Michael Waltrip's #99 Aaron's Dream Machine finished 20th and one lap down in the Carquest Auto Parts 300, today's Busch Series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Mikey started today's race from the 35th position, while Matt Kenseth's #17 rolled from the pole. Reed Sorenson had to drop to the rear of the field for going to a back-up car following a practice crash.
The green flag waved at 8:11pm. Jamie McMurray edged in front of Kenseth going onto the backstretch. At the same time, Mikey lost a spot to Scott Wimmer.
The yellow flag waved when the leader hit the wall. He cut down a right front tire and hit the wall in Turn 4. He'd had the same tire-cutting issue with the sway bar during qualifying. Kenseth assumed the lead. The #99 was back in 35th.
Racing resumed on lap 7. Mikey passed Danny O'Quinn, just before the yellow flag waved again.
The second caution came on lap 11, when Tony Stewart also wrecked off Turn 4. He'd lost his left rear tire and scattered debris and laid down fuel. One spring was still launched in Dave Blaney's #32. Kurt Busch had just taken the lead.
Kurt Busch led the lap 22 restart. Mikey was 19th. One lap into the run, he picked up a spot. Reed Sorenson passed him on lap 25, moving him back to the 19th spot. Three laps later saw Mikey losing another spot to Kyle Busch. Jon Wood got around him one lap later. John Andretti passed on lap 36. Mikey was now back to 22nd.
Lap 40 saw Mikey getting around Robby Gordon for 21st. Two laps later, Kenseth got around Busch for the lead. Busch's #39 was tight off the corners.
Biffle pit with what he felt was a failing tire. He dropped through the ranks on lap 50, allowing Mikey to pick up 20th. The #99 was back to 21st eight laps later, however, when Kenny Wallace passed him. Dave Blaney got around him the next time around the track.
Mikey pit under green on lap 64, leading scheduled green flag stops. He lost the lead lap and fell to 37th in the process. Kenseth stopped two laps later, giving Carl Edwards the top spot on lap 66. Mikey was now marked two laps down. Edwards made his stop at the end of lap 69, giving the lead to Kevin Harvick. Mikey was 36th, still being marked two laps down. Casey Mears became the leader on lap 71 when Harvick pit. JJ Yeley was next to lead the field when Mear stopped. Yeley took his turn the next time around the track, leading two laps first. Lap 74 saw Kyle Busch leading. Busch came in and gave the lead to John Andretti. When Andretti pit, Kenny Wallace took his turn leading the field and picking up five points. He pit on lap 77, and his brother Mike was credited with the top spot on lap 78. Mikey was marked 27th and one lap down. Jason Leffler led lap 80 with Mike Wallace's stop.
When stops had cycled on lap 83, Matt Kenseth was back in the lead. Mikey was 21st, one lap down. He bounced up to 17th the next time around the track. Wood and Andretti passed him on lap 87, moving Mikey back to 19th. Three laps later saw Blaney pass, but the #99 got around Wood on lap 93. Mikey remained 19th. Five laps later, he picked up 18th from Blaney. He gained another spot on lap 100 by getting around Sorenson. Biffle pit on lap 106, giving Mikey another spot. The Aaron's Dream Machine was consistently the fastest lapped car, and gained 15th with Kyle Busch's pit. Mikey picked up 14th from John Andretti on lap 109.
The third caution came out on lap 112. Mike Wallace spun after his rear track bar mount broke. Reagan Smith, running 11th, became the free pass car. Mikey was 14th, still lapped. Leaders pit under yellow.
Racing resumed on lap 117. Kenseth led, and Mikey rode 16th and one lap down. One lap into the run, Kenny Wallace got around the Aaron's Dream Machine. Two laps later, Mikey fell to 18th when Andretti passed.
The yellow flag waved again on lap 121 when Mark McFarland spun off Turn 4. Todd Kluever got the free pass.
Kenseth led the lap 127 restart. Mikey ran 18th, still lapped.
Lap 129 saw the fifth caution, at the same time Carl Edwards took the lead. Robby Gordon got loose, shimmied up the track, and scraped the wall. McFarland did the same thing in the same spot. Jimmie Johnson received the free pass. Some drivers chose to pit, and Mikey appeared to be one of them. Hamlin, who had been running in the top 10 and on the lead lap, suffered a battery problem that shorted out the wiring under his hood. He lost the lead lap and a bunch of spots on pit road.
Lap 133 saw the restart, with Edwards leading. Mikey sat 25th.
Kenseth's rear spouted smoke on lap 137. Mears took the lead one lap into the following sixth yellow flag period, and Kenny Wallace received the free pass.
Racing resumed on lap 143 with Mears leading. Mikey ran 24th, one lap down.
A multi-car accident drew the seventh caution with 56 laps to go. Wood checked up to stay off Clint Bowyer's spinning #2, and was rear-ended by Paul Menard's #11. Wood spun into Bowyer. Kyle Busch got clipped, and Edwards stopped altogether to stay out of the wreck. Blaney received the free pass.
Mears led the field to the lap 153 restart. Mikey was 21st, one lap down. Two laps into the run, Sadler got around the #99 for position. Mikey passed him back on the next lap.
The eighth caution came on lap 157. Greg Biffle got loose and spun. Well behind him, Todd Kluever spun Reagan Smith. Paul Menard also spun.
Racing resumed on lap 161. Mears continued to lead, with Mikey 18th and one lap down. Two laps into the run, Kasey Kahne got around him. Lap 176 saw Reed Sorenson pass Mikey, moving the #99 to 20th.
NASCAR brought out the nineth caution on lap 179 for Randy Lajoie, who lost a tire and hit the wall.
Mears led the lap 184 restart, with 17 laps to go. Mikey ran 18th. As Mikey passed Sorenson for position one lap into the run, Edwards hung onto Mears' rear fender. Mikey picked up 16th with 12 laps to go, becoming the first driver one lap down. Kahne re-passed on lap 191, putting Mikey back to 17th.
The yellow flag waved on lap 192 for Mark Martin's engine blowing. Mikey was back in 16th, one lap down. It was one lap too late for him to receive the free pass.
Racing resumed with six laps to go, and Mears leading. Mears immediately ran out of gas, relinquishing the lead to Carl Edwards. Mikey was 16th, the first driver one lap down on a single-file restart. On lap 197, Mikey lost three spots to Kahne, Andretti, and Leffler. Sadler passed him on the last lap. Mikey finished 20th. Carl Edwards picked up the win.
Coverage of the Coca Cola 600 starts May 28th at 5:00pm ET on FOX.
