in your tires as you can," Cully instructed. He said it was "awful cold".
"Okay, I will," Mikey answered. The team then reviewed pit road speed. Mikey assessed it at 4,000 RPM in second gear.
Cully noted the transition from the track to pit road. "One to go. One to go. Have a good day, Michael." He said the fuel would last thirty miles, but they'd likely see a caution before then.
"Coming to the green," the spotter noted. "Coming to the green. Use your head on the start."
The green flag waved at 3:30pm. Greg Biffle raced pole-sitter Matt Kenseth side-by-side throughout the first lap, but Kenseth held the top spot. He led lap 1.
Mid-pack, Mikey tailed a smoking car on lap 2.
"Looking good, buddy," his spotter said three laps later.
The #99 slipped lower in the 20's. On lap 8, Mikey told his team, "I got a late exit push."
"10-4," Cully replied, just before the yellow flag waved.
The first caution came on lap 9 after Tracy Hines' #14 spun.
"Late exit push," Mikey told his team during yellow flag laps. "Late exit push. Just like qualifying, at the wall."
Cully acknowledged what his driver said with a 10-4. He said the tires had eight laps on them now, and that he thought putting a rubber in and making an air pressure adjustment might get the car down. Mikey said he wanted gas too.
"Is the right front shock adjustable?" Mikey asked. "Or compression?"
Cully asked if Mikey wanted to close it.
"No, I want to open it," Mikey replied. "Why would I want to close it?"
The #99 made a stop with a handful of others when pit road opened. As Mikey pulled into his box, he said, "That would have been a good time to say, 'Don't slid your wheels for me'." Mikey returned to the track 39th.
"Tell me when I get back to 27th," he requested. After a pause, he added, "Man, this radio is working out really good."
Cully reminded his driver to only pass to the right on the restart.
Racing resumed on lap 13, with Kenseth maintaining his lead. Stacy Compton passed along the outside, dropping Mikey to 40th. The #99 fought back for the spot on the backstretch during lap 14, and rode three-wide along the high groove the next time around the track. He raced the #58 of Kevin Conway side-by-side throughout laps 17 and 18 before completing the pass on lap 19.
"Good job, buddy!" His spotter praised. "Good job!"
Cully said the leaders were running 33-flat, while Mikey's time was a 34.20.
"No pressure from behind," the spotter assured. "Looking good."
Mikey dropped inside Aaron Fike's #43 on lap 21 and made the pass.
"I lost my radio contact," he commented.
"Radio check," responded the spotter.
After a long pause, Mikey announced, "Okay, I turned it off and back on. I think I can hear you now." He then let his team know, "The adjustments were a plus."
"10-4 on the adjustments," Cully replied.
Lap 24 saw Mikey passing the #31 of Steve Park. He ran a 33.90, with the leaders running 33.40's.
"Clear all around," his spotter noted, after the Cottmann's Dodge passed two more cars. "Good job. Keep it up, buddy."
Mikey continued to work his way through the field. He rounded Kenny Wallace's #22 and Mark Green's #4, and was inside the #01 on lap 27.
His spotter took notice. "Pulling away," he said.
"Keep hitting your marks, bud," Cully remarked.
Mikey was all over Mark McFarland's DEI #88 on lap 33 for position.
"You're doing fine, bud. Just keep working," Cully said, just before Mikey dropped inside the #88 the next time around the track. The pair ran side-by-side for a full lap before the #99 came out ahead.
"Clear high," the spotter announced. "Good job. He was holding us up."
Cully let Mikey know that the leaders were running 33.80's and 90's, while the #99 was running 34.40's. "Kenseth is in a league of his own," Cully noted on lap 38. The spotter let Mikey know that the leaders were still running the bottom groove.
Lap 41 saw Mikey closing on Kevin Lepage's #56. He dropped inside on the backstretch and passed. With the pass, he had run a 34.59. Two laps later, he passed David Green's #27, also along the inside. Cully let him know he was halfway on fuel.
As Mikey gained on Todd Kluever's #06 on lap 44, he told his team, "I can't hear you again."
"All clear behind you," the spotter responded.
"P 27, bud," Cully announced on lap 46, letting his driver know he'd broken back into the 27th spot. "P 27." Meanwhile, John Andretti's #10 made two unscheduled stops.
Leader Matt Kenseth was closing fast on the #99. His #17 Pennzoil Ford was four cars behind Mikey on lap 48.
"Good corner there, Michael," the spotter praised on lap 49. "Good corner."
Kenseth continued to close and was two behind the next time around the track.
"You're catching up there, bud," Cully assured his driver. "Keep it up."
Again on lap 50, Mikey was on Kluever's rear fender. He jumped outside and passed on the backstretch. Two laps later, Cully let him know that Kenseth would be stopping in about ten laps.
Ken Schrader pit early on lap 54. Mikey passed Schrader's #66 as the car came off pit road. More drivers pit. Lap 56 saw Mikey all over Paul Menard's rear fender. He dropped inside in Turn 4 and passed. Menard made his stop the next time around the track.
On lap 59, Cully said they planned to pit in ten laps. When Mikey requested a pound of air out of the left rear tire, Cully accepted the adjustment. Kenseth pit that lap, relinquishing the top spot to Jamie McMurray's #64. Many people pit that lap.
"Looking real good, Michael. Keep it up," Cully encouraged his driver, just before the spotter let Mikey know the #17 had pit.
"It's starting to rain in Turns 1 and 2," Mikey commented. He told his team that staying out may prove to work for them. Cully said they could stretch for twelve more laps.
"Still raining a little," the driver commented on lap 62.
"10-4," the spotter responded. "It's raining here now." He warned Mikey of cars on new tires, later adding "no pressure from behind."
Mikey was 3rd on lap 64, with Ashton Lewis Jr's #25 marked in the top spot. Danny O'Quinn, who had been riding 2nd, pit that lap, allowing Mikey to rise to 2nd on lap 65. Many cars closed on the #99 with fresh tires.
"We better pit," Mikey told his team on lap 66.
"10-4," responded Cully. "We're ready."
Mikey made his stop on lap 67. When asked for his water pressure, he said 210. He returned to the track, and passed Lewis Jr. He completed lap 72 in 33.16 seconds. He was now lapped. He passed Jason Keller's #1 in Turn 2 of lap 74, and passed two more cars two laps later. Cully said he was riding even with the leader, and was faster than the cars in front of him. Stops had cycled, and Kasey Kahne now held the top spot in his #9.
Lap 77 saw Mikey pass Kyle Busch's #5. He ran a 33.47, with the leader running a 34-flat.
"Looking good, buddy," praised the spotter. "Keep shutting them out." He cleared Mikey around the #31.
Mikey continued to ride times faster than the leader when he was all over O'Quinn's rear fender on lap 82. He passed the next time around the track.
"You and the leader both running 50's and 60's," Cully noted. "Looking really good, Michael. Just keep doing what you're doing."
Mikey passed David Green's #27 on lap 87. Paul Menard and Tracy Hines were side-by-side in front of him. The #99 picked off Hines' #14, and was all over Menard on lap 89. Mikey dropped inside Menard's #11 in Turn 4 of lap 89 and made the pass. The #11 repassed the next time around the track, but Mikey scooted back around him one circuit later.
"It's all right," Cully assured him. "Keep doing what you're doing, buddy. Good job."
Mikey closed on the #38 Great Clips Ford of A.J. Foyt IV. He soon found himself making contact with the rear fender of the rookie. The #38 spun.
"Well, I think he was trying to get out of my way," Mikey commented. "That didn't work." His spotter directed him high through the smoke.
The yellow flag waved for the second time on lap 93 for Foyt's spin. Tony Stewart received the free pass. The leaders pit, and Mikey complained of an issue with his radio chord. He was reminded to stay out and pit with lapped traffic. Cully told Mikey that NASCAR wanted Menard's #11 behind the #99. Mikey said he tried, but Menard wouldn't let him pass.
"I don't think he wants me in front of him," he commented. As he headed for pit road, he told his team, "Act like you know what you're doing." He encouraged them to make a fast stop to get him the free pass back onto the lead lap.
"10-4," Cully responded. "We'll offer you a jug of water if you want."
Mikey asked his team if they'd made the adjustments and was told the team had put a half pound of air back in the left rear. Cully then told him that NASCAR was sending the #99 to the rear of the field for aggressive driving.
"Man, the kid got on the brakes!" Mikey exclaimed. "They ought to kiss my butt! The kid doesn't know what he's doing!" After a pause, he asked if NASCAR were serious. Cully said they were discussing the call. When he returned to the radio, the crew chief repeated that the #99 was to drop to the rear.
Kevin Harvick led the lap 97 restart. As Mikey approached the green, he complained that whoever made that call had no business making calls. He said he had tried to pass Foyt both high and low, and then the kid just stopped.
"That really pisses me off," Mikey grumbled.
Mikey passed four cars his first couple laps back on the track. He dropped under the #01 on lap 100 and passed. Four laps later, he got around Lepage's #56. His spotter let him know that he had no pressure from behind. Two laps later, he passed the #4 in Turn 2. His spotter told him that Lepage was one car length back, following Mikey through traffic. Lepage's #56 stuck with the #99 for the next couple dozen laps.
Mikey got around Paul Tracy's #34 on lap 108. Two laps later, he dropped inside David Gilliland's #84. The pair ran side-by-side for a lap before Mikey completed the pass.
"All clear," the spotter observed. "Go get 'em, buddy!"
Cully let him know that he had turned a 33.90. As Mikey dropped inside Aaron Fike's #43 and passed on lap 115, he added, "Keep it up." The spotter let him know that Reagan Smith's #35 was for position, and was coming back to him.
Mikey continued to pass cars - both on the lead lap and one lap down. He passed the #59 of Stacy Compton on lap 118, and Kenny Wallace's #22 four laps later. Cully let him know that he was halfway on the fuel run.
The #35 was now directly in front of Mikey, who was all over Smith for position. He dropped inside on the backstretch during lap 125 and completed the pass. Cully told him he was in 26th on lap 126; only sixteen cars were on the lead lap. His spotter said Mikey ran "a realy good line" through Turns 1 and 2.
Lap 131 saw Mikey clearing David Green's #27. Menard's #11 was next for position. Four cars behind Mikey was leader Kevin Harvick's #21. Cully told him to keep hitting his marks, and he would pit in twenty laps.
On lap 136, Mikey dropped low and attempted to pass Menard's #11. He took Menard and McFarland three-wide, and got around McFarland's #88. He was all over Menard the next time around hte track, as the leader was six car lengths back. The leader was five back moments later. Then the leader was behind the #99, pushing him. Then Harvick was inside. Mikey went two laps down on lap 140, and passed Menard after that.
"Good job, Michael," Cully said on lap 143. "Keep driving your ass off." He told him to think about what adjustments he needed, and said he was racing O'Quinn's #50 and Kluever's #06. The spotter noted that Mikey was catching them half a tenth of a second each lap or better.
Cully asked Mikey what adjustments he needed. After a long pause, he asked, "Can you hear me, Mike?"
"Yeah," Mikey replied. "What did you say?"
Cully asked about adjustments again.
"Yellow is out," the spotter cut in. "Yellow is out."
Lepage spun going to pit road, drawing the third caution on lap 150. Mikey told his team he wanted to put the left side air back down and wanted to lower the trackbar. He also wanted to fix his window, as he couldn't see out it. Cully told him he was two laps down now.
Mikey said that was ridiculous. "NASCAR cost us that lap," he complained. "Last time I checked, we were the ones paying the dues."
"You're driving yoru butt of, Mikey," Cully acknowledged. He said Mikey was doing all he could do.
Mikey said they weren't doing well enought this season. "We'll get some better bullets to shoot with."
Stewart received the free pass for a second time, and the leaders stopped when pit road opened. Mikey pitted with lapped traffic. He was told that the #5, #50, #11, #27, #35, #56, and #06 were all two laps down, on the same lap with him. Harvick retained the top spot after stops, but would restart behind a few cars on the tail end of the lead lap.
"All right, Michael," the spotter addressed the driver. "It's going to be one to go at the line, one to go at the line."
"How many cars one lap down?" Mikey asked. Cully told him eight were on his lap.
Racing resumed on lap 156. The spotter said it was a good restart, and all clear around the #99. A couple cars got a run on the #99, just before the yellow flag waved.
The fourth caution came on lap 160. Jamie McMurray's #64 turned John Andretti's #10, putting Andretti into the wall. The #10 then came down the track and collected the #36 of Tim Sauter in Turn 3.
Cully asked how the car was on the restarts.
"Testing," Mikey spoke over the radio. "Hello?"
Cully repeated, and Mikey said the car was "little loose, then pretty good."
"I'm happy with my car, so we'll just see," he added. Mikey said he didn't have the fastest car, but it drives good. "So that's cool." He commented that pitting early put them in a bad spot, but they'd gained since last year. He said they'd keep working. Cully said it had been a gamble, but he hadn't expected the race to go green for so long.
Mikey brought up the wreckless driving ruling.
"Yeah, a little BS there," Cully commented.
"Did the 64 get in trouble for wreckless driving?" Mikey asked.
Cully said he would have to see.
"That looked like a five-lap penalty to me for wrecking that poor boy," Mikey added.
"We'll let you know if we hear anything for the 64," Cully assured his driver.
The spotter warned Mikey about the blowers on the track, clearing the mess. He then said one lap remained before the restart. Mikey's position was in the early 20's.
NASCAR extended the caution. Cully told Mikey to keep heat in the tires.
"Not going still," the spotter noted, as NASCAR continued to hold the field under yellow. He told Mikey about a truck in the middle of the groove, and said Mikey could go high or low around it.
"You're doing a good job," Cully assured his driver. "Be on your toes at the restart."
Racing resumed on lap 171, with Harvick in the lead. Kasey Kahne's #9 gained on the top spot two laps into the run. Kahne took the lead on the backstretch on lap 177.
Meanwhile, Mikey struggled with his car. "My adjustments didn't work," he said on lap 182. "I'm really really loose."
Cully told him he had eighteen laps to go. Smith got around the #99 one lap later. Lepage's #56 was closing on the #99 for position.
"Doing good, buddy," Cully said. "Doing good."
With ten to go, the #56 began losing ground to Mikey.
"Go get that 35 back," Mikey's spotter encouraged. "Doing great." He said the #99 was catching cars in front by three-tenths of a second per lap.
"No pressure from behind," he said on lap 195. "Doing good.
"Five to go. Five to go."
The fifth caution came out with two laps left in the race, after the #84 spun.
"Am I racing this #88?" Mikey asked.
"No, negative."
Mikey repeated himself.
"Negative on the #88," Cully responded. "The 35 will be the next car we're trying to get, Michael." He said, on the long runs, Mikey was 2.5 to three-tents off the leaders' times.
Mikey told his team he liked what they were doing, and said they were doing a good job. He said he felt like the back end could use more control, and that he was loose when he hopped over bumps.
"10-4," Cully replied. He said he had made a note of this. The field prepared for a green/white/checkered finish. "Keep the heat in your tires, buddy, as best you can.
"Don't let 'em by you," Cully added. "Do the best you can." He told Mikey again a minute later to do the best he could and to drive as smart as he could. He predicted a crazy restart. "So be on your toes."
Kahne led the field into the green/white checkered finish. Mikey lost spots to Lepage and to lead lap cars. The Cottman Transmissions Dodge finished 24th, as Kahne picked up the victory.
"Sorry 'bout that," he apologised to his team. He said he had almost wrecked on the backstretch, and that he had to let off. Cully said the person in front of him had laid back five car lengths.
Be sure to watch Mikey tomorrow in the Nextel Cup race! Coverage starts at 4:00pm ET on FOX.
