After running in the top ten throughout most of the night, David Reutimann's #99 Michael Waltrip Racing Cottmans Dodge ran out of fuel late in the Busch Silver Celebration 250 at Gateway International Raceway. He finished one lap down in 14th in tonight's Busch Series race.
Rain delayed the start of the race; the command to start engines came at 9:45pm ET, rather than at 8:15. David started tonight's race from the 16th position, with Denny Hamlin rolling off the pole.
The green flag waved at 9:54pm. Hamlin slid ahead of second place starter Carl Edwards, solidifying his lead, while David passed Jason Leffler for 15th. Leffler passed him back the next time around the track. David regained 15th to Kenny Wallace by lap 6.
By lap 20, the #99 had rounded Regan Smith's #35 for 14th. Stephen Wallace diced through cars ahead, allowing David to close on Wallace's 64. David dropped inside and picked up 13th on lap 26. Meanwhile, Carl Edwards' #60 closed on Hamlin's #20 for the top spot.
Lap 39 saw the first caution, after JJ Yeley wrecked hard into the backstretch wall after getting incredibly loose. Leaders pit under the yellow flag, and the #99 team took air out of the left front tire. A hang-up in the pits cost them eleven spots; the lug nuts came unglued from the left front tire.
Racing resumed on lap 43, and Hamlin led. David was 24th. He passed Danny O'Quinn and Stephen Wallace for position one lap into the run. Lap 46 saw the #99 pick up 21st. Passing Kenny Wallace gained David 20th on lap 53, and two laps later, the #99 picked up 19th from John Andretti's #10.
David continued making gains. On lap 64, he was up to 17th after getting around Ron Hornaday and Regan Smith. David gained 16th eleven laps later to Burney Lamar, and he picked off Stacy Compton the next time around the track. Getting around Paul Menard on lap 81 allowed him to move into 14th. Ten laps later, he was 13th.
Stephen Wallace's #64 struck the wall a few times and headed to pit road. The race remained under green.
The #99 made more strides throughout the run. David picked up 12th from Todd Kluever on lap 94, and two laps later, he got around Kevin Grubb for 11th.
Green flag stops began at lap 105 with Clint Bowyer's stop. Edwards in second came in the next time around the track. David was up to 7th by then.
Hamlin pit on lap 109, giving Scott Wimmer the lead and advancing David to 5th.
Lap 111 saw the second caution for Stephen Leicht's #90 losing his brakes and hitting the wall, trapping a number of cars one lap down. David was in 7th, as the last driver on the lead lap. Clint Bowyer received the free pass. When cars pit, Carl Edwards picked up the top spot.
Racing resumed on lap 118 with Edwards leading and David in 7th. Eight cars were on the tail end of the lead lap, and Edwards and David restarted behind them. Two laps into the run, the #99 picked up 6th from Kenny Wallace's #22; however, Bower dropped him back to 7th two laps later.
Hamlin took the lead from Edwards on lap 122, as David gained 6th from David Green's #27. Edwards bumped at the #20 of Hamlin, attempting to regain the top spot, as other cars battled the pair to remain on the lead lap.
Edwards bumped Hamlin and took the lead on lap 138. He proceeded to pass drivers at the tail end of the lead lap. While caught in lapped traffic, he lost the lead to Hamlin on lap 146.
David continued to run 6th. TNT pit reporters said he lacked front grip on his #99.
Edwards reclaimed the top spot on lap 155, but Hamlin took it back the next time around the track. David momentarily took 5th on lap 156 but lost it again to Mike Wallace's #1. The #99 grabbed the spot back on lap 161 when Wallace pit with a battery issue. The #1 car fell six laps down.
Edwards was back on Hamlin's rear fender for the top spot. Meanwhile, David worked on Scott Wimmer in 4th and picked him off on lap 176.
Green flag pit stops began on lap 178. Edwards was the first driver in, and he lost a great deal of ground when he missed the entrance to pit road the first time around. David gained 3rd.
The Cottmans Dodge pit on lap 183; the car ran out of gas and stalled on pit road. David lost much ground. He lost even more ground when he was required to return to pit road to serve a penalty for too many men over the wall.*
Hamlin stopped on lap 187. David was two laps down in 11th. With Hamlin's stop, he got back one of those two laps but was now marked in 15th. The #20 held onto the lead.
On lap 193, Edwards ripped by Hamlin on the outside and grabbed the top spot. David was still 15th, one lap down. By lap 198, he picked up 14th from Jon Wood.
Edwards won in his home state, while David crossed the stripe 14th and one lap down.
Watch Mikey race next week in Indianapolis! Coverage of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard begins next Sunday at 2:00pm ET on NBC. He may race at IRP the night before in the Kroger 200 benefiting Riley Hospital for Children, which will air at 9:00pm ET on TNT.
* Thank you, Deborah (silverdsl), for informing me about that too-many-men-over-the-wall penalty.
