By Kellyanne Lynch, mikeypower.com
14 October 2006
A wreck while heading to pit road took Michael Waltrip out of the Bank of America 500, tonight's Nextel Cup race at Lowes Motor Speedway. His #55 Napa Auto Parts Dodge had been involved in an accident earlier that had thrown off his steering. He finished 38th.
Mikey qualified 23rd for tonight's race, and Scott Riggs was on the pole. With one competitor's drop to the rear, Mikey advanced one row and would start 21st.
The call to start engines came at 7:12pm ET.
"Hello?" Mikey spoke over the radio. "All right."
The crew helped him with his helmet and put up the window net.
"MW, do we have a copy?" asked crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr a minute later.
"I do," Mikey replied.
"Cool. As you recall, I had my headset off. Sorry about that."
"Where is my pit?" Mikey inquired.
"You're in eight. You have the 7 car behind you and the 8 car in front of us," Baldwin Jr answered. "Michael, when you go down, you're going to see that big video screen. You're about two down. That's a good indicator."
At 7:16pm, Mikey rolled off pit road.
"Okay, Mike, you're 3, 2, 1. Right here, bud," Baldwin Jr drew his driver's attention to the pit box as the #55 car passed its stall.
"All right. Pit road speed, right there, bud," the crew chief added after a minute. When his driver didn't give a caution speed, Baldwin Jr asked, "Where you at for a tac reading there, bud?"
"38, but I can probably get away with 39," Mikey assessed.
"I'd say 39 is pretty safe. 39 and second gear. 4,000 will be pretty good too, Mike, so stay at 39 and four." Baldwin Jr then addressed the crew. "Guys, thanks for all your hard work this week. We had a busy busy busy week at the shop," Baldwin Jr commented. "We'll have a good night tonight.
"All right, buddy, they're saying one to go, one to go."
"All right there, Mikey," the spotter, Ty Norris, came on. He commented on how things worked out with the Busch Series car. "We'll keep working on it man."
"Okay," was the driver's response.
"All right, buddy. Be ready. Pace car's off. Be ready. Green green green," the spotter called the start at 7:22pm. "Still outside. Clear there. All clear. Outside, outside. Still on your corner. Still there.
"Spin behind you. Crash behind you. Watch the 7!," warned Norris. "The 49 just plowed into the ass of the 11."
The first yellow came on lap 2. Todd Bodine got loose, wiggled, and slowed up. Robby Gordon hit him and spun. Others were collected, including Hamlin, who made some contact with Mikey. AT the same time - not nearby - Mike Bliss in the #49 hit MIke Skinner and took him out and another driver. Many cars were involved.
"Man, that's the best my car has felt," Mikey commented.It might be shitty in five laps, but in one lap, it drove like it's got something."
"Hey, Ty, how did the 7 get completely sideways?" Baldwin Jr asked the spotter. "Did he just lose it off of 4 and get sideways?"
Norris said the #49 just hit him.
"Aw, they just got to bumping," Mikey disagreed, "and he just tried to make a big move to the inside - a turn to the left. And he just wound up going through the grass and turning it." He added, "The 49 probably hit the 11 when they checked up." Mikey said the 7's spin happened off Turn 4 and the 11 must have let up. "There was a bump in the road, and the 49 didn't get the memo."
"You're right, Mike," Baldwin Jr confirmed. "We just lost it. Had a laugh about the memo comment."
After a moment, Mikey told his crew chief, "My water pressure is just going up, but I bet it will quit... eventually."
"How are your temps?" Baldwin Jr asked.
"250, 220, right at the moment," Mikey replied as he followed the field down pit road. The pace car led them through a detour to avoid the accident scene on the front stretch.
"Here's an update: The 11, as you predicted, was checking up, as was the 7. And the 49 hit the 11," Baldwin Jr informed his driver.
"Is that the memo?" Mikey asked.
"Riiiight."
"I'm glad he wasn't behind me." He then gave his temperature. "260, over."
"10-4. You got the fan on?"
"Yeeah."
"Pit road's open," Baldwin Jr announced on lap 6 under yellow. Kasey Kahne, who had started second, had taken the lead from Riggs on lap 1. He was the only leader so far.
Mikey's spotter warned him to go high around the safety trucks in Turn 4.
"270, and it's blowing water," Mikey said about his temperatures.
Baldwin Jr called him to pit road.
"Well, it's just been spitting a little water, and now it's blowing it. I had no choice but to pit," Mikey said.
Baldwin Jr told the team to clear off all the grass. "Cars went in the grass, and you got all that grass up in the screen there." He commented on the lost track position. "They say we're coming to the green, but we've got trucks still up there. Man, that thing was packed with grass.
Baldwin Jr led him to the lap 8 restart. "All right, pace car's off. We've got two trucks on the apron, so be ready there. Clear all clear. Caution's out. Caution's out. Caution's out. You got a, you still got trucks on the straightaway."
The green flag was only out for lap 8 when NASCAR brought back the yellow one lap later for the safety trucks. This did not count as a caution.
"What's your temps now?" Baldwin Jr asked.
"235 each."
"Well, pit road's going to be open again... No, pit road's closed. Wow, NASCAR's having two great nights. They must have a new guy, new guy who's trying to get the system or something. Oh, pit road's open all of a sudden. Do you want a splash or no?"
"Nooo."
"Now they're not going to green, because they didn't give one of these cars the lucky dog."
"Just tell me when it's one to go and stuff like that. Don't tell me what they're doing," Mikey said to his crew chief.
"Okay." After a few minutes, Baldwin Jr called the restart. "All right, bud, be ready. Pace car's off. Ready. Ready. Green green green. Everybody's straight, everybody's clear."
"Clear two back."
Racing resumed on lap 11 with Kahne's #9 leading. Mikey was 31st.
"Clear low if you need it," Norris noted on lap 13. Mikey was up to 30th. Riggs took the lead on the next lap. "Still clear, all clear."
Mikey dropped under Todd Kluever on lap 14, attempting to pass. This drew Robby Gordon to Mikey's rear fender, and Gordon's #7 looked inside.
The second caution was on lap 16 for Dave Blaney's spin.
Mikey reported that his car was a little bit loose on the entry. "Just a tick loose everywhere. The back end is just a tick loose everywhere. I think it's fine though, so do whatever you want."
Baldwin Jr told his driver to decide whether he wanted to stop.
"Um... all right, I'll figure it out," Mikey said. "The whole field's coming. I'll come, and you just adjust me and give me some gas."
Baldwin Jr called for no tires, one down on the track bar, and a full tank of fuel. He said Mikey would need to go around the 7 car. 20 away. The spotter warned the driver about cars leaving the box.
Tony Raines picked up the lead after stops; he had not pit. Mikey was 28th.
"All right, man. One to go, one to go."
Lap 21 saw the restart. Raines led, and Mikey was 28th.
"Looking inside, inside. He's got one with him," the spotter said of Tony Stewart on lap 23. "Still inside. Got another one inside."
Tony Stewart passed on lap 25, moving Mikey back to 29th. The #66 of Jeff Green attempted to pass. When Mikey held him off, Robby Gordon passed and then Jeff Green. "Outside - the 25. Clear behind him."
Lap 26 saw Mikey in 31st. Brian Vickers and Ken Schrader got around him on the next circuit. Mikey took to the outside of Ken Schrader's #21 and took the spot on lap 27.
"Still inside," Norris warned on lap 29. "Still inside. Got the 88 inside. Clear clear."
Although Mikey held off the #88 of Dale Jarrett initially, Jarrett looked to return. Schrader got around Jarrett and attempted to overtake the #55.
"Clear, whatever you need. All clear."
Scott Riggs took the lead around lap 32. Dale Jarrett spun behind Mikey while attempting to pass on the low side.
The yellow flag waved for the third time on lap 35 for Jarrett.
"It still doesn't drive right. It drives better than it did yesterday." Mikey said the car lacked side grip and suspected an inner liner issue. "When I try to drive the bottom, it's a little loose, but if I try to drive the top, it's a little tight off Turn 4."
Baldwin Jr called for an inner liner adjust ment in the left rear and told the crew to come down on the track bar another round. He also wanted four tires and fuel.
"How'd he spin out? Inside?"
"41 clipped him in the rear and spun him around," Baldwin Jr replied.
"That'll do it," Mikey commented.
Baldwin Jr told the crew to make sure to clean the grill and warned Mikey about cars pulling out. He told Mikey to go deep in the box, because Robby Gordon's #7 was coming in for just two tires. Mikey thought his crew chief had changed their tire change call and started to leave after two tires.
"Back up."
"You said you were putting on two!" Mikey complained.
Baldwin Jr said he had called for four tires.
"The last thing I heard was pull it deep in the box. We're putting on two."
"The 7 car is getting just two. Get deep in the box," Baldwin Jr repeated.
"All right, buddy. Be ready. You're going to be coming around to the green. Pace car's off. Ready? Green green green. Everybody's straight so far. Clear clear."
Lap 38 saw the restart with Riggs in the lead. Mikey was 34th after the miscommunication in the pits. Within the first three laps back to green, Mikey had attempted to pass Reed Sorenson's #41, but Sorenson came back to hold his spot.
"Inside. Clear there," Norris noted on lap 45. Kyle Petty had passed. "Stay up stay up stay up. Stay all the way up."
The fourth caution was on lap 46. Todd Kluever spun on his own, and Ken Schrader got into him. Kyle Petty scraped the #55 while avoiding Kluever's #06. Baldwin Jr did not believe Mikey sustained damage.
"Yes," Mikey said, "I got right front right there."
"All right, right front fender knocked in a little bit," Norris noted. "Not bad, not bad at all."
Baldwin Jr told his driver what happened and said the car was pretty beat up. "How's the car, Mike?"
"Um, it's too tight," Mikey replied.
Baldwin Jr called for one in the right rear wedge. Mikey was on pit road for a minute and eight seconds. "Was your steering wheel okay, Mike?"
Norris warned "Em-Dub" of the safety trucks and debris. Dale Earnhardt Jr was marked as the race leader under yellow. He had not pit.
"Did you get that one round in the right rear?" Baldwin Jr asked a crew member. "One to go this time. One to go, go to pit road."
Mikey pit again with one lap to the restart. The yellow stayed later. "Want to get some more gas?" the driver asked.
"Ah, no. We'll be all right," Baldwin Jr replied.
"I think Biffle spun his teammate out," Mikey commented. "Hey, Tommy, you can tell the motor guys it feels good to have something the same as everyone around. My motor runs good. Um. Terry and those boys need to know this is a good combination."
"10-4, man," Baldwin Jr replied.
"All right, here we go. Pace car's coming off. Ready? Green green green."
Racing resumed on lap 53 with Earnhardt Jr's #8 leading. Mikey was 33rd. Two laps into the run, he had gained a spot; however, Matt Kenseth moved him back one circuit later. David Gilliland looked to pass next.
"Inside, all by himself."
"I got a bad vibration after the wreck," Mikey said on lap 57.
"It's probably the left side tires, from not changing them," Baldwin Jr noted.
"Three wide," observed the spotter. "Now it's down to two-side. Still there. Clear there."
On lap 60, Mikey was 32nd. One lap later, Travis Kvapil passed him. Mikey slowed dramatically a couple laps later.
"You're sparking like you have a flat or something. Coming to pit road. Got a flat left front, it looks like. 3900," The spotter said on lap 64. "It'll be left side tires, guys. Left sides."
"3, 2, 1," Baldwin Jr led his driver to the box. "Go go go go go. 3900." Mikey was on pit road for just under fourty seconds. The #55 fell two laps down and to 35th.
"Got the 9 one back. Inside. Still there," Norris noted on lap 70. "Looking low. Inside, inside. One back to the 07. Still outside. Clear behind him."
Jimmie Johnson in 9th passed him next. Jeff Burton got around him on lap 77; Burton's #31 was 10th.
"Keep digging, man. These guys are going to be pitting in about fifteen laps. Just keep digging. We'll get back on the lead lap," Baldwin Jr encouraged his team.
"Yeah, some of them are starting to pit now, so Michael, just watch that 31, if he starts waving his hand there."
On lap 78, cars began making stops. Earnhardt Jr gave up the top spot on the next lap, handing the top spot to Scott Riggs. Jeff Gordon passed Mikey on the track at the same time.
Norris noted Earnhardt Jr was behind him, and he'd been the leader and had just pit.
"Get all you can," Baldwin Jr encouraged, "because he'll be the leader when it's all said and done, Mike."
Earnhardt Jr's #8 passed on lap 83. Mikey was still 35th and two laps down.
"Fresh tires about two back - the 16," warned Norris on lap 85. "Looking low, inside."
Riggs pit on lap 85, relinquishing the top spot to Clint Bowyer. Bowyer's #07 made a stop at the end of the lap. Kyle Busch was the new leader.
On lap 88, Mikey gained a spot when Todd Bodine made his stop from his lapped spot. He was 34th. Cars continued to pit. When Busch came in, Jimmie Johnson's #48 picked up the lead. Mikey gained one of his two laps down. Norris pointed out "lucky dog cars". Kyle Busch was penalised for being too fast entering pit road when Matt Kenseth took the lead with Johnson's stop on lap 90. Scott Riggs picked up the lead from Kenseth's stop. Mikey was 32nd, one lap down.
"Leader is the 10th car, Ty," Baldwin Jr noted.
"Yeah, he just started lapping some more guys," Norris replied.
"Keep digging, bro," the crew chief encouraged his driver. Cars passed along the inside, but Mikey picked up 32nd on lap 93 due to stops. He passed Terry Labonte for 31st on lap 94. Three laps later, Matt Kenseth dropped, allowing the #55 to move into 30th. Kenseth's #17 had pit with a vibration and changed their right side tires again.
Kasey Kahne took the lead around lap 98.
"Leader a 30 flat, you a 30.40," Baldwin Jr commented. "Pitting in about five laps, Mike. How's the car?"
"It's the best it's been," Mikey replied.
"Leader a 30, you a 45.
"Leader a flat, you a 45."
"Clear one back to the 38. Clear,"
"All right, bud. Next time, it will be four tires and fuel. Next time," Baldwin Jr made the call. "3900 at the line. 3900."
Mikey spun. He spun going to his box and slid through the grass, drawing the fifth caution on lap 105.
"What happened there?" Baldwin Jr asked after a silent period.
"Came down the apron, got sideways, got the right front against the wall," Norris explained.
"I'll meet you at the truck," Mikey said. "My bad. The steering was off, so we had problems." He went to the garage.
"The 38 and the 31 had to cut it down to get to pit road," Norris noted.
"Is there anything but the right front?" Mikey asked.
"You got big left side damage too - nose and front."
"I'm out of gas," Mikey said after coming out of his garage a few moments later. His crew pushed him back into the garage.
Baldwin Jr told a crew guy to go get a can and fill the car's fuel tank. Mikey took a drink as the team jacked up the car.
"It's wrecked. We're not going to get it back out there. It's all shit." The crew noted the extent of the damage. Mikey removed his steering wheel and helmet, and Baldwin Jr leaned into the car to talk with his driver, who hung his helmet. Mikey was out of the race on lap 108 and 8:47pm.
Kasey Kahne went on to win the race. Mikey was marked in 38th, after completing just 102 laps.
NASCAR goes to Martinsville next weekend. Coverage of the Nextel Cup's Subway 500 begins Sunday at 12:30pm ET on NBC. There will be no Busch Series race this Saturday.
