Michael Waltrip finished 36th and one lap down in the AMD at the Glen, today's Nextel Cup race. He had been running mid-pack until Clint Bowyer spun him with nine laps to go.
"Hey, Jeffrey, you still by the trailer?" a voice came on the radio at 1:29pm.
"Hey, buddy, you on?" someone responded.
"Yeah, got you loud and clear. You hear me all right?"
"Yeah. Anyone still left in the trailer?"
"I'll get all the main cautions. You just take care of the inner loop, if you will," the first spotter stated. "You do know, if they're waving the yellow flag, it's just right there. If they're holding it, it's whole course."
He was told to hold the microphone closer to his mouth to be heard.
"Hello? Testing, 1, 2."
"10-4. Hear you loud and clear."
Mikey told his team that he had a dream that he went to NY and went to ball park. A maffia guy told not to go in all the way, but he did. He said they called him Frenchy in his dream.
"A lot of people thought those French people are gay, I heard," Mikey commented, "because of the way they talk. I don't know. I kind of like Frenchie, because the main maffia guy gave it to me. Made me feel like I was part of the family."
"All right, Frenchy, it is," his crew chief replied. When the call to start engines came at 1:34pm, he added, "All right, fire it up."
"Everything is good," Mikey noted. "Started up just fine."
"10-4. Gonna have the 29 car in front of us and the 5 car behind us."
"Okay. What's our plan?" asked the driver.
"We'll see how it unfolds," replied the crew chief. He said they would probably make their first stop between lap 18 and 20, and that he had scenerios for everything. "Hit your marks, and be ready to go the last 35 laps."
Mikey said he was willing to try different tire or fuel strategies.
"10-4 there, Frenchy.
"Make sure you can conserve fuel as much as you can during these pace laps," his crew chief warned. "Every caution."
"I will."
"Hey, Michael, we don't have a water tower guy," a spotter noted. "Same as yesterday."
"Okay."
"Also, Michael, I told you about those brakes, so watch them."
Mikey said he would.
The field rolled onto the track on lap 1:39pm. He started from 33rd, with Kurt Busch on the pole.
His crew chief asked if he could still hear him.
"Yeah, you sound good, buddy," Mikey replied.
"What's your pit road speed?"
"I don't know." After a pause, he assessed, "Maybe 4500 and first."
"10-4. Maybe 46, 4500 would be good."
"Nah, it's going down. 4500 is all I can give you."
"One to go," noted the spotter.
His crew chief gave him some last minute words of wisdom. "Stay on course, and we'll be all right."
"All right, y'all have a nice day in the pits," Mikey replied. "See you in a little while."
"10-4. Avoid the wrecks," his spotter added.
"Hey, Ross, you can see him well enough going into 1? You feel confident?" asked the crew chief.
"Yeah, I'm good."
Another spotter said he couldn't see Mikey going through the bus stop.
"All right, we're coming to the green. Pace car's off. Ready? Ready? Green flag, green flag. Still there. They're crashing up there. They're going through the sand."
Kasey Kahne bumped Kurt Busch going into the first and second turns. Busch fell back a few spots, and Ryan Newman jumped to the lead. On lap 2, Busch's #2 made contact with Kahne's #9 in retribution. Kevin Harvick's car was smoking.
One lap into the race, Mikey gained two spots and was up to 31st.
"Got one on the right rear corner there. Still there."
Lap 3 saw Mikey lose a spot to Martin Truex Jr. He was approximately twelve seconds off the pace. Reed Sorenson drove off into the grass, and the transmission and rear end gear of Terry Labonte's #96 broke. He went to the garage.
"Got a crash in the inner loop," the spotter noted. The yellow flag waved for the first time on lap 7 for Elliott Sadler getting stuck in the kitty litter.
The crew chief talked about pitting if others don't. Mikey suspected they wouldn't and that they'd get the chance.
"They need to speed that pace car up, man. They're getting the engine hot," Mikey commented. He reported temperatures.
The crew chief called for the grill clean and fuel.
"What did the 2 do on the start? Did he run off the road?" Mikey asked. He was told that Busch's #2 had done just that. He said it felt like the front tires had too much air, and his crew chief said they could take some of that out.
Mikey overshot his box when he made his stop.
"Back him up, back him up, back him up," the crew chief told the team.
"I didn't want to slide my tires, and I was going too fast," Mikey apologised. "Sorry."
His crew chief told him to pit a second time to work on front end air pressure.
"All right, pace car's pulling off. Ready, ready, ready? Green flag, green flag."
Racing resumed on lap 7 with Kurt Busch took the lead from Ryan Newman. Newman challenged, but Busch held it.
Mikey was 34th. His spotter gave a great deal of information about what was going on on the track.
"Hey, Ross, don't talk to me. I can handle it," Mikey complained. He picked up 33rd the next time around the track by getting around Bill Elliott in the #9.
Passing Goosens advanced Mikey to 32nd on lap 13. Carl Edwards dropped through the ranks when he flatted his tire on the same lap, allowing the #55 to gain 31st. Mikey battled Brian Simo for position. Jeff Burton pit on lap 16, and when Greg Biffle also pit, Mikey gained 29th. The next time around the track, he picked up two more spots with others making stops. The next time around the track, he was up three more spots.
"Spotters, keep your eyes out. Let me know if someone goes off the track," the crew chief adviced.
Mikey was up to 23rd on lap 19.
"That was a good lap there," his crew chief commented. "Really good lap."
"I'm loose in the back too," Mikey commented as he gained 19th on lap 20 with others making stops.
"10-4."
Ryan Newman missed his pit box on lap 22. Mikey bumped up to 16th with people going to pit road. His crew chief read off lap times. Jeff Gordon picked up the top spot on the same lap with stops. Mikey picked up 13th.
The crew chief read off Mikey and the leader's times. "Good lap."
Jimmie Johnson took the lead when Gordon made his stop. Mikey was 5th.
Dale Earnhardt Jr took the top spot on lap 24; the #55 was up to 4th.
Boris Said spun, just before Earnhardt Jr made his stop on lap 26.
"Tommy, we got one off of Turn 1," the spotter said. "No caution, Michael."
"Is he still stuck in there?" asked the crew chief.
"No, he's gone."
"10-4. We're good," the crew chief replied. "We're in the third spot right now. Keep digging."
When Mikey took 3rd, Scott Wimmer took the lead.
"Good job, man! Good job!" his spotter said as Mikey moved into 2nd.
The yellow flag waved for the second time on lap 28. Kyle Busch lost his left rear tire.
"Caution's out. 5 car blew up somewhere," his spotter observed.
"Um... Whatever you say, boss," Mikey said.
"All right. You did lead that lap," his crew chief replied. "So come on in here. Four tires and fuel.
"A lot of those guys in the back will be pitting again, so we'll get some good track position here."
"Okay."
"We'll have an opening behind us, so just hit the sign," his crew chief continued. "Stop short. Hit the sign, stop short."
His spotter commented it was a pity they were on ads when Mikey took the lead. "We could have got some Napa TV time."
"Yeah, I know. We need it. We need to get back on TV. They call us every now and then to remind us they still need to sell parts."
The crew chief told the team to pull the left front fender. "Make sure one of you guys push when he leaves pit road."
"Fifteen away," his spotter said.
"Three, two, one. Right here," added the crew chief. "All the way out."
"Hey, I need water next time. This cup holder's turned sideways, and I can't get water out of it. I haven't had a drink yet." Mikey told his team to keep giving him drinks when he stops.
His crew chief asked him to give temperatures "so the engine guy will leave me alone." Mikey did.
"I want to say this one more time, Tommy, and I'll say it again," Mikey complained. "I hate these brakes, man. They're terrible."
"I hear ya, buddy."
"I don't know if we'll make it all day. I've got them all the way to the floor board." He said he needed to use them or will get passed in the pack. "It doesn't feel like air." He described the workings of the brakes as "too much effort with no result."
Lap 30 saw the restart with Kurt Busch leading. Mikey was 31st. One lap into the run, he gained a spot.
Two laps later, the yellow flag waved for the third time. Goossens' #90 hit Boris Said, spinning himself and Said's #60. Mikey was 28th under yellow.
"Got a spin," the spotter noted. "Caution's out now, Michael."
"How's everything feel now, Mike?"
"I don't know why, but it feels too tight on this initial go, but it's all right." He said he put a round to the rear already but couldn't stop the wheel hop any more than he had already. "It's mainly the right-handers and on the straightaway."
"10-4," Baldwin Jr acknowledged. "You're doing a good job."
"Hey, Mike, did you say it was tight on the right part of the S, or the right?"
"Uh, it's mainly to the right."
"10-4."
"All right, coming back here to the green," Baldwin Jr noted.
Lap 35 saw the restart. Kurt Busch led, and Mikey was 28th.
"Pace car's off. Ready? Ready? Green flag."
The yellow flag waved on lap 39 when Dave Blaney spun Bill Elliott. Mikey picked up 26th.
"He's in the gravel pits back there. The #19 car."
"Everything okay?" Baldwin Jr asked.
"Yeah, they just crashed each other up here."
"Okay. Good job, man! We'll be okay! We'll get a top 15, top 20 out of this. We'll be okay," Baldwin assured him. "You're doing a great job out there, man. Great job.
"Pit road's open, and we'll be staying out. Staying out."
"Okay."
"Coming back to the green, Michael."
Racing resumed on lap 41. Kurt Busch's #2 led, and Mikey was 26th. One lap into the run, the #55 gained a spot. One circuit later, Greg Biffle was spun by Kyle Petty. Biffle flattened his nose and headed for the garage.
The fifth caution came on lap 43. Kyle Busch received the free pass.
"Caution's out. Caution's out. Debris back there where Biffle spun out."
"I don't know where Biffle spun out," Mikey replied.
"I don't know either. I'm watching it on TV. The inner loop, inner loop."
His crew chief made a call for four tires and fuel. "Just be ready, boys."
"I'm pushing on the gas, both ways, a little bit," Mikey reported. "Or we can just pit now and get gas later?"
"Okay, 10-4."
"So, if a lot of them ahead of us pit, you want to stay out?" asked the driver. His crew chief said yes.
When drivers began making stops, his crew chief said, "All right, come on, Michael. Come on. Four tires and fuel, guys."
"Good stop, boys. Good stop," praised the crew chief. "Looks like you got that 6 car there."
"I couldn't tell," Mikey commented. "Looks like he nudged in front of me."
"That's okay."
Busch led the lap 47 restart, with Mikey in 31st.
"Pace car's off. Ready? Ready? Green flag."
"Looking under," his spotter noted two laps into the run. Elliott Sadler's #38 passed.
"It's pushing worse," Mikey commented.
"10-4."
On lap 52, Mikey picked up 31st. Some drivers chose to make stops, allowing the #55 to gain 24th.
"Got a crash out by the loop. The track is clear, Michael. Track is clear," one spotter said.
"Caution's out."
Joe Nemechek was spun into the tire barrier, drawing the sixth caution on lap 54. Mikey was 22nd, and Tony Stewart was marked with the race lead. Kurt Busch was on pit road and was ruled as pitting under yellow. He was dropped to the rear end of the field on the restart. Kyle Busch received another free pass.
"Hey, Michael," said the crew chief. "See if you can get ahead of the 5 car when we pit. We're going to pit this time. Fuel only."
"I don't know if it will help with the track bar, but it's pushing bad," Mikey reported.
"29 already pitted, so you'll have a clear shot out."
"Okay. Bottle of water, please," requested the driver.
Drivers made stops.
"Get all you can here, man. Get all you can. Watch your speed. Get all you can," his crew chief encouraged. After the stop, he said, "Good job, boys. Good job." He noted the good track position.
"Pace car's off. Ready? Ready? Green flag, green flag."
Racing resumed on lap 56. Reed Sorenson led, and Mikey was 19th. He picked up a spot immediately from Denny Hamlin, and Kevin Harvick took the lead. Jeff Gordon got around the #55, moving Mikey back to 19th on lap 58. Hamlin got around him next.
Marc Goossens spun again and drew the seventh caution. He spun in the S's.
"Caution's out, Michael. Turn 3, you got one up in the grass."
"Save some fuel, okay?" his crew chief adviced. "You're sitting in 20th right now. 20th."
"Okay. I can get a few more of them."
His crew chief said others would drop back, if they keep digging. "Just conserve your fuel.
"I'm going to be so happy when you go by that 6 car, finally."
Mikey said he wasn't sure if he would be able to outbrake him. "My main problem is, I ain't got no...
"Yeah, we've got a big hole in that nose."
"Oh. I don't know how I did that."
"Obviously, you run into somebody."
"Yeah, I must have. The only person I remember running into is Kyle Petty."
"Well, there you go... what was it you wanted me to call you?"
"I think Frenchy."
Mikey said he thought he made side contact. "I don't remember hitting him any other way.
"How many laps down is that 5 now?" Mikey added.
"One."
Lap 61 saw the restart. Mikey was 20th, with Harvick leading.
"Stacking up there. They're stacking up," the spotter immediately reported. "Come back on. There's one on the right."
"Caution's out again, Michael."
The yellow flag waved for the eighth time for a multi-car accident. Dave Blaney hit the brakes, and a number of cars accordianed behind him. Drivers included Joe Nemechek, Kurt Busch, Scott Wimmer, Sterling Marlin, Matt Kenseth, Brian Simo, and Terry Labonte.
"Well, Tommy, you'd be proud of me," Mikey said to his crew chief. "They're going to say I passed him after the caution."
"Aw, you were ahead of them, man."
"Only NASCAR could get them back ahead of me."
A spotter reported that the #34 car of Brian Simo was right in the groove, dumping oil.
"I guess they're saying the 42 goes in front of you too," his crew chief told him. Mikey was now 21st, with both Martin and Mears put in front of his #55.
"Oh, no. That's unlucky." "We all about wrecked, and then I got ahead of them." He said he thought maybe he passed them after the line.
"We'll be okay."
"I needed that 6 behind me," Mikey added. After a couple minutes, he noted, "Both these cars that crashed were teammates."
"I timed it almost perfectly, and I coasted through these turns," Mikey said. "We should have plenty of extra gas."
His crew chief said they should have had the balls to pit when the others did.
"They should make the dude in the 34 stays after school for being stupid."
"10-4."
Harvick led the lap 66 restart. Mikey was 21st. Gordon spun, and the #55 nudged Mark Martin's #6.
"Spinning in front of you. See him." one spotter said. The other said no caution. Gordon's spin allowed Mikey to pick up 20th, but Scott Pruett's #40 passed before the #55 was credited.
"Go got it, baby!" someone exclaimed on the team frequency on lap 70. He passed Mark Martin but was passed by somebody else. He was still 21st, but dropped a position one lap later.
Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr passed, dropping Mikey to 24th on lap 73. Junior's front tires locked, and he slid up the track. Although Earnhardt Jr dropped, Mikey remained 24th with Kurt Busch's pass.
"Keep digging, man. You'll get that 21 car," his crew chief encouraged. "Keep digging. Everything's cool."
He and Jeff Gordon battled for position on lap 75. Gordon's #24 passed, dropping Mikey to 25th.
"15 to go."
Mikey regained 24th on the same lap.
"14 to go, man. 21st spot. Get that 21, man," his crew chief encouraged.
Lap 77 saw Mikey pass Ken Schrader's #21 for 20th.
"Good job, man. Good job. 13 to go."
"One spinning in front of you. Down low. You see him. No caution," his spotter noted. "Caution's out. The 42's down there in the middle of 1."
The nineth caution was on lap 78 when Casey Mears spun.
"You're doing good, man. 22nd spot," his crew chief praised. "Hey, guys, just be ready," he added after a minute. "Be ready.
"Just be ready to pit, Mike. I'm not saying we're going to. Just be ready."
"Okay."
"I just hear guys behind you talking about pitting. I don't think it's worth a hill of beans."
Mikey said he didn't think it made a difference. His crew chief conceded and told him to stay out.
"It'll be green when you come back."
"It'll be 9 to go when you come back."
Some cars ducked onto pit road before the lap 81 restart. Harvick led. Mikey was 22nd. Stewart shot along the outside and took the lead during that first lap back to green.
The tenth caution was for Mikey on lap 82. Clint Bowyer rear-ended the #55.
"Let's put four tires on and see what we need to do to finish," Mikey suggested.
"10-4," his crew chief replied. "Four tires."
"3, 2, 1. Right there. Just tires. We'll beat those fenders out."
"Where's the leader, spotter?" Mikey asked.
"I'll watch for the leader."
"Who was it, spotter?"
"The 07."
"I'm going to fucking beat him to shit!" Mikey exclaimed.
"All right, everything clear from the tires, guys?" his crew chief asked. "Where is the car, guys? The caution car?"
"It's coming up through the loop right now."
"10-4."
"What, the 07 get...?"
"What did you see, buddy? A rub?" asked the crew chief.
His spotter said to come through fast so he could see. "A little bit of smoke off that left front and that left rear tire."
"10-4. Left front. Left rear."
"You should be able to see where the fenders have rubbed, Tommy," Mikey said.
"Yeah, 10-4."
"All right, it's going to be one to go here."
"I can run it at a reduced speed and finish. See what you can do, and I'll go from there," Mikey told his crew chief.
"Yeah, 10-4."
Racing resumed on lap 85. Mikey was one lap down in 36th, with Stewart leading.
"Pace car's off. Green flag."
One lap into the run, Kyle Petty spun.
"I think I got a flat tire," Mikey said with four laps to go. The next time around the track, Harvick ducked under Stewart and took the lead.
Boris Said spun out Ryan Newman on the last lap, Kasey Kahne went through the kitty litter but kept going, JJ Yeley got a flat tire, and Kurt Busch rear-ended another driver.
"Crash up there in the loop. Cars are blocking the track. They're gone now. When you go up there, you'll be clear," his spotter informed.
Kevin Harvick won his first road course there.
"All clear, Mikey, just a lot of smoke," said the spotter.
Mikey finished 36th, one lap down.
"You guys did a good job this weekend," praised the crew chief. He said they would go on to Michigan.
Mikey said the car didn't brake the way he wanted it to, but great strategy.
Coverage of next week's GFS Marketplace 400 starts Sunday in Michigan at 2:00pm ET on TNT. The Busch Series' Carfax 250 will air the day before at 2:30pm on the same station.
