Michael Waltrip finished 13th in the Basha's Supermarket 200, today's Busch Series event at Phoenix International Raceway. He came from the back of the field and a lap down, and spent four laps in the top 10 before the end of the race.
Mikey started tonight's race from the 39th position. Jason Leffler led the field to the green flag. Matt Kenseth ran side-by-side with him throughout the first lap. Kenseth was coming off Turn 4 and was just about to be marked as the leader when the yellow flag waved.
The first caution came on lap 2. The field had checked up when Ryan Moore goosed Jason Leffler, and Mark Martin rear-ended Jerry Robinson's #78. Martin and Robinson had gotten into one another a great deal before the #78 spun. Robinson's drop allowed Mikey to pick up 38th.
Racing resumed on lap 5 with Kenseth leading. One lap into the run, Mikey picked up 37th from Joel Kauffman. Lap 12 saw the #99 pick up two spots. Passing Tim Sauter two laps latter allowed Mikey to move into 34th.
Debris drew the second caution on lap 16. Mikey moved to 29th when other drivers pit.
Kenseth led the lap 20 restart. Mikey picked up a spot three laps in the run, and another two laps later. Meanwhile, Jason Leffler took the lead on lap 26.
The Best Western Dodge gained 26th to Stacy Compton on lap 28. Passing David Gilliland six laps later moved Mikey to 25th. A bump from Gilliland a couple laps later allowed Ken Schrader to pass and put the #99 back in 26th. Danny O'Quinn passed Mikey on lap 43, but the Best Western Dodge regained the position to Mark Green on lap 55. Mikey lost that spot and another within the next couple laps to Green and to Johnny Sauter. Shortly thereafter, he lost the lead lap. He passed Paul Menard for 26th on lap 69.
Clint Bowyer bumped the rear fender of Leffler's #32 and took the lead going into lap 76. Meanwhile, Mikey picked up 25th from Ken Schrader, but lost it to Jamie McMurray two laps later. He picked it back up on lap 80 by passing Regan Smith and was 24th one lap later after getting around JJ Yeley.
Mikey pit on lap 83, becoming one of the first drivers to make a scheduled green flag stop during the long run. He was marked two laps down in 35th on lap 85, as Reed Sorenson picked up the lead with Bowyer's pit. When Sorenson pit, Kevin Harvick was marked as the leader. Mark Green picked up the top spot on lap 88 with Harvick's departure.
Stops had cycled. Mark Green had already pit, and retained his lead. Mikey was 25th, one lap down. He lost a spot to Ashton Lewis Jr on lap 91, but Mikey regained the position two laps later. Clint Bowyer retook the lead one lap after that.
The third caution came on lap 95. Denny Hamlin rear-ended Todd Kluever in the corner and sent Kluever's #06 around and driver's-side into the wall. Mikey was 25th under the yellow flag. Some leaders pit, including Bowyer. Leffler regained the top spot, and Mikey moved up to 22nd. The Best Western Dodge was the first car one lap down.
Racing resumed on lap 100. Mikey remained the first driver one lap down for twenty laps, before Ashton Lewis Jr passed him on lap 121. The #99 was now 23rd.
Two laps later, the yellow flag waved for the fourth time for a three-car accident. Kyle Busch ran up and into the side of the #33 of Ron Hornaday. Amidst the smoke, Casey Mears was also collected. Lewis Jr got the free pass, and the leaders pit. Kurt Busch picked up the lead.
The green flag returned on lap 128. One circuit into the run, Paul Menard got around Mikey along the outside. The #99 lost status as the first car one lap down and fell to 24th.
Lap 136 saw the fifth caution. Denny Hamlin cut down a tire and spun. While slowing, Robinson got sideways and ran into Hamlin's #20. Menard received the free pass, and once again, Mikey was the first driver one lap down. He rode 23rd.
Kurt Busch led the lap 139 restart. Mikey held onto 23rd and one lap down until the yellow flag waved.
Ashton Lewis Jr spun independently and rear-ended the wall, causing the sixth caution on lap 155 and giving Mikey the free pass. The leaders pit. Kevin Harvick picked up the lead in his #21, following stops.
Racing resumed on lap 159. Harvick led, and Mikey was 23rd and on the lead lap. One lap into the run, the Best Western Dodge got around Lewis Jr and picked up 22nd, and three laps later, passed Kyle Busch for another spot. Mikey got around Mike Wallace for 20th on lap 170.
Lap 174 saw the seventh caution. John Andretti squeezed under Casey Mears for a pass, and the two made contact. Andretti spun. His #10 shot back up the track and collected Johnny Sauter and Scott Riggs. Mikey drove low through the accident scene, and picked up 17th under yellow. He lost a few spots when he pit.
Harvick led the lap 183 restart, with Mikey running 18th. One lap into the run, the #99 picked up two spots from Mike Wallace and Casey Mears. He got around Mark Green one lap later.
The eighth caution came on lap 186 when Paul Menard spun JJ Yeley into the Turn 1 wall. Burney Lamar received the free pass, and Mikey was marked in 14th under the yellow flag.
Racing resumed on lap 189. Harvick led the field to the green, and got a jump on Mark Martin by a couple car lengths.
The yellow flag waved for the nineth time on lap 191; Clint Bowyer spun out Leffler. NASCAR issued Bowyer a one lap penalty for rough driving, as Bowyer and Leffler had previous contact. The field bottled behind the pair, and Kurt Busch turned Paul Menard. Mikey picked up 11th with Bowyer, Leffler, and Menard's drop.
Harvick led the lap 195 restart. Mikey ran 10th.
The tenth caution came out for a hard crash on lap 198. Gilliland squeezed high beside Ryan Moore, bounced off the wall, and went down the track. He went back up the track and got into Bowyer. The field prepared for a green/white/checkered finish.
The race went green on lap 204. Mikey was 13th, and finished in that spot. Harvick went on to win.
Tune in tomorrow for the Nextel Cup feature, the Subway Fresh 500! Coverage starts at 8:00pm ET on FOX.
