Michael Waltrip lost a cyllander late in the StonebridgeRacing.com 200, today's Busch Series race at Dover International Speedway. He fell out of the race after completing 178 of 200 laps, and finished 31st.
Rain washed out qualifying, putting Kevin Harvick on the pole. Mikey, who is 20th in owners points, rolled off pit pack. During the pace laps, Matt Kenseth went to pit road, and the hood went up. He reported "a popping sound" from the engine. Kenseth's misfortunes allowed the #99 Aaron's Dream Machine to advance a row to 18th for the start.
The green flag waved at 3:31pm ET. One lap into the run, Mikey picked up a spot from Jon Wood, as Harvick put a few car lengths on second place runner Carl Edwards. He slid way up the track in Turn 4, losing two spots by lap 4 to Wood and to Mike Wallace. He slid to 23rd on lap 5, as Scott Wimmer and Mark McFarland passed. The #99 struggled to get back in line.
At the front of the field, Carl Edwards closed in on Harvick. He passed high in Turn 2 and took the lead for lap 8. Harvick lost positions throughout the following laps. Meanwhile, Derrike Cope pit with his smoking #49.
Regan Smith's pass moved Mikey to 24th on lap 9. During the next circuit, he lost another spot to Kurt Busch. The car continued to go backwards through the field, as Mikey fell to 29th by lap 12. Stacy Compton, David Green, Todd Kluever, and Jay Sauter had maneuvered passed the #99. Lap 13 saw him drop to 31st, and Todd Bodine passed on lap 14 to put him in 32nd. Mikey rode over nineteen seconds off the pace.
Matt McCall rear-ended the wall and went to pit road, as the race stayed under the green flag.
Steve Park dropped Mikey to 33rd on lap 18. Three laps later, the Aaron's Dream Machine got back around Park's #31. Mikey picked up another spot to Jay Sauter on lap 26, and another to Aric Almirola one circuit later. He was now in 30th. Getting around Todd Bodine on lap 29 moved Mikey into 29th. Two laps later, he got around McFarland for another position.
The yellow flag waved for the first time on lap 33. McCall's #90 got into the wall in Turn 4. Mike Wallace slowed dramatically in front of Ashton Lewis Jr, and teammate Reagan Smith punted Lewis Jr's #25 before getting into the wall himself. Mike Skinner's #12 received the free pass, and leaders pit. A tire rolled from Mikey's pit, bouncing off John Andretti's car and dropping him to the rear on the restart. Kenseth's hood went up again.
Racing resumed on lap 37 with Edwards leading and Mikey in 30th. The #99 gained two spots to Kurt Busch and Jay Sauter one lap into the run. He got around McFarland and Almirola one lap later.
The second caution came on lap 40 for debris in Turn 2 from either Lewis Jr or Smith's car. Danny O'Quinn received the free pass.
Edwards led the lap 45 restart. Mikey rode 26th. He picked up a spot one lap into the run.
The third caution came on lap 48 for debris that may have come off Skinner's #12. Steve Park received the free pass.
Lap 50 saw the restart. Edwards led, and Mikey rode 25th. Denny Hamlin took the lead one lap into the run, but Edwards rode inside. Kyle Busch took the pair three-wide, dropping Edwards to third. Hamlin held onto the lead.
Mikey lost a spot one lap into the run, as Kyle Busch persued Hamlin. Mikey picked up 24th on lap 54. He gained another spot on lap 55, when Kyle Busch took the lead.
Steve Wallace's accident drew the fourth caution on lap 56. He got loose underneath Andretti's #10, hit the inside wall, and swept up the track. Mikey dodged Wallace's #64. Mikey was 21st under the yellow flag, as Stanton Barrett received the free pass.
Racing resumed on lap 60. Kyle Busch led, with Mikey in 21st.
Regan Smith spun independently, drawing the fifth caution on lap 62. Auggie Vidovich received the free pass.
The race returned to green on lap 65. Six laps into the run, Mikey gained 20th from Kenny Wallace. He gained another position the next time around the track. Almirola passed on lap 78, moving the #99 back to 20th. He lost another spot to David Green on lap 87.
Clint Boywer dropped under Carl Edwards on lap 92, looking for the top spot. Kenny Wallace passed Mikey on the same lap. Tim Sauter blocked the leaders, and Edwards used Sauter told hold off Bowyer. Jason Leffler passed Mikey on lap 98, putting the #99 in 23rd. Clint Bowyer took the lead on the same lap.
Jay Sauter passed Mikey on lap 102. The Aaron's Dream Machine was now 24th. On lap 107, the #99 was the last on the lead lap. Two laps later, he fell one lap down. Mikey lost a spot to Mark McFarland on lap 117. He went back up to 24th on lap 120 as Kasey Kahne dropped through the ranks. Kahne pitted, and Todd Bodine may have too. Mikey advanced to 23rd on lap 122 as Bodine dropped.
The yellow flag waved for the sixth time on lap 123. Jon Wood spun, trying to stay off Kurt Busch off Turn 4. The leaders pit under caution, and Kenny Wallace received the free pass. David Green led before making his stop.
Clint Bowyer led the lap 127 restart. Mikey rode 20th, second in line for the free pass. He stuck close to Paul Menard's rear fender.
Carl Edwards took the lead on lap 142. The next time around the track, the Aaron's Dream Machine got around Menard's #11 but lost the 19th spot again to Menard one lap later.
The seventh caution came on lap 149. The #31 got loose, slowed, and was turned by Todd Bodine's #34. Menard received the free pass. Approximately half of the leaders chose to pit.
Lap 154 saw the restart. Bowyer and the next four cars had not pit. Mikey was 20th, the first driver one lap down.
The eighth caution was on lap 156 for a mulit-car wreck. Bodine got loose, wiggled up the track, and Burney Lamar got into the back of him. Menard, Jason Leffler, Aaron Fike, and Mark McFarland were also collected. Mikey received the free pass.
Racing resumed with 37 laps to go. Bowyer led the field, with Mikey in 18th. Kurt Busch drove outside Bowyer and took the lead lap going into 31 laps to go. He got loose off Turn 2, taking him and Bowyer side-by-side. Bowyer powered under him off Turn 3 but lost a couple spots. Mikey remained 18th. By 27 laps to go, he gained a spot to David Green.
Jeff Burton was all over the back of Kurt Busch. He looked under with 25 laps to go but went back in line. They went side-by-side the next time around the track, but Busch held Burton at bay. Mikey lost a cylander and got lapped with 23 laps to go. He and Burney Lamar were black flagged with 21 laps to go for going too slow. He was marked 25th with eighteen laps to go. Jeff Burton took the lead around the same time.
Mikey was marked 31st with 14 laps to go and was out of the race. Jeff Burton went on to win.
Coverage of the Neighborhood Excellence 400 presented by Bank of America starts tomorrow at 1:30pm ET on FX.
