Michael Waltrip crossed the stripe 32nd in the Food City 500, today's Nextel Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. His #55 Napa Auto Parts Dodge suffered a myriad of issues, the worst of which being an oil cooler leak, but also avoided a number of wrecks. The #55 finished 19 laps down.
NASCAR cancelled qualifying due to rain and set the field according to last year's owner point standings. Reigning champion Tony Stewart started from the pole, while Mikey rolled off 34th.
At 2:13pm ET, the driver of the #55 car spoke for the first time on his radio, and the team did a radio check. The call to start engines came two minutes later. Mikey was asked to switch to battery one and to run the fan and brake rotors.
"A'ight," Mikey responded.
"2 car's up there, having some radio problem," the #55 spotter told his driver when the field lingered on pit road. "So we have a delay here." A minute later, he said, "All right, pace car's rolling, 4th time by."
As Mikey left pit road, crew chief Derrick Finley told him that their box was three-quarters of the way down pit road. The #11 and #9 stalls were just before, and the #31 was just after. Mikey determined pit road speed at 4,000 and second.
"Okay, bud, one to go at the line," Finley noted. By the end of the lap, he ended, "All right, Mike. Good luck today." He told his driver to stay clean for the end.
"Coming to the green," spotter Mike announced. "Pace car's off. Green flag, green flag, green flag."
Stewart's #20 Home Depot Chevy jumped ahead of the field immediately. Reed Sorenson made contact with Jimmie Johnson, causing left front damage to Johnson's #48 Lowes Monte Carlo. The #48 dropped through the ranks and made a stop with a right front tire cut.
Mikey held onto 34th the first time around the track. By lap 3, however, he lost three spots. Passing Johnson brought him up to 36th on lap 4. Mikey had gained another position two laps later, when Greg Biffle took the lead.
Kevin Lepage got into the back of Brent Sherman's #49 and spun Sherman through Turn 3, drawing the first caution on lap 13.
"Twelve laps," Finley noted. "How is it?"
"So far, so good," Mikey replied.
"10-4. Let's stay out."
Johnson received the free pass, enabling him to regain one of the two laps he had lost with his green flag stop.
Biffle led the lap 20 restart, with Mikey running 34th. Two laps into the run, spotter Mike mentioned a slow car along the top groove. Mikey passed Kyle Petty's #45 on lap 23, advancing him to 33rd; however, the #55 did not maintain that spot for long. Scott Riggs passed on lap 30, and Lepage got around the next time around the track. Mikey was now 35th.
"22 with him," his spotter warned. Dave Blaney's #22, however, did not reach the #55. Seven laps later, the spotter said, "4 cars between you and the leader, half a straightaway."
Petty got back around the Napa Dodge, moving Mikey back to 36th on lap 43.
"Trying to bring the 22 with him," the spotter observed. "Inside. Clear." Blaney stayed behind the #55 and got lapped on lap 50. "Next car behind you is the leader."
Mikey lost the lead lap on lap 53, and was still 36th.
Within the next few laps, the top spot appeared cursed. Biffle slowed and made a stop on lap 58, forfeiting the lead to Kurt Busch's #2. Biffle had suffered a tire issue. He lost more time on the track when he incurred a penalty for getting onto pit road too fast. Mikey was back on the lead lap as a result. Behind him, race leader Busch slowed on lap 61 and went to pit road. Stewart led the next lap.
Hermie Sadler slowed, and Mikey lost the lead lap again on lap 64. He was 35th after Kurt Busch's drop. The #55 was back on the lead lap for a while, but lost it again. Another car got lapped just before the yellow flag waved.
NASCAR brought out the second caution on lap 73 after Hermie Sadler's #00 failed. Sadler fell out of the race as a result.
"It just doesn't have any... no front grip," Mikey told his team. He said he didn't want a wedge or a trackbar adjustment; he just wanted air taken out of the left front liner, and some in the right. Lepage led a lap under yellow.
Stewart led the field when racing resumed on lap 78. Mikey was 35th, and was the first driver one lap down.
"Slow one up ahead, on the bottom," his spotter warned. "Clear all around."
Mikey passed Kyle Petty for 34th on lap 81. Ken Schrader cut a tire and pit, advancing the #55 to 33rd the next time around the track. Mikey was running with the top 5 cars on lap 91, allowing the leaders to pass when they reached him. Kurt Busch, who was on the same lap, got around Mikey by following Jeff Gordon on lap 92. The #55 was now 34th.
Stanton Barrett cut in front of Clint Bowyer in Turn 4, spinning himself out and bringing out the third caution on lap 109. Kurt Busch received the free pass back onto the track. Mikey reported that the car was better, and told his team to do whatever they did again, just add another pound. He said he didn't want a wedge or a track bar adjustment, just work on the front tires. He pit with lapped traffic. NASCAR held Robby Gordon a lap in his box and told him to calm down.
Racing resumed on lap 116 with Stewart leading and Mikey running 33rd.
A multi-car pile-up ensued, prompting the fourth caution on lap 119. Dale Earnhardt Jr's #8 had slowed, Reed Sorenson had bumped into him, and Joe Nemechek had bumped Sorenson's #41. As the field slowed, Jeff Burton punted Scott Riggs. Mikey got the free pass. His crew chief said they needed to do it right; he may have been referring to the mishap during yesterday's Busch Series race. He asked his driver if he needed to pit. Mikey said he did not.
Stewart led the lap 124 restart. Johnson went up into Kenseth, tagged the wall, lost several spots, and picked up damage. Mikey, who had restarted 29th, gained a spot to Scott Wimmer. Directly in front of him, David Stremme's #40 turned Sterling Marlin's #14. Mikey came within inches of Marlin's spinning #14 as he halted his Napa Dodge.
"Great job!" his spotter complimented.
NASCAR broughout out the fifth caution on lap 127 for Stremme and Marlin. Mikey made a stop under yellow.
The restart came on lap 132. Mikey was 31st. Stewart led, but lost the lead along the inside to Kenseth on lap 136. By lap 141, Mikey was 29th. Two laps later, Stewart reclaimed the lead.
Mikey remained in the late 20's throughout the run. He passed Lepage for 28th on lap 144. He grabbed another spot seven laps later, but lost it to Marlin four laps after that. Mikey passed Brian Vickers' #25 for 27th on lap 158, a lap before his left front began smoking heavily. NASCAR black-flagged him.
The yellow flag waved for the sixth time on lap 161, after Lepage spun himself out by getting sucked around beneath Jeff Burton's #31. Mikey went to the pits, where the hood of the #55 was raised.
"I think it's power steering," Mikey told his team. "I didn't hit anything."
Robby Gordon received the free pass, and the leaders pitted. Mikey ended up going behind the wall with an oil cooler leak. On lap 166 under yellow, Finley told him over the radio in the garage, "All right, Michael. Crank it up." He wanted to change tires. Mikey wanted to know what was wrong with the ones he had. He wanted to save time and keep the ones already on the car. Finley said the car would smoke a little.
Racing resumed with Kyle Busch leading on lap 168, and Mikey returned to the track one lap later. he was marked eight laps down and was in 39th.
"That 16 is a leader behind you," his spotter noted on lap 184. "Looking inside you, by himself."
The seventh caution came on lap 189, after Clint Bowyer's #07 hit the #22 of Blaney. The field stacked behind the two, causing Vickers, Stremme, and Sadler to incur damage. The spotter made note of the accident; however, Mikey thought he had said Turn 1 instead of Turn 4. He ran high, right into the #25 and #40.
"Spotter said wreck in Turn 1," he said. "It was Turn 4." When discussing repairs, he said, "Lap's a precious thing. That's all right. We'll just lose one." He pitted to have dents from the accident banged out and to take on a four tire change. The #55 was now ten laps down, and made multiple stops.
NASCAR red flagged the race on lap 194 to clean all the quicky dry from the track.
At 3:36pm ET, the spotter said, "Crank it up." Mikey returned for more adjustments under the yellow flag. Some leaders opted to pit, including Kyle Busch. Kenseth picked up the lead. Because he had pit too early, Mikey was sent to the tail end of the longest line on the restart.
Kenseth led the lap 200 restart. Mikey was ten laps down in 38th. He didn't get anywhere before debris caused the eighth caution on lap 207.
"It's plowing worse than it was before," Mikey commented. He said they would have to fix the tow eventually. "As long as we can keep up, I don't care," he added. His crew chief said Johnson was on the same lap. Mikey asked his team to plan to adjust that towing issue, and said he would rather lose a lap now than lose a bunch laps later. Finley said it was towed out, and would need to fix it under the next caution.
Kenseth led the lap 213 restart, with Mikey running 38th and ten laps down. The yellow flag returned six laps later.
NASCAR brought out the nineth caution on lap 219 for debris in Turn 2. Travis Kvapil received the free pass back onto the lead lap. Finley told his team they would change left, and then right side tires during this yellow flag period, making adjustments during each of these stops.
Mikey was now eleven laps down when racing resumed on lap 223. Kenseth led the field to the green, but lost the top spot three laps into the run to Tony Stewart. Throughout the run, the leader quickly approached the rear fender of the #55. Mikey went a twelfth lap down on lap 243, as race leader Stewart passed him. He was still 38th.
Sorenson turned Sherman's #49, drawing the tenth caution. Finley talked about wanting to pull a rubber.
"Do whatever you want," Mikey replied. "It's not going to do nothing." He said he had a big problem with the front end, same as before. Finley said he would take the rubber out of the left rear, put on four fresh tires, and work on the left front. Mikey expressed to his crew that he appreciated the job they all do on pit road.
Stewart led the lap 262 restart. Mikey was still 38th, twelve laps down.
Another wreck unfolded in front of the Napa Dodge. "Wrecking in front of you," the spotter warned.
"I do pretty good when I see them," Mikey replied. "Golly! I flat-spotted my tires again."
The eleventh caution came on lap 262. Sorenson's #41 had spun Ryan Newman's #12. The field stacked up behind the pair, and Jamie McMurray and Casey Mears were also collected. McMurray's #26 went to the garage for repairs.
Finley and Mikey discussed adjustments during the yellow flag period.
"Whatever you did there helped it turn a little bit," Mikey told his crew chief. He pit, and picked up 37th, as Sherman had stayed off the track long enough.
Six laps after racing resumed on lap 268, Mikey gained 36th with McMurray's departure. The Morgan McClure #4 bounced off a few cars, and Mikey was warned that the field was backing up.
"Wreck in Turn 2," his spotter warned.
The yellow flag waved for the twelfth time on lap 288, after Jeff Green had turned Elliott Sadler sideways. Mikey said the adjustments were not working, and Finley wanted to plug up the left side bottom.
Mikey made a stop under the caution. Again, he told his crew to do whatever to the car. "Y'all aren't going to hurt it."
The #55 was still twelve laps down in 36th when Stewart led the lap 294 restart. Sterling Marlin got sideways in Turn 4 on lap 299, but held the car. The race remained under green.
"This 21 behind you is the fastest thing on the track," Mikey's spotter said of Ken Schrader on lap 325. Schrader, who had passed the leader to get back one of two lost laps, got around the Napa Dodge. Race leader Stewart was soon to follow. Mikey went a thirteenth down on lap 327.
"I've got a wheel loose," Mikey informed his team. He pit on lap 331; the culprit was the right front. Kevin Harvick took the top spot the next time around the track. When Mikey returned, he was now fifteen laps down.
Race leader Stewart turned Sherman's lagging #49 in Turn 4, slowing the field and causing Terry Labonte to spin Joe Nemechek. The thirteenth caution came on lap 338.
Finley noted Mikey only had seven laps on his tires, and asked if they wanted to leave those tires on the car.
"Yeah, I like them," Mikey replied.
Finley said they would put tape on the left front, and asked the spotter to keep teams informed of where the pace car was.
The restart came on lap 344, but the yellow flag waved again shortly thereafter.
The field saw the fourteenth caution on lap 351. Green had turned Jeremy Mayfield, slowing the field behind him. Mears went sideways and into Mayfield. Well behind them, Kvapil hit the wall. During stops, Mayfield and Bowyer made contact with one another on pit road.
"How many laps down am I?" Mikey asked as he rode behind the pace car under yellow.
"15," Finley replied. "15."
His spotter led him around Nemechek's car.
Stewart led the lap 357 restart. Lepage's #61 slowed and sparked with a broken sway bar, as Kyle Busch ripped off Dale Jarrett's rear bumper cover and sent it a-flapping.
Mikey passed Travis Kvapil on lap 366, moving him up to 35th; however, twelve laps later, he fell another lap to the leader and was now sixteen circuits behind. Kurt Busch took the lead on lap 387.
A flat tire sent Lepage's #61 into the Turn 4 wall, drawing the fifteenth caution on lap 409.
"Still plowing?" Finley asked his driver.
"Yeah."
The leaders pit under yellow, most planning this as their last stop.
"How much cushion do I have on the car behind me?" Mikey asked. "How many laps?"
Finley told him he had forty laps between himself and the #26 behind him.
Matt Kenseth's #17 Dewalt Ford led the lap 413 restart. The race stayed green for just two laps.
"Wrecking in Turn 4," spotter Mike said over the team radio.
The sixteenth caution came on lap 415 after Jeff Gordon rear-ended Martin Truex Jr's #1 on the restart, spinning the rookie. Jeff Burton and Robby Gordon spun and hit the wall behind them, Kasey Kahne's #9 sustained significant damage to the nose, and JJ Yeley's #18 was also collected. Yeley and Burton went to the garage. Truex Jr, who had been in line for the free pass, lost it due to involvement in the wreck. NASCAR then issued him a speeding penalty on pit road.
Racing resumed on lap 431 with Kenseth in the lead. Mikey picked up 34th with Burton's departure. The next time around the track, he was 33rd; Yeley was still behind the wall. Mikey's spotter warned him that Robby Gordon's #7 directly in front may have a right rear tire going down.
NASCAR brought out the seventeenth caution on lap 438. Truex Jr and Jeff Gordon had been racing one another rough when Truex Jr's #1 slid up into the #24 on the backstretch. The pair slowed, and Tony Stewart got into the back of the #1. Truex Jr spun.
Mikey reported that the car was "a little better." Seeing Truex Jr's wrecked #1, he asked, "How did he do that?"
Finley explained that the #1 was retaliating for an earlier incident with the #24. He determined that the #55 required four tires and fuel.
"How many laps is the 61 down?" Mikey asked.
Finley told him ten, as Scott Riggs' #10 received the free pass.
Kenseth led the lap 445 restart. Mikey was still 33rd, sixteen laps down. Ken Schrader's #21 got loose shortly after the restart. The field backed up a bit but continued.
The eighteenth caution came out on lap 448, after Dave Blaney's #22 spun. He had rear-ended Jarrett, slowed, and was turned by Denny Hamlin's #11.
"I think I have a flat tire," Mikey told his crew. "I can't tell."
"I can't tell either," Finley sighed, "but we'd better not chance it. We'd better not chance it." He told his driver to make a stop.
"I think the right rear's flat," Finley told the crew. "Be ready to lift it."
Mikey said his tire "wasn't that flat".
Although he made a stop, Mikey gained 32nd with Truex Jr's departure.
Racing continued on lap 453, as Robby Gordon was made to serve a pass through penalty for speeding. Kenseth led the field. The #88 slowed considerably within the first three laps, after running into the back of Jeremy Mayfield's #19 and spinning himself.
"Spinning off of 4. Spinning off of 4," spotter Mike observed. "No yellow."
By lap 471, Kenseth's yellow Ford was in Mikey's rear view mirror. "That's the leader behind you - the 17," Finley said. Mikey went a seventeenth lap down.
"Got a loose left front," Mikey said over the radio. He pit on lap 473 and got four fresh tires. He was nineteen laps down when he returned to the track, still riding in the 32nd position.
At the front of the field, Kurt Busch's #2 rear ended Kenseth's #17, knocking the Roush racer back several spots. Busch claimed the lead on lap 497.
On the last lap, Kenseth spun Gordon. Kurt Busch picked up the win and did "snow angels" on the start/finish line. Gordon was not so gleeful about the finish. Upon getting out of his Dupont Chevy, he shoved Matt Kenseth.
Mikey was also not thrilled with a 32nd place finish, nineteen laps down.
Tune in next week as NASCAR heads to Martinsville, Virginia. Coverage of the DirecTV 500 begins on Sunday on 1:30pm ET on FOX. The Busch Series is off next weekend.
