Michael Waltrip was knocked out of his 650th career start today at Phoenix International Raceway. His #55 Napa Auto Parts Dodge was rear-ended on lap 100 of the Subway Fresh 400, and the team was unable to replace the rear clip in time to return to the race. The Waltrip-Jasper Racing machine is now outside the top 35 in Nextel Cup owner's standings; the car is not guarenteed a spot in next week's race at Talladega.
The race began with a heavy wind coming from the west. Mikey qualified 42nd, and Kyle Busch started from the pole. Tony Stewart dropped to the rear of the field for failure to start on the tires he had used for qualifying. The team had made a mistake when submitting tires to Goodyear for the routine tire checks.
"Anybody got a copy?" were the first words over the #55 frequencey at 6:24pm local time this evening.
"Yeah, this is Kenny," a crew member responded. "I've got a copy."
"Okay, thank you."
Moments later, Mikey asked, "Anybody got a copy?" When he received acknowledgement, he said, "Roger. Over.
"Roger. Get it? Over," Mikey joked. "Nice job on everything in here. Looks good. Nice job." After a pause, he continued. "Tonight's the big night, boys. We need to stay focused. This night will get us into Talladega, or not."
Crew chief Derrick Finley assured his driver the team would do their part. He told Mikey that, as he passed pit road, he would see pit boxes for the #01, #7, #55 and #10. He asked if the tape on the window blocked the sun well enough.
"Yeah, it should be all right," Mikey answered. "They did a super job with the interiour here."
The team then discussed pit road speed.
"Looks like 5... 4800 and second. Who knows what it is? 4600 and second."
Finley asked Mikey to check again the next time around the track. He said the speed should be between 48 and 4900.
"I'll go with 49," Mikey replied.
"10-4. 4900 and second."
The spotter repeated this information. "One to go," he told his driver. "How many laps are we looking at, Derrick?"
"Right at 80."
"All right, coming to the green this time. You've got the 2 going behind you.
"Pace car's off," the spotter continued. "Ready? Green green. Checking up in front of you. Checking up in front of you. Got one inside. All clear, all clear."
Greg Biffle's #16 jumped into the lead coming off Turn 2 to lead lap 2. Meanwhile, Mikey got around Brent Sherman for 41st. Tony Stewart passed the next time around the track; however, the #55 remained 41st by going around Brandon Ash. Mikey picked up 40th from Stanton Barrett the next time around the track. On lap 5, he was all over the #45 of Kyle Petty, who Tony Stewart had just passed. He cleared the #45 on the next circuit, and continued to follow Stewart up through the ranks. Lap 8 saw Mikey pass Travis Kvapil for 38th. On the next lap, he got around Dave Blaney for another spot.
"41 gets in the corner real loose," the spotter noted. "He's losing brakes."
On lap 12, the spotter added, "All right, buddy. Stay after him. Right there.
"Nice squeeze."
Manuevering around Reed Sorenson's #41, Mikey gained 36th on lap 13. He passed Jeff Burton two laps later for position.
"...Just skate the right front out," Mikey commented.
"Looking inside," his spotter told him on lap 17. "Looking inside by a nose. Clear."
"Got a good set-up," Mikey stated. "Just skate the right front."
"10-4," said Finley. "I talked to the tire guy. We're making an adjustment right now."
Mikey got around David Stremme for 34th on lap 21.
"All the way to your door this time," the spotter said of Burton two laps later. "Inside. Inside. He's there.
"Clear five back."
The Napa Dodge was back in 35th by the end of the circuit, with Jeff Burton's pass.
Debris by the start/finish line drew the first caution on lap 26. Finley asked his driver if he wanted anything besides pressure adjustments.
"No," replied his driver.
"Do you want to do what we talked about?"
"Don't keep it a secret," Mikey responded. "What'd we talk about?"
"The two tires."
Mikey burped. "We could try it. I don't mind trying it."
The leaders hit pit road, where Mikey's spotter warned cars were checking up.
"The 2 car leaving. The 2 car leaving," Finley cautioned. "All right, clear right here. Wheels straight, put on the brakes."
After the two tire stop, Finley apologised for not getting his driver into the box better; he said he was focused on Kurt Busch's #2 leaving the stall.
Brandon Ash's #02 led the field under caution. He pit before the restart.
Biffle led the field to the lap 29 restart. Mikey ran 25th, but gained 24th with Ash's pit.
"Two back, no pressure," the spotter observed. Two laps later, he added, "One looking low. Nose inside you."
Passing Dale Jarrett advanced Mikey a spot on lap 33.
"Great job, buddy," the spotter praised. "All clear." He cautioned Mikey of Stewart's #20. "He's looking pretty sporty.
"Inside. By himself," he added the next time around the track. "Still clear, five back."
Stewart passed on lap 37, dropping Mikey to 23rd. Finley noted that Mikey was running 28.80's; the leaders were running 28.50's.
On lap 40, the Napa driver informed his team that the right side was out again.
"10-4."
"Put some round in the right rear," Mikey requested. "And then help me with my pressures."
"One looking low," the spotter warned four laps later. "Inside. Inside. He's there."
Jarrett's pass dropped Mikey to 24th.
"Got a guy looking low. You're clear, clear."
Kyle Busch took the lead in his #5 on lap 49. Meanwhile, Ken Schrader's #21 still rode the #55's rear fender. Schrader passed on lap 51.
"Still there, buddy. Still there," the spotter said.
Jeremy Mayfield's #19 and Scott Wimmer's #4 were looking to pass on lap 53.
"Looking low," the spotter described. "He's there. He's there. Inside." When the yellow flag waved, he said, "You should be in front of Jeremy."
Dave Blaney's #22 cut down a tire and hit the wall, bringing out the second caution on lap 54. Mikey was marked in 25th. Finley said they'd come out of that run well. Mikey told his team he wanted to go down on the left front air pressure by a half pound.
"10-4," Finley responded. "We'll do that. We're good. We're good."
The leaders pit, and Kyle Busch was the first driver back on track.
"Go, go, go, go," Finley barked after the stop. "Clear behind the 4. Clear behind the 4."
A collision on pit road caused left front damage to Carl Edwards' #99. Jeff Green and Tony Raines were also reportedly involved.
Racing resumed on lap 58 with Biffle leading and Mikey in 28th. The #55 spotter warned that Joe Nemechek's #01 was backing up along the bottom. Mikey got around Nemechek for 27th on lap 62.
"Still there. Still inside. All clear. Nice job," his spotter praised.
The Napa Dodge passed Wimmer for 26th on lap 63. One lap later, Wimmer came looking for that spot back. As Mark Martin dropped inside and took the lead on lap 67, Mikey returned to 27th with a pass from Wimmer. He lost another position when Tony Rained got around him on lap 72.
"Looking low. The 99," the spotter observed. "Inside. Inside. Inside."
Edwards passed on lap 75; Mikey was now 29th. The #55 dropped to 30th when Kyle Busch got around it the next time around the track, and to 31st with a pass from Nemechek four laps later.
"974," Finley said. "That's better than they have been."
The third caution came on lap 89 when Scott Riggs' #10 spun through the grass through Turns 3 and 4.
"Air pressure too low?" Finley asked.
Mikey said it was the best it's been, although he could benefit from a little less left front rear air and a jack bolt adjustment. He said maybe he needed a half pound in the rear to balance the car. When Finley started commenting, Mikey said, "Don't pull that shit. Make the adjustments I ask for, or tell me you'll do different."
When the leaders pit, the spotter asked Finley to ask the #10 team to pull up further to help Mikey get out of his box when the time came. Finley said they were doing that. Elliott Sadler stayed on track to lead a lap, but pit before the restart.
Biffle led the lap 93 restart. Mikey was 30th. His spotter told him about a car outside three laps later, and then cleared him. Mikey was running 29th on lap 97 when he ran to the outside of Jeremy Mayfield's #19. A hit from behind send the car around and into the wall.
The fourth caution came on lap 100 for a multi-car accident, in which the Napa Dodge sustained the most substantial damage.
"I towed it out, and I don't know why," Mikey said.
"Did somebody hit you?" Finley asked. "What's up now?"
Following static, Mikey asked, "Who hit me?"
"Kyle," the spotter responded, referring to Kyle Petty in the #45. The field had slowed after Casey Mears and Kyle Busch made side contact. Petty didn't slow, and rear-ended the #55. Other drivers involved included Joe Nemechek, Elliott Sadler, David Stremme, and Scott Wimmer.
NASCAR brought out the red flag on lap 100.
"Are we driving back, or are we wrecked that bad?" Finley asked. The spotter said the damage was bad. "Come on, guys," Finley said. "Let's get that car in shape."
A flat-bed truck towed the crumpled #55 to the garage. In an interview with a FOX pit reporter, Mikey stated that he didn't know who got into him. "It just freaks me out how somebody just can just run you over," he commented.
The field returned to yellow shortly thereafter, and racing resumed on lap 105 with Biffle in the lead. Mikey had been off the track for five laps at that time.
"If there's anyone still in the pits," Finley said over the radio on lap 121, "I need those spare shocks."
"Is somebody bringing the generator from the pits?" somebody asked later.
Finley was the only one on the radio for the next several minutes.
"Let's just raise this section up, see what we get."
"The frame broke. What's he talking about?"
Ultimately, around lap 135, he announced, "Guys, we're going to have to quit here. We're going to have to call it done. The NASCAR officials want us to put a whole new rear clip." He said they didn't have the time. He addressed another member of the team. "Did you tell Michael yet?" He reiterated that replacing the clip would be too much.
A crew member asked if the tires were going to the #22 pit.
"Yeah, we'll give them to him."
The #55 team officially retired from the race around lap 144, and went on to finish 42nd. Kevin Harvick won the race.
Watch Mikey next weekend at Talladega! Coverage of the Nextel Cup's Aaron's 499 begins next Sunday at 1:30pm ET on FOX. The Busch Series' Aaron's 312 airs the day before at 3:00pm.
