Michael Waltrip's #55 Napa Dodge finished 32nd and three laps down in the Neighborhood Excellence 400, today's Nextel Cup race at Dover International Speedway.
"1, 2, 3. Hello?" were Mikey's first words over the team's frequency.
"I got you up here, Michael," his spotter replied.
Soon, crew chief Joe Shear Jr asked if everyone could hear him.
"I hear everything," Mikey responded. "Sounds good. What's my air pressures?"
"Same as yesterday," Shear replied. "One pound down on the left side. Same as your Busch car."
Following a pause, Mikey commented, "That official needs a bigger top."
"Hey, Mikey, as soon as you get here," his crew chief reminded, "run those brake fans."
"I will."
"All right, Michael," his spotter said. "First pace car rolling. Third time by.
"Okay, your pace car's rolling."
"Hey, guys," Shear addressed the team. "Pit road is pretty tricky here. Let's get on here straight and have a good day."
"Got one more inside - 22," the spotter noted as teammate Dave Blaney moved his #22 Caterpillar Dodge.
Mikey estimated pit road speed for his team. "Uh... 34 is about all I can give you."
"All right, 10-4," Shear replied. "34."
"All right, Michael, one to go at the line," his spotter observed. "Got the 26 and the 20, working their way to the back here."
With the #26 of Jamie McMurray dropping to the rear of the field, Mikey advanced one row on the grid. He had qualified 33rd but would now start 31st.
"Make sure you're working those tires a little bit for me," requested Shear.
"All right, buddy," the spotter continued. "Coming to the green. 400 laps. Have a good day.
"Pace car's gone. Stay ready. Green flag, green flag, green flag."
Pole-sitter Ryan Newman led the field to the green at 2:23pm ET. He jumped out to a solid lead. Meanwhile, Mikey lost three spots within the first three laps. He lost two more the next time around the track, when Reed Sorenson and Kyle Petty passed. After going three-wide, Mikey remained in 36th; although he had passed Reed Sorenson, Tony Stewart got around him at the same time. He picked up 35th on lap 7, but lost it to Sorenson four laps later. Repassing Sorenson's #41 on lap 13 returned him to 35th. At the front of the field, on the same lap, Jeremy Mayfield's #19 assumed the lead.
Mikey continued to gain ground on the competition. He got around Derrike Cope on lap 15, and Petty and Kevin Lepage five laps after that. Mark Martin rode Mayfield's tail, as McMurray closed on Mikey's rear fender.
"Inside, the 26, by himself," the spotter warned. "All clear."
Mark Martin took the lead on lap 28, and one lap later, Mikey lost a spot to McMurray's #26. Sorenson peaked inside the #55 on lap 32, but the Napa Dodge held ground. Mikey went on to pass Blaney on lap 35.
"Still there," his spotter noted. "Clear, all clear. Good job.
"The leader's the 6 car a straightaway back," added the spotter. "Six cars between you and him."
Tony Raines spun one lap later. The spotter led the #55 through the scene, and praised Mikey for doing a good job getting around it.
The first caution came for Raines' #96 on lap 37. Dale Jarrett received the free pass back onto the lead lap.
"It was a little free at exit at first, then it was a little tight in the centre," Mikey commented on his car. His crew chief wanted to go down approximately two pounds on the left rear inner liners.
"96 stayed out," noted the spotter, as Mikey pit with the leaders. The Napa Dodge was 30th after stops.
"Good job, guys," Shear praised. "Good job. Michael, when you were out there running by yourself, you were as fast as the leaders."
"Okay," replied his driver. Shear added that Blaney's #22 and others were holding them up.
"You got that radiator fan on, I hope," Shear said.
"Roger."
"Thank you."
"One to go at the line," the spotter stated. "Coming to the green. Backing up a little big here. Stay ready. Green flag, green flag, green flag."
Jeff Gordon's #24 was the first car off pit road, and led the lap 42 restart. Mikey rode 28th.
"Clear high after the 7," his spotter said two laps into the run. "Clear."
Robby Gordon's #7 passed, dropping the Napa Dodge to 29th on lap 46.
"By himself," the spotter noted Reed Sorenson's approaching #41.
"Bad, bad shake," Mikey commented on his car.
"Ride it off a little bit, if you can," his crew chief replied.
Sorenson dropped Mikey to 30th on lap 48.
"Looking inside, the 11, all by himself," voiced his spotter. Lap 49 saw Denny Hamlin's #11 getting around the #55. "Inside, the 20," the spotter added on lap 52. "Got the 4 coming, half back."
Stewart's #20 got around the #55. Just after his crew chief gave times, Mikey complained, "Pushing worse."
"Inside," his spotter said four laps later. "Got two more with him. Clear."
"You're doing a good job," Shear assured his driver. "We're going to fix something next time."
Robby Gordon's #7 scuffed the wall on lap 61; however, the race remained under the green flag. The #55 spotter warned Mikey about the contact.
"The 45's by himself," he added on lap 62. Petty passed, dropping Mikey to 33rd. "Two of them, inside."
"It's plowing," Mikey noted on lap 66.
"This 32 is starting to work the middle," the spotter informed his driver.
Two laps later, Shear told Mikey he had run a 25.80. "Good lap."
With Robby Gordon's drop, the Napa Dodge gained 32nd on lap 71. The spotter noted that nine cars were between the #55 and the leader.
Dale Jarrett dropped inside. "By himself," said the spotter on lap 73. "All clear." Jarrett completed the pass, knocking Mikey back to 33rd on lap 73.
"Four cars between you and the leader - half straightaway," the spotter observed.
Mikey passed Ken Schrader for 32nd on lap 83. That pass was the first of an upward swing for the #55 team.
"You're staying the same as the leader - half straightaway," his spotter said. Two laps later, Shear began reading off encouraging lap times.
"25.95. Good lap.
"25.85. Good lap.
"25.78. Great lap!"
Maneuvering past Kyle Petty advanced Mikey to 31st on lap 91. Three laps later, he got around Joe Nemechek for another position.
"Clear... coming back," his spotter observed. "All clear. Three cars between you and the leader."
"You're running 25.84," Shear informed his driver on lap 95. "He just ran a 26 flat.
"25.91," he added on lap 97. "Good lap.
"25.86. Great lap."
"You've got just that one car between you and the leader," his spotter warned on lap 108. JJ Yeley dropped through the ranks with a flat right front tire on lap 110; however, Mikey remained 30th as Petty also passed him.
"Do whatever you can to stay on that lead lap," Shear said as Jeff Gordon's #24 loomed in Mikey's rear view mirror.
Debris in Turn 2 resulted in the yellow flag waving for a second time on lap 116. Shear told Mikey that he had received the free pass back onto the lead lap. When Mikey said he may have been ahead of Gordon at the point of caution, Shear said that NASCAR had already proclaimed the #55 car as the beneficiary.
"Okay," Mikey replied. He told his crew to raise the left front innerliner a pound, or to put a half pound in the right front. Shear wanted to go up on the trackbar by two rounds. He then told his driver that he was not the free pass car after all. Mikey had been marked as being on the lead lap, so Travis Kvapil was the one who was readmitted. Mikey said he should pit with the leaders, predicting that David Stremme would stay out to lead two laps under yellow. Shear told the team to pull out the fenders when the car came to the box too. He asked his driver to stop short in the stall, as Raines' #96 would be in front at the same time.
"All right, bud, coming to the gree," the spotter said toward the end of the yellow flag period. "Pace car's off. Stay ready. Green flag, green flag, green flag."
Racing resumed on lap 121 with Jeff Gordon's #24 leading. Matt Kenseth dropped inside and grabbed the top spot. Mikey had restarted 29th, but picked up a spot to Petty three laps into the run. Elliott Sadler pit with a flat right front tire, allowing the #55 to gain another spot three laps after that. Although the #55 lost a couple spots the next time around the track, Mikey passed Jeff Green on lap 130 for 28th.
Despite the progress, the threat of losing the lead lap loomed in Mikey's rear view mirror. On lap 146, his spotter warned him that three cars stood between him and the leader and were just half a straightaway back. On lap 153, the #55 lost the lead lap. Shear encouraged his driver to stay with Kenseth's #17. The #55 drove outside the #17 on lap 154, and went three and then two-wide.
Once Mikey was back in line behind the race leader, his spotter said, "The next one's the 12, Michael. You've got two cars between you and him."
"I need some air out of that right front tire," Mikey told his crew chief. Shear replied with an, "Okay."
"Real bad off loose coming off," Mikey stated. He said the car was pushing in the centre like he had too much air.
At the front of the field, Jeff Burton's #31 took the lead on lap 165. Kenseth regained it on lap 177. Burton took it on lap 191, and Kenseth grabbed it five laps after that. Scott Wimmer went to pit road on lap 200, two laps before Burton reclaimed the top spot.
Scheduled green flag stops began on lap 202. With Kasey Kahne's drop as the Dodge driver went to pit road, Mikey picked up 27th. He was 26th on the next circuit, and 25th three laps after that.
"42 says he's pitting this lap," his spotter informed Mikey on lap 206. "He's going this lap."
As stops continued, Mikey rose to 22nd on lap 208. Two laps later, he was 19th. Shear asked if the car was driving too tight."
"Right front a little loose off," Mikey replied.
Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle both took over the top spot as drivers continued to pit. Mikey was 6th on lap 212.
"Pit next time by, pit next time by," Shear told his driver. "Four tires." He also said he wanted to take two pounds of wedge out and go down two turns.
Lap 213 saw the Napa Dodge on pit road. Carl Edwards took over the lead around this time. When Mikey returned to the track, he was two laps down. Stops had cycled, and Jeff Burton was in the top spot in the end. Mikey was 31st. He picked up a spot when Elliott Sadler pit on lap 225. He told the team the car was skating in the right front badly, but the adjustment helped some.
"Do the best you can, buddy," his crew chief said.
Ricky Rudd, who was now in the #20 car for the injured Tony Stewart, got around Mikey on lap 233 for position. At the front of the field, Mark Martin took the lead on lap 239.
Mikey reported that he was loose off but still plowing. Rained passed on lap 249. Eleven laps later, Mikey lost another spot to Ken Schrader. He now sat 34th.
NASCAR brought out the third caution for debris in Turn 2 on lap 264. Carl Edwards received the free pass.
"Loose off, right?" Shear asked.
Mikey said the car was worse in the centre, worse off, and adjustments had made it all worse. "Pushing worse than ever, so let's undo everything you did and do something else."
Shear said okay, and discussed what he would undo and do.
"And put some air in the right rear," Mikey added.
Shear said he would. "You wanna drop that track bar too?"
Mikey told him nothing had helped; all the adjustments made it worse. The leaders pit, and Mark Martin was the first driver who returned to the track. He had to return to pit road shortly thereafter with a loose lugnut on the left side. Dale Earnhardt Jr led a lap under yellow.
"One to go here at the line," his spotter noted.
Kenseth led the lap 270 restart. Mikey was 33rd, two laps down. He passed Raines one lap into the run, and Raines passed him back one lap after that. The Napa Dodge was still 33rd when the yellow flag waved.
The fourth caution came on lap 275 after David Stremme got into Jimmie Johnson. Mikey and Jamie McMurray darted low to avoid the scene, and Kenny Wallace cut fast between them.
"For a couple laps, it felt better," Mikey commented, "but I can't give a good observation on that." He said they'd see what happened.
"Watch this 40," his spotter said of David Stremme's #40 Coors Light Dodge. "He's driving like a maniac... Oh, he slowed down.
"Pace car's off. Stay ready. Green flag, green flag, green flag."
Racing resumed on lap 279 with Kenseth in the lead. Mikey was 30th, two laps down. Kyle Busch drove high beside Kenseth, taking the spot on lap 281.
Yeley's collision with the wall drew the fifth caution on lap 285.
"Just real loose off," Mikey reported. "I can't tell what it's going to do off, but real loose off. Shear wanted to know if his driver wanted to drop the track bar during the pit. Mikey said he would, commenting that he had not much to lose. With Raines marked in front, the #55 sat 31st.
"Definitely loose off," Mikey commented. He said he was having problem all day in the centre of the turns.
"We're in front of the 96, Michael," the spotter said. "96."
Mikey was again marked 30th. Shear said he wanted to go with a track bar and air pressure adjustment, then wanted to do shock adjustments.
Racing resumed on lap 289. Kyle Busch led, with Mikey in 30th and two laps down. He lost two spots one lap into the run, just before the next caution.
The yellow flag waved for the sixth time on lap 291, after Yeley hit the wall again. Jamie McMurray received the free pass.
"Felt better for a lap," Mikey commented. "I was more aggressive." He said he had passed two cars. Shear pointed out that Mikey needed to pass them two at a time.
"Who hit the wall?" Mikey asked.
His spotter said the 18 had, and that the caution would last a while. Mikey told his spotter he wanted to know before the caution that someone had hit. His spotter said he'd tell him.
Kyle Busch led the lap 296 restart, with Mikey 28th and two laps down. Green passed him on lap 299.
The seventh yellow came on lap 301, after Kevin Lepage dropped oil in the track. He spun in it, as did Elliott Sadler.
"Wreck behind you, wreck behind you," his spoter noted. "Yellow is out, yellow is out." He warned his driver about the oil that Lepage's #49 had laid down.
Mikey told his team that the car was not turning well, but it was better than it had been. He added his sense that the #66 car was just better with getting into the turns. Shear said they might be able to make it to the end with cautions if they made a stop with one to go before the restart. Some leaders chose to pit, and Mikey soon made his stop. McMurray led under yellow.
"We're on one to go," his spotter observed. "We still have two jets up high off of two.
"All right, lights on. Not going. Not going. One to go at the line."
Jamie McMurray led the lap 313 restart, with Reed Sorenson, Jimmie Johnson, and Kurt Busch riding in front of McMurray at the tail end of the lead lap. Mikey was 31st, two laps down.
"Outside," his spotter noted. "The 43." The next time around the track, he added, "Right in front of you, slow up top."
Johnson knocked the air off McMurray's rear fender, causing McMurray to slide back on lap 317. Sorenson and Johnson got ahead of the race leader just before the yellow flag waved.
Lepage's #49 put down more oil on the track, drawing the eighth caution on lap 321.
"49 just blew up again, if you can imagine that," commented the spotter.
Shear asked about the car.
Mikey said he was afraid he was too tight, which wouldn't work but was making decent time. "I don't know what I'm going to be able to accomplish." He told his team that the car was pushing in the centre of the turns, and that problem hadn't been significantly addressed all day. He said he didn't want to go up or down on the track bar. The car had turned well when the race started, and then went away.
"We've tried everything," his crew chief said.
Mikey told him to do anything, or to have him stay out if that's all he could do. Shear wanted to stay out. He then changed his mind; the crew chief wanted to pit to increase the right rear air pressure. He said they would only lose two spots, and could also get a splash of gas.
After the stop, Shear said, "Okay, Mikey. Drive it like you stole it."
"Coming to the green," the spotter stated. "Pace car's gone. Ready? Green flag, green flag, green flag."
McMurray led the lap 328 restart, with Mikey running 32nd and two laps down. Getting around Blaney advanced him one spot on lap 330; however, Kvapil got around him nine laps later. Mikey went back to 32nd.
Robby Gordon drew the nineth caution when he spun on lap 346.
"Hey, that's too loose," Mikey commented. "Just a little too loose." He wanted a half pound less air in the left front and one half more in the left rear. He said the car was could, and he could stay out and see if it got better. "Whatever you think."
Shear said they had nothing to lose, and wanted to come in for two fresh tires.
"We have two tires?" Mikey asked.
"Yes, we do," Shear replied. He said they'd go with Mikey's adjustment suggestion, and wanted to go for four tires but no gas.
"Yeah, leave the gas out," Mikey suggested. "It's a little bit loose."
Shear said that's why he'd said no gas.
Mikey considered staying out if others on the same lap pit. Shear said that was fine with him, and listed other people on his lap. Raines, Rudd (in for Stewart), and Blaney pit, and Mikey went with them.
"Here we come, here we come," his spotter announced to the crew. "3400."
After the stop, Shear noted that the #22 team had beat them.
"You didn't let them," Mikey replied.
"Watch your outside," the spotter warned. "This 41."
Racing resumed on lap 350 with McMurray leading and Mikey 32nd. Kyle Petty passed six laps from the run, dropping the Napa Dodge to 33rd. By lap 377, McMurray was reportedly a half a straightaway behind the #55.
McMurray's lead was threatened within the next few laps. Kevin Harvick ran side-by-side with McMurray for the top spot on lap 380, and when he dropped back, raced hard with the approaching #17 of Matt Kenseth. Harvick got a run on McMurray on lap 388, but McMurray used Derrike Cope's lapped #74 as a pick to maintain the top spot. Five laps later, Harvick shot along the inside of the #26. When he fell back, he was again challenged by Kenseth.
Lap 394 saw Mikey get around Ken Schrader for 32nd. He and Joe Nemechek rode single-file to allow the leaders room to race. Mikey let McMurray by and went three laps down on lap 397.
Two laps from the end, Kenseth dropped under McMurray and grabbed the top spot. The #17 went on to win the race. Mikey crossed the stripe 32nd, three laps down.
"That's it," the spotter announced. "Checkered flag."
Shear thanked the crew and told Mikey he'd done a good job.
Mikey said he should have stayed out, and that the adjustment didn't work. He thought he should have finished better. "But you have to crawl before you walk, so thanks."
Shear commented that he felt the last set of tires weren't as good. Mikey said either the car was too tight or had a bad adjustment or he'd just gotten bad times.
Coverage of the Pocono 500 begins Sunday at 1:30pm ET on FOX.
