/noticias.info/ Pocono, Pennsylvania – Known for its majestic beauty and popularity among newlyweds, the rolling mountains of Pocono, PA hide a 2.5-mile tri-oval that proved to be anything but a honeymoon for Michael Waltrip and the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS team during the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series’ first visit to Pocono Raceway. The unpredictable weather took its toll on several stock cars, including the No. 55 NAPA Dodge this weekend, as the mixture of hot and cold spells caused condensation buildup in brake lines. Waltrip finished the race in 28th position, eight spots higher than the No. 55 NAPA Dodge’s starting position, and remains 35th in NEXTEL Cup points.
Problems for the NAPA AUTO PARTS team started early as Waltrip radioed on Lap 18 of the event, “It’s very skatey. It’s pushing in the front and loose in the back. It has no grip. I don’t have traction anywhere.” A pit stop on Lap 22 allowed the No. 55 NAPA crew to address the problem with the first of many adjustments to the car’s track-bar. Waltrip began picking off positions in the laps following the stop and radioed crew chief Joe Shear, “The front end’s better, but I’m still loose. I think the tire pressure may be too low.”
The No. 55 NAPA Dodge began experiencing brake problems on Lap 55. Joe Shear asked Waltrip for a report of what he was feeling. “I go down into the corner and I feel like the entire car is stopping on two brakes. I’m either going to have to slow down or ruin my brakes. The front brakes are the only ones stopping the car. After I use them a few laps, I can feel them getting really hot.” Waltrip replied. On Lap 63, Shear waved Waltrip onto pit road for more adjustments to the No. 55 NAPA Dodge’s track-bar as the car continued to get loose in the corners.
NASCAR NEXTEL Neighborhood Excellence Final Results
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kurt Busch
3. Tony Stewart
28. Michael Waltrip FedEx Chevrolet
Midway through the event there was very little chatter between Waltrip and Shear as the No. 55 NAPA Dodge and the remainder of the field cycled through green-flag pit stops. Waltrip reached a race-high 22nd position prior to pitting. After a long green-flag run, Shear asked, “Did you get a feel for it?” Waltrip radioed, “It’s balanced pretty good. No real problems. I just can’t drive it like I’m supposed to because of the brakes.”
Waltrip battled the car for the remainder of the 500-mile event. Although the result was not spectacular, the efforts of the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS team were rewarded with a 28th place finish, better than Waltrip’s current 30.7 place average finish. As the NEXTEL Cup Series approaches its halfway mark in the coming weeks, the NAPA AUTO PARTS team and Michael Waltrip refuse to give up. Each week more communication is heard over the radio and fewer problems arise with the No. 55 NAPA Dodge, giving Waltrip fans more reason to look forward to the future.
After a lengthy caution in the final six laps of the event, Denny Hamlin, driver of the FedEx Chevrolet, finished the Pocono 500 in the same position he started the race, first. It was the rookie driver’s first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series win in only 21 career starts. Kurt Busch finished the race in second position to also mirror his starting position, followed by Hamlin’s JGR teammate Tony Stewart. Brian Vickers and last week’s winner Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five finishers of the Pocono 500.
Next week’s 3M Performance 400 will take place at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 18, 2006. Coverage will begin at 1:00 pm on FOX and MRN.
