Michael Waltrip finished 26th in the Samsung/RadioShack 500, today's Nextel Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. His #55 Napa Auto Parts Dodge was three laps down to race winner Kasey Kahne.
Mikey qualified 42nd for today's Cup event; however, with Matt Kenseth and Derrike Cope's drop to the rear of the field during pace laps, Mikey advanced two rows to 38th. Kahne rolled from the pole.
"Is the radio working yet?" were the first words spoken over the #55 team's frequency.
"Yeah, it sounds good," Mikey replied.
"Michael, you got a copy?"
"Sure do, Roger."
"Pace car's rolling," the spotter noted. "It will be the third time by."
The team discussed pit location and pit road speed next. The #55 box was in front of Jeff Gordon's, and behind Reed Sorenson's.
"How do we feel about 4,000?" Mikey suggested a speed.
"Yeah, 4,000 is good," his crew chief replied. "4,000 will work."
"Coming outside the 20," the spotter warned.
Crew chief Derrick Finley addressed his driver again. "Do me a favour and switch your battery for me."
"I wish y'all would do that," Mikey complained. "I can't even reach that stupid thing."
"You got a copy back there, driver?" Finley asked.
"10-4."
Finley wished Mikey a good day, and promised his driver they'd do their part in the pits.
Kahne's #9 led the field to the green flag. Mark Martin's #6 dropped inside the #9 and took the lead within the first two corners. Martin went on to lead lap 2.
Although Mikey had picked up 36th during the first circuit, he lost a spot to Travis Kvapil on lap 3.
"Got one slow and high in Turn 2," warned the #55 spotter. "Clear."
Mikey passed Kevin Lepage, bringing him to 36th on lap 4. Matt Kenseth's #17 was coming on strong.
"Trying to bring that 99 with him," the spotter said of Kenseth. Mikey dropped to 38th on lap 5, after the #17 and Carl Edwards' #99 passed.
"Got the 32 with him," the spotter added. Mikey was 40th on lap 6, after Scott Wimmer and Travis Kvapil passed. He dropped another spot four laps later when Jamie McMurray's #26 got around the Napa machine.
"Clear of the 32," said the spotter on lap 11. "He's coming back. Inside."
Greg Biffle took the lead on lap 12, at the same time that Mikey re-passed Kvapil for 40th. The #55 picked up another spot to Mike Garvey one circuit later.
"Give me the temperatures when you can," Finley requested.
"220, 230," Mikey replied.
"10-4." A couple laps later, Finley added, "14 laps on your tires. You have a car coming back to you now."
"Clear high. CLear. Clear of the 22. Good job," the spotter directed. "Coming back inside. Clear."
Getting around Jeremy Mayfield and Dave Blaney, Mikey picked up 37th on lap 18. He got around Dale Jarrett for another spot two laps later, and gained 34th from David Stremme and Tony Raines the next time around the track. Despite his progress, he risked losing the lead lap.
"Leader's at the line now," the spotter noted on lap 23.
Mikey continued to pick up spots. He passed Sterling Marlin for 33rd on lap 24, and Jamie McMurray and Brian Vickers on lap 26. Vicker's #25 smoked and slowed along the apron, ultimately falling out of the race with an engine failure after completing just 24 laps.
Getting around Joe Nemechek took Mikey to 30th on lap 28.
"Keep digging," Finley encouraged. "There's talk of a caution."
The spotter noted that nine cars were between Mikey and leader Biffle.
"31.30," Finley read off the lap time. "That was a very good lap last lap. Good lap."
On lap 36, the spotter said, "Still got four cars between you and him. Half a straightaway."
"Tell us how your car is when you get a second," Finley asked.
Mikey got around Kyle Petty for 29th on lap 40. Three laps later, he told his crew chief that the right front inner liner did not feel right.
"10-4," Finley responded.
"Trying to come inside," the spotter stated. "You're clear.
"Inside," he added. "45's by himself. Clear."
"I don't care about the 45," Mikey replied. He got around Blaney for 28th on lap 45. Two laps later, he went three-wide and made side contact with Ken Schrader. Brother Darrell in the commentator's booth remarked, "They're real close friends."
Getting around Kyle Busch and Ken Schrader through that three-wide move advanced the #55 to 26th on lap 48; however, he lost a spot to Wimmer one lap later. Kyle Busch lost the lead lap on lap 51. Mikey's #55 was next in line.
"Run your line," Finley encouraged. "Run your line."
"Next one is the leader," added the spotter. "The 16."
Biffle's #16 was 6.5 seconds ahead of Kasey Kahne in 2nd. On lap 55, Mikey lost the lead lap to Biffle, as did Jimmie Johnson. Mikey got around Biffle and Johnson the next time around the track, picking up 25th and regaining the lead lap.
"All right, guys," Finley said to the crew. "Get loose down here." He told them they'd pit the car soon.
Mikey was 23rd and the first car one lap down on lap 56, and scheduled green flag stops commenced. When Biffle pit on lap 57, Finley told Mikey they would pit the next time around the track.
Bobby Labonte's #43 led the field on lap 8, with Biffle's departure.
"4,000 on the pit road. 4,000 on the pit road."
Kevin Harvick took the lead as Labonte pit at the same time that Mikey did. The #55 took on an inner liner pressure adjustment, and Martin Truex Jr's #1 led lap 60.
Stops cycled by lap 62.
"That 16 is now the leader," the spotter said. Mikey was 26th, lapped, and the third car in line for the free pass.
Debris in Turn 2 drew the first caution on lap 65. Mikey was 27th.
"Well that was... Feel like we need air in the right front tire and lower the track bar," Mikey commented. "Tires go away fast," he added.
The team determined that, if the three cars in front of Mikey pit, Mikey would be in trouble if he stayed out. Mikey said he would stay out. "We just got here a day late... that's all."
Finley said they would come in if others do. Mikey recognised that the decision was a gamble.
"Let's just make the call and stay out," Finley added.
"55, 24," the spotter announced the order of the cars, indicating that Mikey should be in front of Jeff Gordon.
"Were you inside the 24 when the caution came out?" Finley asked.
The spotter said that NASCAR had already made the call. Mikey was in front of Jeff Gordon.
"55 in front of the 24 then, driver," Finley said.
"Okay," Mikey replied. "My car's not good on top for a few laps, so I'm going to go to the bottom."
Mikey was the first in line for the free pass when Kahne led the lap 69 restart. Mikey and Gordon jumped ahead of Kahne's #9. JJ Yeley took the lead on lap 70 behind the Napa Dodge, but Kahne regained the top spot two laps later. Mikey got re-lapped the next time around the track. He rode 26th. Finley commented that Mikey needed to stay in front of Ken Schrader, who was four or five car lengths back.
"You're going to have to do something on that left front," Mikey said on lap 82. "It's not turning."
The second caution came on lap 84, after Greg Biffle's #16 wrecked in Turn 3. Kurt Busch had hit him in the rear. Mikey said that his car was "dirt tracking" off the corners, was plenty free, and needed front grip. He said the car wouldn't be such a handful if he could get front grip. He was 25th with Biffle's drop. Gordon received the free pass.
Finley asked if water and oil pressure was staying steady.
"Yes sir," Mikey replied. He pit under yellow. Finley noted that Mikey had beat Dale Jarrett's #88 off pit road.
"Somebody needs to tell him that," Mikey responded.
Finley told him that NASCAR was putting the #88 in front of the #55. He wanted Mikey to pit again before the red flag; NASCAR was halting the field on lap 87 to repair the outside wall.
Under the red flag, Greg Biffle's girlfriend Nicole Lunders stormed into Kurt Busch's pit and had an exchange with Busch's girlfriend, Eva Bryan.
"Is that a cat fight on TV?" Mikey asked.
Finley explained that Nicole Lunders had come down to the #2 team, because Biffle had reportedly hurt his back in the accident.
"What can she do about it?" Mikey asked, referring to Eva Bryan.
The #55 spotter reported that the #2 and #16 spotters were fighting now, describing the squabble as "pretty good."
Finley asked if Mikey wanted water.
"No thanks," the driver replied. "I think I'd bet on Kurt Busch's girlfriend."
Finley said that Busch claimed Biffle must have dropped a cyllander and had slowed down. After seeing an interview on Nextel Vision, Mikey commented that Biffle's back didn't look hurt, standing up on TV. He added that he had too much air in the left front tire, and he didn't want it in the left rear.
Finley talked about going up on the track bar, making an inner liner air adjustment, or going down on the track bar and making a wedge adjustment instead. Mikey asked if they'd just made an air and track bar adjustment; Finley said they didn't do anything with the trackbar. Mikey said he wanted to go with moving the track bar down and taking out wedge.
Finley recognised that he had told Mikey he would make a track bar adjustment before, but had had other things going on. Mikey told him to write it down next time, but Finley said he didn't know if he could remember from his head to the paper.
Mikey told his crew chief that he liked the spring much better than yesterday. Finley asked if he meant the one he'd had on Friday. Mikey said no; he liked this spring better than the one in the Busch car. He assessed that the spring still did not feel right.
"We can't win today," Finley predicted. "We have a 15th place car."
The field returned to yellow.
"Still working over there," Finley noted. "I got it all writ down for you, boss."
"Okay," Mikey replied. He said he may change his mind after the run.
"Yes, sir," answered Finley.
Some drivers chose to pit.
Kasey Kahne led the lap 90 restart. Mikey was in 27th, one lap down. Two laps into the run, Denny Hamlin grabbed the top spot. Tony Stewart dropped inside Hamlin's #11 in Turns 3 and 4 and came up with first going into lap 93.
"Inside by himself. Clear all around," the spotter directed. "Inside. 18's coming. Clear behind the 18. All clear."
As Mikey continued in 27th, he commented, "This is worse."
"10-4," Finley replied. "Give it a little time. Myabe it will come in."
"By himself," the spotter cautioned Mikey. "Got the 6 one back. You're clear."
Kyle Petty passed, dropping Mikey to 28th on lap 98. Jamie McMurray got around ten laps later. Stremme's pass on lap 110 put Mikey in 30th.
"35 on your tires," Finley noted on lap 116. "Still tight?"
"Yes," Mikey replied. "Very tight."
"10-4," Finley responded. "Good lap time last two laps. Good lap."
Kurt Busch was black-flagged on lap 120 for his smoking #2. Busch was already two laps down. He was ultimately pushed to the garage.
Getting around Stremme brought Mikey back to 29th on lap 122. Eight laps later, he picked up another spot to McMurray.
"Leader six cars back," the spotter noted. "A straightaway between you and him. The 20."
"Do you like your left sides?" Finley asked.
Mikey said he did, every now and then. .
"44," Finley noted. "That was a real good lap."
As the spotter noted a slow car on the apron on lap 137, Mikey asked, "How many more laps?" in reference to pitting.
"About 9."
Stremme got around him on lap 141, moving Mikey back to 29th.
Finley said they would take inner liner pressure out of both front tires when they stopped. "You think you need some wedge with that?"
"Really pushing," Mikey replied.
Scheduled green flag pit stops began on lap 145.
"Next one is the leader," the spotter noted.
"Might get a caution here," Finley commented. His prediction came true.
The yellow flag waved for the third time on lap 147, when Derrike Cope stalled on pit road.
"That was a huge break!" Mikey commented. He said he had scraped the wall. "This car went all to shit with the last adjustments." He and Finley discussed what they would change on the car next. Finley said he still had rubber in the left rear, but feared taking it out might make the car too free. Mikey told him to take it. Finley said they'd do that and leave the track bar.
"I like that," Mikey replied.
Finley relayed the information to the team - four tires, rubber out, left rear air pressure adjustment. Later, he added tape off the top right-side of the grill. After stops, Hamlin's #11 was in the lead.
"One to go when you get here," the spotter noted. "66 is making his way back. Tail end."
Hamlin led the lap 151 restart, with Mikey running 28th and lapped.
"Slow one on the bottom," the spotter stated. "Clear high.
"Stickers on this 51 behind you," he added seven laps later of Garvey, who was four laps down. "Inside."
One circuit later, Kenseth was on Hamlin's rear fender for the lead. He took it one lap later.
Mikey told his team that the adjustment was "no good" and had messed up the car. "The tires feel terrible."
Lap 161 saw the fourth caution for debris in Turn 4. Mikey asked his team to go back to where they started with air pressure. "We've just messed this thing all up."
Finley said they would put the rubber back in, and the leaders pitted. The crew chief stated that he assumed going to back to where they'd started meant raising the track bar.
"Yeah, anything," Mikey replied. He told his team to do something different.
Finley said they would put the rubber and the pressures and the inner liners back, but would put an extra pound in the right front.
Carl Edwards picked up the lead following stops and led the lap 165 restart. Mikey was 29th, one lap down. As the #55 went from three to two-wide in the middle, Kenseth took the lead on lap 168 along the inside groove.
"Feels like one of the jack bolts is back out," Mikey commented on lap 170. Three laps later, he added, "It's unbelievable loose."
"10-4," Finley replied.
"I need left rear inner liner," Mikey continued on lap 178. Hamlin took back the lead the next time around the track.
"Wrecking in Turn 4," Mikey's spotter warned. "Yellow is out."
"All right, Larry," Mikey said on his radio, addressing Larry Carter. He said the pressure was better, but the car was "crazy loose".
"Y'all know more about it than me," Mikey added.
The fifth caution came on lap 191 when Yeley got loose and spun independently. Mikey picked up 28th with Yeley's drop. The leaders pit, Mikey came in with lapped traffic, and Hamlin picked up the lead following stops. Finley noted that the jack bolt had looked fine. Mikey said he hadn't been bottoming out; he just felt that loose.
"We'll just keep working hard here," Finley replied.
"I know," Mikey answered, and reiterated that he'd just been loose.
Racing resumed on lap 196 with Mikey 27th and lapped. Hamlin, in the lead, jumped out in front of the rest of the field. Stremme drifted way up the track on lap 198 and lost a number of spots.
"40 slow up top off of two," the spotter noted.
The sixth caution came on lap 202 for an accident involving Ryan Newman. Casey Mears had gotten sideways, slowing the field. Marlin got into the back of Newman and spun him.
"That there's just... okay," Mikey commented. He said the car was pushing now when getting into the corners too much, and the car wasn't turning enough now. Finley wanted to put bite in and go with the inner liner from before. Then he changed his mind and wanted to take bite out and leave the liner alone. Mikey said he could drive it if the car were just tight off. He said he thought he needed a lower trackbar too. He requested "something drastic". Finley warned his driver of metal at the exit of pit road. When Mikey asked for four rounds or so of track bar, Finley said the trackbar was at the bottom now.
"Lap 205," Finley noted. "We just need to be smart here."
"I'm trying," his driver replied.
Hamlin led the lap 206 restart, with Mikey running 25th and lapped. Kenseth passed Hamlin one lap into the run, but Hamlin hit him back. Both lost the top spot to Carl Edwards on lap 208.
By lap 224, Stremme got around the #55. Mikey was now 26th. Jeff Gordon lost a left rear tire two laps later, allowing the Napa Dodge to move back into 25th; however, Terry Labonte knocked him back to 26th with a pass on lap 227. Mikey got back around Labonte four laps later.
The Napa driver reported that the car was not handling right. "Loose in and tight off."
Edwards was closing on his rear fender by lap 241. Terry Labonte passed on that lap, putting Mikey back in 26th.
"Tell me some lap times," Mikey requested of his crew chief three laps later. As Finley began giving lap times, Mikey went two laps down on lap 249 when race leader Edwards passed.
Kyle Petty's #45 emitted a great deal of smoke, drawing the seventh caution on lap 250. Mikey reported that the car was as good as it had been lately. The car was too tight as a whole, but loose getting into the turns.
"What can we do to help you now?" Finley asked.
Mikey wanted his crew chief to take out a couple rounds of bite and to decrease the air pressure in the right front inner liner. The leaders pit, and Kahne was the first driver back on track. Yeley received the free pass. Finley told Mikey he would put on four tires and adjust the bite when Mikey stopped.
The #55 was 26th and two laps down when the field returned to green on lap 255. The race continued for just three laps.
The eighth caution came on lap 258 when Edwards got loose and spun. Edwards' #99 hit the inside wall, and Mikey manuevered around the wreck safely. Ken Schrader received the free pass. Finley told his driver to stay on the track. Mikey reported that the car had felt okay.
"Missed the safer barrier by ten feet," Mikey commented on Edwards' accident. "Wonder who the genius was who decided to stop it right there." He talked about wanting a sway bar adjustment. With Edwards' departure, he was 25th. He picked up 24th when Gordon made a stop.
Kahne led the lap 264 restart, but lost the top spot to Tony Stewart the next time around the track. Two laps later, Mikey was 25th; Joe Nemechek's #01 had passed the #55. He was back to 26th when Gordon got around him, and Raines dunked him to 27th on lap 276. Getting passed by Kvapil dropped him to 28th.
Yeley bumped into the side of the #55. Mikey waved his hand out the window at the rookie, who was 63 laps down. Meanwhile, on lap 288, Elliott Sadler slowed, pitted, and then went to the garage with an engine failure. Mikey picked up 27th on lap 290 with Sadler's drop. Stewart was now half a straightaway behind Mikey.
"The next two behind you are the leaders," the spotter said on lap 301. Yeley was racing the #55 before Mikey cleared him. Race leader Stewart got stuck behind Yeley next, allowing Kahne to drop inside the race leader. Stewart darted back out front before Kahne could take advantage of the situation. The race leader's #20 was now all over Mikey's rear fender. He also stuck his hand out the window to Yeley, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.
Lap 304 saw Stewart drop inside and take Kahne with him around the #55 Mikey was now three laps down. Kahne went on to pick up the lead on lap 309.
Debris in Turn 2 prompted the nineth caution on lap 314.
Mikey reported that he was loose in and tight off. "I can't get in good."
Finley asked if he wanted to put a little bite back in.
"I like that," Mikey replied. "I'm just too loose on the start. Then I'm just loose in but plowing off."
Finley said that Kvapil's #32 was the only car they were racing. Mikey was 26th under yellow, ahead of Kvapil.
Kahne led the lap 318 restart.
"Something's happening to it," Mikey commented nine laps into the run.
"What's happened?" Finley asked.
"Something happened to the motor."
"7 laps to go," Finley responded. "Just do the best you can. You're running good lap times. You may have blown the head or something." He asked his driver if he still had power in the battery.
"Yeah, but I changed boxes," Mikey replied.
"10-4."
"Four laps left," the spotter noted. "Four."
"I think it's getting ready to blow up..."
"White flag," the spotter interrupted. "One more."
Kahne went on to win the race. Mikey held onto the car, and his spotter led him through a wreck at the end of the race; Kyle Busch had spun Clint Bowyer, leading to a yellow/checkered finish. Mikey crossed the stripe 26th, three laps down.
After crossing the stripe, Mikey said that something was wrong with the motor, but the car was the best it had been all day. Finley wanted to know if the car had oil pressure.
"Yes, it had oil pressure," Mikey replied. "It wasn't that. It was something else. It runs like it has seven and a half cyllanders."
"Sounds good though when you rev it up," Finley replied. "Must not be that."
Tune in next weekend when Nextel Cup goes to Phoenix! Coverage begins at 8:00pm ET on FOX.
