Michael Waltrip suffered a flat right rear tire and lost two laps halfway through the Sharpie Mini 300, today's Busch Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. He had previously led 23 laps and reported satisfaction with his #99 Aaron's Dream Machine. Although he regained the lead lap, he lost it moments later due to a late pit under caution. Mikey finished one lap down in 26th.
NASCAR cancelled Busch Series qualifying due to snow; therefore, the sanctioning body set the field according to owners point standings. Points leader Kevin Harvick received the pole position, while Mikey started 27th. As cars rolled off pit road, Burney Lamar's #77 Dollar General Chevy stalled but got going again before the start of the race.
Harvick's #21 Coast Guard Chevy jumped ahead of the field when the green flag waved, and led the first lap of the race. The next time around the track, Steve Wallace's #64 Top Flite Dodge dropped inside the #21 off Turn 3 and grabbed the top spot. Harvick reclaimed the lead on lap 6.
The first caution came on lap 9 when Kevin Conway's #58 ran nose-first into the wall. His spin may have been caused by rear fender contact from David Green's #27.
Harvick led the lap 16 restart with Mikey in 26th. Four laps into the run, Todd Kluever ducked under Jason Keller's #1 and moved up the track into him.
Debris from Kluever and Keller's contact drew the second caution on lap 22. Steve Wallace slowed for the yellow and was taken out by Scott Riggs' Evernham Racing #9. Wallace would spend 12 laps off the track.
Racing resumed on lap 27. Harvick continued to lead, with Mikey running 22nd. The green flag waved for just three laps before the yellow returned.
Kluever's #06 got loose when it clipped the apron and spun on the front straightaway, bringing out the third caution on lap 30. Snow descended during laps under yellow. NASCAR drew the red flag on lap 33, and drivers emerged from their cars on pit road. Mikey spent the red flag period protecting himself from the weather and battling in-coming snowballs with his umbrella. He told a FOX pit reporter that his car was running good, especially off the corners.
When the red flag lifted, and cars returned to the track, Greg Biffle bumped into the back of teammate Carl Edwards on slick pit road. The pair were running 7th and 8th.
Harvick led the field to the green on lap 40, with Mikey running 20th. The Aaron's Dream Machine excelled, as Mikey had hinted under yellow. The #99 picked up a spot on lap 48 and eight more within the next four laps.
Ken Schrader spun out Burney Lamar on lap 61, causing the yellow flag to wave for the fourth time. Mikey had to drive high around Lamar's #77 to dodge a collision. Anthony Foyt received the free pass back onto the lead lap. Most drivers pit under caution. Mikey became the third leader of the race when he stayed on the track; he had yet to make a stop. The two drivers behind him had pit on lap 35.
The Aaron's Dream Machine led the lap 70 restart. Denny Hamlin's #20 rode the #99's rear fender for a couple laps before the race leader broke away. Mikey had a sizeable lead by lap 77; however, nine laps later, Kevin Harvick began closing with fresh tires. Harvick dropped inside on lap 88, raced Mikey side-by-side, and passed on lap 89 to lead the next. Mikey maintained 2nd until the yellow flag waved.
The fifth caution came on lap 97 after Reagan Smith turned Joel Kauffman's #12. The nose of the #12 pancaked against the inside wall. Mikey was the only lead lap car to make a stop. He took on four tires and more air pressure in the right front. His stop lasted 18.0 seconds. Brother Darrell in the booth suspected that Mikey may have been a little loose entering the corners.
Racing resumed with Harvick leading. Mikey was back to 26th. On fresh tires, he advanced to 22nd by lap 111.
The exhaust system fell out of the #38 Great Clips Dodge of Anthony Foyt, prompting NASCAR to bring out the sixth caution on lap 112. A few cars ran over the debris, and Stacy Compton received the free pass.
The race continued on lap 120 but was under the seventh caution by lap 123. Ashton Lewis Jr's #25 had run up into Mark McFarland's #88 and had spun him. Behind them, Matt McCall rear-ended Mike Bliss as the field slowed for the initial wreck. Tim Sauter was admitted back onto the lead lap.
Mikey was 16th when racing continued, and was noted to be one of the few drivers who was able to pass both on the left and on the right. He advanced to 12th within five laps.
Kauffman and McCall collided, leading to the eighth yellow flag on lap 142. Aaron Fike got the free pass. Harvick ran over another driver's windshield tear-off under the yellow. Thinking that his left rear tire was going flat, he forfeited the top spot for a stop.
Denny Hamlin led the lap 148 restart. Mikey was 8th, and passed Johnny Sauter ten laps into the run. He gained 6th on lap 173, and passed Jason Leffler for 5th three laps later. Biffle drove outside Hamlin on the same lap and took the lead.
A flat right rear tire sent Mikey to pit road on lap 177. He lost two laps and was 34th when he returned to the track. He made up ground on fresh tires, but did not have time to make up a lap.
Leffler lost his right front tire and collided with the wall, bringing out the nineth caution on lap 193. Kevin Lepage received the free pass, and drivers made stops.
Carl Edwards, who didn't pit, led the lap 198 restart. Mikey was beside the race leader as he came to the green. Jon Wood had blocked the #99 as Mikey took his place beside Edwards on the restart. Because Wood hadn't warmed his tires, he lost several spots during that first lap back to green.
Mikey rose to 33rd with Ken Schrader's drop and subsequent pit. He was faster than the race leader, whom he passed on lap 215. Mikey gained 32nd from Ashton Lewis Jr on lap 224, and solidified his reclaimed lost lap when caution came out shortly thereafter.
The yellow flag waved for the tenth time on lap 227 when Leffler sustained another right front flat, smoking and dropping debris. JJ Yeley received the free pass, and Mikey gained 31st with Leffler's drop. He picked up 30th when McCall pit.
Mikey dodged beating and banging between Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth when racing resumed on lap 232. He was 30th, and Edwards led.
Yellow returned to the track on lap 236, after Lewis Jr collided with Clint Bowyer, ran up the track, and hit Reagan Smith into Paul Menard. Tim Sauter was admitted back onto the lead lap.
Racing resumed on lap 242 with Edwards in the lead. Mikey was beside him one lap down in 28th. Edwards got out ahead of the #99; however, Mikey maintained his status as the first driver one lap down until the yellow flag waved.
The twelfth caution came on lap 245. Reed Sorenson's #41 ran into Tracy Hines' #14, slowing the pair and leading Clint Bowyer to get into the back of Sorenson. McFarland rear-ended another car when cars braked, and sustained nose damage.
The caution enabled Mikey to return to the lead lap; however, he did not remain there for long. He pit too close to the restart and was lapped by leader Edwards immediately after racing resumed on lap 250. He was 26th, and had just come off pit road.
Biffle may have taken the lead on lap 261, but Mikey's #99 was the fastest car on the track. Meanwhile, McFarland went to the pits with his overheating #88 on lap 265. Mikey was initially the first driver one lap down. One lap before the next caution, however, Jay Sauter and Mark Green were lapped.
Mark Green received the free pass under the thirteenth caution on lap 269, after Wallace's #64 punted Kluever's #06.
Mikey was 27th and the third and last driver one lap down when racing resumed on lap 274. Biffle led, and Kyle Busch passed him for the top spot on lap 290. Mikey gained 26th after Biffle pit two laps later, as Busch's #5 held onto the lead. Kyle Busch would go on to win the Sharpie Mini 300 after leading just twelve laps.
Tune in tomorrow to watch Mikey race Bristol again, this time in the Nextel Cup series. Coverage of the Food City 500 airs on FOX at 1:30pm ET.
