For anyone in the Nextel Cup Series, reaching 650 starts in your career is certainly cause for celebration. What happened to Michael Waltrip in his 650th start certainly wasn't.
A crash on Lap 98 ended Waltrip's night and his 42nd-place finish dropped the team out of the top 35 in the Nextel Cup Series owners' points.
However, there is a bit of a silver lining.
As the field worked off Turn 4 on Lap 98 of last Saturday's Subway Fresh 500, Waltrip was hit from behind by Kyle Petty, sending Waltrip's No. 55 car hard into the wall and back into traffic.
A total of five cars were involved in the crash, but Waltrip's was certainly suffered the worst fate. The rear clip of the car was smashed clear to the rear windshield. Waltrip dropped the window net to let the safety workers know he was fine, but the same could not be said of chassis No. 94.
The roll bars that protect the fuel cell had been damaged in the crash. NASCAR surveyed the damage and informed the team they would not be allowed to return to the race since the fuel cell area had been compromised.
"I'm not sure why someone would run over me like that, but they did," Waltrip said. "We had a good car [Saturday]. That wasn't our problem. We'll just go to Talladega, have a good qualifying run and try to get back all that was lost here tonight."
However, the fans did give Waltrip something to celebrate -- the Goody's Headache Powder "Headache of the Race Award".
Waltrip was given On race days, fans can log on to www.goodyspowder.com and select the "Goody's Headache of the Race" logo to register and view a list of drivers qualified for the event.
Voting starts at the beginning of each week's NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race and will remain open until midnight of the Monday following the race.
In the Busch Series, Jason Leffler earned the award for his hard-luck effort in Friday night's Bashas' Supermarkets 250.
Leffler was hit by Clint Bowyer, ruining what looked to be a top-five run. Kevin Harvick won the event.
The site allows just one vote per fan per race, but voters can change their ballot throughout the voting period if they feel another driver's headache becomes more deserving of the award.
The Web site will show real-time results, and the winners will be announced on the Web site and during radio broadcast of the following race.
Each week, the winning drivers receive a check for $250. Another $250 is donated in the driver's name to Victory Junction Gang Camp, a retreat that provides fun and exciting camping experiences for seriously ill children and their families.
