By Kellyanne Lynch, mikeypower.com
24 September 2006
Michael Waltrip finished 28th in the Dover 400, today's Nextel Cup race at Dover International Speedway. His #55 Napa Auto Parts Dodge was four laps down.
Rain in the area pushed up the start of today's race. Mikey started 29th, with Jeff Gordon on the pole. The #55 occupied the thirty-forth pit stall, with the #61 team behind and a blank spot in front before the #74.
The green flag waved at 1:11pm ET. Ryan Newman shot out to the front and led the first lap by a couple car lengths over Gordon. Meanwhile, Mikey lost a spot to Dale Jarrett. Kevin Lepage got loose and, with a nudge from Robby Gordon, scuffed the wall.
The first caution came on lap 4. Travil Kvapil's #32, the last car in the field, got too high in Turn 4 and crushed in both ends on his own. Reports indicated no grip in the upper groove. Mikey was 31st at the time; Dave Blaney had passed.
Newman led the lap 8 restart. One lap into the run, Mikey lost a spot to Scott Riggs.
Lap 12 saw the second caution. Tony Stewart spun on his own between Turns 3 and 4 and made hard left-side contact with the wall. He swept up Kasey Kahne, whose #9 sustained damage to the right side of his nose. Mikey was bumped up to 30th with Stewart and Kahne's drop to the rear. He gained three more spots when others pit.
The green flag returned on lap 16, with Stewart's #20 and Kahne's #9 in the garage. Newman led, and Mikey was 26th. The #55 lost a spot to Elliott Sadler on lap 19. Three laps later, Mikey got around Kyle Petty for a spot.
The third caution was on lap 23 when Ken Schrader spun David Ragan. Some drivers made stops under the yellow, but Mikey didn't. Jimmie Johnson's crew had a tire slip away on pit road, and Johnson's #48 had to restart at the tail end of the lead line.
The restart came on lap 27 with Newman leading. Mikey was 11th but lost a spot one lap into the run. One lap later, Carl Edwards dropped under Ryan Newman and took the lead going into lap 30. Scott Riggs passed Mikey one lap later, dropping the Napa Dodge to 13th. Two laps later saw the #55 fall two spots to Mark Martin and to Martin Truex Jr. Kyle Busch passed and dropped Mikey to 15th on lap 34. Three laps later saw Jeff Gordon get around him, and Jeff Burton passed on lap 42. Dale Earnhardt Jr passed one lap later, and Sterling Marlin rounded the #55 two circuits after that.
David Ragan in the #06 brought out the fourth caution when he hit the wall on a straightaway and spun across the backstretch. The #06 received a great deal of right front damage. Mikey was in 20th. Most people pit, and Carl Edwards had to back up on pit road when he missed his box, and he fell to 21st. David Stremme stayed out and picked up the lead.
Lap 53 saw the restart. Stremme led, and Mikey was 22nd. Elliott Sadler took the lead immediately. Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson passed the #55 on lap 58, moving Mikey back to 24th. Bobby Labonte got around him the next time around the track. On lap 71, Mikey got back around Bobby Labonte for 24th. He passed Brian Vickers three laps later.
Lap 75 saw Matt Kenseth take the lead; he'd taken on four tires, and Sadler had two. Four laps later, Mikey lost a spot to JJ Yeley, and Bobby Labonte got around him one lap later. He was now 25th. Casey Mears moved Mikey back another spot on lap 85, and Jeff Green passed two laps later. Lap 92 saw Denny Hamlin get around the #55. One circuit later, Dave Blaney passed too. Scott Wimmer dropped Mikey to 30th on lap 96.
Robby Gordon drew the fifth caution on lap 100 when he scraped the wall through Turns 3 and 4. His right front sustained heavy damage. Tony Raines received the free pass; Mikey had been within a second of losing the lead lap. Most drivers stopped under the yellow.
Matt Kenseth led the lap 105 restart, with the Napa Dodge in 29th. Thirty-one drivers were on the lead lap. Two laps into the run, Mikey passed Ken Schrader. Kyle Busch was reporting that his #5 Kelloggs Chevrolet was "blowing up". He stayed on track but dropped dramatically. On lap 109, Mikey passed Denny Hamlin for 27th, and one lap later, he rounded Dave Blaney. Kyle Busch went to pit road on lap 111. Mikey was 24th, with Busch's departure and after passing Jeff Green.
Elliott Sadler shot along Kenseth's outside and grabbed the top spot on lap 115. Meanwhile, the #5 crew pushed their car to the garage, and Busch fell out of the race. By lap 120, Dave Blaney put Mikey back in 25th. The #55 lost another spot to Wimmer one lap later.
On lap 124, Matt Kenseth took the lead. Meanwhile, Mikey lost a spot to Tony Raines. The next time around the track, Denny Hamlin passed him. The #55 was now 28th. Mikey lost the lead lap on lap 146, and he lost a spot to Jeff Green ten laps later.
Lap 165 saw the sixth caution for debris in Turn 3. Dave Blaney received the free pass, and drivers made stops under yellow. Sterling Marlin stayed on the track and picked up the lead. When he pit, Reed Sorenson took over the top spot.
Sorenson led the lap 170 restart. Mikey was 30th, one lap down. Six laps into the run, JJ Yeley pit, allowing Mikey to pick up a spot.
The seventh caution came on lap 185 for Kevin Lepage. He spun on his own in Turn 2. Denny Hamlin received the free pass, and some leaders chose to pit.
Racing resumed on lap 190 with Sorenson leading. Mikey was 30th. Three laps into the run, he fell another spot and was the last driver one lap down. Wimmer pit on lap 201, allowing Mikey to gain back the 30th spot. Wimmer's #4 was pushed to the garage.
NASCAR brought out the eighth caution on lap 205. Stanton Barrett's car snapped to the right, and the nose scraped the wall. Dale Jarrett received the free pass, and drivers made stops under yellow. Greg Biffle picked up the top spot.
Biffle's #16 led the lap 214 restart. Mikey was 29th, one lap down. On lap 221, Schrader got around the #55 and moved it back to 30th. Sterling Marlin's drop on lap 239 bounced him up a spot; David Stremme had nudged him into the wall. Biffle was over three and a half seconds over Johnson in second. Lap 255 saw Mikey gain 28th. Within the next five laps, he fell a second lap down.
Biffle had to pit under green at the end of lap 264. He gave the lead to Matt Kenseth. Mikey was still two laps down. Lap 273 saw him pick up 27th from JJ Yeley.
On lap 283, Dale Earnhardt Jr's #8 pit with a flat right front tire, forcing the team to pit the car about eight laps early. His drop allowed Mikey to pick up 26th. Sadler pit the next time around the track for a scheduled stop. Mikey was marked 25th that lap. Mark Martin and Bobby Labonte made stops on the next lap. Mikey was 24th on lap 288. Jamie McMurray passed on lap 293, but Stremme's stop the next time around the track allowed the #55 to retake 24th. Earnhardt Jr and Raines moved him back to 26th on lap 297. Mikey pit at the end of the lap.
Scott Riggs hit the wall and drew the nineth caution on lap 298. The right front of his #10 was on fire, after making heavy contact with the outside wall, following a flat. Safety workers had to put out the fire. Nine drivers were on the lead lap, with Bobby Labonte getting the free pass. Mikey had been caught on pit road. He pit again with one lap go to the green flag.
Racing resumed on lap 307. Race leader Matt Kenseth restarted behind Biffle, Truex Jr, and Johnson. Mikey was 31st, two laps down. Kenseth lapped Johnson immediately. On lap 309, he nudged Biffle sideways and got around the #16.
Mikey passed David Gilliland for 30th on lap 311. Five laps later, Gilliland's #38 passed him back. Mikey had just gotten back around the #38 when Yeley spun at the start/finish line.
The yellow flag waved for the tenth time on lap 324. Mikey dodged him by going high. Gilliland was put back in front of the #55, as Mikey had passed him after the caution. Drivers made stops under yellow. Yeley's drop advanced Mikey to 30th.
Lap 328 saw the restart. Kenseth led, and Mikey was three laps down in 30th. Passing Kyle Petty one lap into the run gained the Napa Dodge one spot. As Mikey picked up 28th from Gilliland the next time around the track, Earnhardt Jr reported a flat and dropped through the ranks. On lap 337, Kyle Petty moved Mikey back to 29th. Vickers' drop on lap 353 put the Napa Dodge back in 28th.
On lap 267, Kevin Harvick's #29 was smoking. With 33 laps left in the race, Harvick went to the garage. Mikey was now four laps down. The #29's drop allowed the #55 to pick up 27th. Mikey was back to 28th when Gilliland passed him on lap 380.
Jeff Burton took the lead in the middle of lap 396. With two laps left in the race, Kenseth ran out of fuel, and Reed Sorenson lost it on the white flag lap. Jeff Burton won, and Mikey crossed the stripe 28th and four laps down.
NASCAR goes to Kansas next weekend. The Busch Series race is on Saturday at 1:30pm ET on TNT. The Cup race is the next day on the same station at 3:00pm.
