By Kellyanne Lynch, mikeypower.com
22 October 2006
A brake issue cost the #55 Napa Auto Parts Dodge 25 laps in the Subway 500. Michael Waltrip finished 34th in today's Nextel Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.
"Hello?" Mikey spoke over the radio, just after the command to start engines at 12:50pm ET.
Static resounded before someone answered their driver, "You sound good."
The crew put up the net as Mikey put down his visor.
"I got you good," Mikey replied.
Mikey grabbed a piece of plastic from behind his head and handed it to a member of his team.
"Make sure you guys get the tape off everything - all the gas vents and everything," crew chief Baldwin Jr directed.
"10-4. We got it," a crew member answered.
Mikey was slated to start 33rd, with Kurt Busch rolling from the pole. Scott Riggs and Kenny Wallace had to drop to the rear of the field for engine changes. With Riggs' fall-back, the Napa Dodge was able to advance a row and to start 31st.
During the wait, Mikey flicked his visor up again.
"Okay, pace car's rolling off here," the spotter stated. "Fourth time by."
Cars rolled off pit road at 12:56pm.
"We've got the 25 here behind us," Baldwin Jr directed as the #55 approached the stall. "Three, two, one, and the 41 in front of us, bud."
The spotter warned that Mikey would stop at the end of pit road to double up.
"Pit road speed, right there," Baldwin Jr said after a moment.
Mikey glanced at his gauges a few times. "I would say about 47."
"Michael, I want to confirm. 4700 and second gear, right?"
"Yeah."
Baldwin Jr remind"Let's have fun today. We have a long race today. We'll try to get you up front, get you some good track position."
Static followed.
"Make sure all your blowers are on. Be smooth out there, man.
"All right, bud, 500 laps. Pace car's off. Stay ready.... Ready. Green flag, green flag, green flag."
The race went green at 1:00pm, and Mikey was immediately warned that cars were checking up on the bottom. Jeff Gordon jumped ahead to lead the first lap, but Busch's #2 was quick to contend for the sport. Gordon's #24 held him at bay.
"Still there," the spotter said on lap 2.
The first caution came on lap 4 when Kyle Petty spun on his own and collected Martin Trues Jr, Sterling Marlin, and Reed Sorenson. Truex Jr's #1 went to the garage.
"Stacking up, stacking up, wrecking off of 4, up high, there," the spotter guided Mikey through the accident scene.
"I busted a radiator, and nobody said a word," Mikey complained.
"Looking at your temps," Baldwin Jr replied. "Everything looks all right so far."
"Yeah. Damn it! I had no warning. I just hit that guy with everyone checking up." Mikey paused. "Pit stops or stay out? I don't mind staying out if you don't see any steam."
Baldwin Jr said he didn't see anything. "You're all right. Everything's cool."
The spotter warned that people were stopping up front and was walked on.
"190, 180, so so far, so good," Mikey reported his temperatures.
"Pit road's open, open," the spotter reported.
"We'll be staying out," came Baldwin Jr's announcement.
"One to go when you get back," the spotter noted. A moment later, he added, "Coming to the green. Pace car's off. Ready? Green flag, green flag, green flag."
Racing resumed on lap 10 with Gordon leading and Mikey in 31st. Gordon held onto his spot, as the cars around the #55 remained in position. On lap 17, Mikey got a nose under Gilliland and completed the pass.
"Clear," noted the spotter. The #55 was now 30th.
"Stacking up right in front of you. It's clear," the spotter warned on lap 22.
Drivers in front of Mikey swapped spots, but the #55 remained 30th. The Napa Dodge was all over the back of Greg Biffle's #16 Subway / National Guard Ford. The #16 brushed the wall a couple laps later.
On lap 30, Mikey got a nose under the #32 of Travis Kvapil. His spotter cleared him, and he picked up 29th. The #32 Tide ride continued to drop. Passing Kvapil caused Mikey to lose some ground to Biffle. He was now on the same straightaway with race leader Gordon. The radio was quiet as Mikey rode 29th.
"By himself," the spotter warned on lap 45 when Kyle Petty's #45 passed along the inside. Mikey was back to 30th.
"By himself," the spotter said again on lap 50. "Clear." Dale Jarrett had passed along the inside. Martin Truex Jr returned to the track, 44 laps down.
"Leader's three back," warned the spotter on lap 59. "Three back." Meanwhile, Clint Bowyer was all over his rear fender; he was the next in danger of getting lapped. "24 is the leader."
Bowyer went a lap down on lap 63, and Mikey went down on the next lap.
"Inside, the leader," the spotter noted. "By himself. Clear."
Moments later, he was shouting, "Got one spinning off of 2. Turn 2. Yellow is out."
Ryan Newman turned hard left into Casey Mears, drawing the second caution on lap 66. Newman was penalised and sent to the rear end of the lead line on the restart for rough driving. Mears was warned.
"All right, Michael, what's it doing?" Baldwin Jr asked. "We're going to be getting the lucky dog. What's it doing?"
Mikey said it felt like he had too much air in the tires, and that he can't turn the front or the back.
Voiced walked on one another on the radio.
"I can't hear y'all," Mikey said. "Y'all talk at the same time."
"Catch back up with the cars on the track there," Baldwin Jr told his driver.
"If I don't have any brake ducts, I cna't tell if my brakes are working very well."
"Your brake ducts are fine," Baldwin Jr assured. "Four tires and fuel. Four tires and fuel. Is it loose in, Mike? Where are you having problems?"
"I'm loose in, and then it walks on, and then it's loose off."
"One down on the track bar. One down on the track bar. Pit to the sign," directed the crew chief. "Go ahead. All clear."
"Have you been cranking front brake in it?" Baldwin Jr asked after the stop. When Mikey said he had, the crew chief told his driver to be careful.
"All right. I took it all back out," Mikey reported. "The pedal is just funkier than I'm used to."
"10-4," Baldwin Jr acknowledged. "Just pump them up, just try to keep pumping it here."
"Well do you want me to pump them or stay off of them, just let them cool off as much as I can?"
Baldwin Jr told him to pump it. "Just a little bit, not enough to make it stop. Just a little ch ch ch."
"Coming to the green," the spotter announced. "Pace car's gone. Ready? Green flag, green flag, green flag."
Racing resumed on lap 72 with Gordon leading. Mikey was 28th. He was looking inside Jeff Burton's #31 on lap 78. Burton wiggled a bit.
"Trying to look outside - the 12," warned the spotter. "Clear."
Mears then took to racing Newman behind Mikey and put a nose under the Napa Dodge. By lap 83, Mikey was outside Robby Gordon's #7. The pair ran side-by-side for several laps before Gordon's #7 pushed ahead and battled Burton's #31. Mears' #42 got inside the Napa Dodge and took the spot. Mikey was now 29th on lap 87.
"Inside," the spotter warned as Ryan Newman threatened to take the spot. Mikey took to the outside of Jeff Burton but fell back in line. Lap 89 saw the Napa Dodge glancing at that inside line a bit. Jeff Gordon was nearing his rear fender again.
"18's slow off of 2," the spotter warned and said JJ Yeley's #18 had a flat. "He can't get down. You'll see him here. He's trying to get back across. Just be careful here. Clear.
"Leader's the 24. One car between you and him."
Yeley pit, and Mikey was once again in danger of getting lapped. He rode 29th. On lap 97, Gordon was all over his rear fender.
"Leader's inside, inside," the spotter said on lap 98. The pair ran side-by-side. "Quick hole behind him. Clear. Inside, the 8. Clear behind the 8."
Mikey lost the lead lap on lap 100. He got inside Jamie McMurray.
"Still there. Clear, clear," the spotter said. Mikey was 28th on lap 102. He was cleared again, this time past Kenny Wallace's #78. Wallace was two laps down in 40th. Mikey was now 28th.
"Michael, they're saying we have to come in," Baldwin Jr informed his driver. "We are leaking rear end fluid. And they're going to black-flag us this time."
"Coming outside," warned the spotter. "Here we come. 4700 and second."
Mikey pit on lap 108.
"No tires, just fuel. We're just looking for the leak here," Baldwin Jr told the team. An official stood in front of the car. The crew chief asked another team menber if it were a brake line. "Go get a right rear brake calibre," the crew chief directed. "Let's get it back to the garage and straighten it out."
The spotter told Mikey it would probably be best to drive around and come back in. He then changed his mind and guided Mikey into the garage, through the entrance at the end of pit road.
"Go all the way down, right into your stall. Guys, bring a set of tires over here, okay?" Baldwin Jr requested.
"Yeah, 10-4."
Baldwin Jr said they would need to put the hood up as the #55 came into the garage.
The third caution came on lap 156 for David Stremme. Mikey came back on track during this time and was 25 laps down in 42nd. Jimmie Johnson, who had picked up the lead on lap 153, was leading. Mikey immediately picked up 41st due to Robby Gordon's departure. Leaders pit under yellow.
Racing resumed on lap 162. Around lap 200, Mikey went down another lap and was now 26 off the leader.
Mikey spun independently in Turn 4 on lap 203, drawing the fourth caution. He drove away and remained 41st and 26 laps down. Jimmie Johnson's #48 led the lap 208 restart.
The fifth caution came on lap 222. David Gilliland hit the curb and drove up the track into Ward Burton's #4. The restart came shortly thereafter.
The yellow returned a sixth time on lap 232. The field had stacked, and Scott Riggs had knocked the #41 of Reed Sorenson. Mike Skinner and Kevin Harvick were a couple of the drivers who were collected. With Kevin Lepage's departure, Mikey gained a spot and was up to 40th on lap 236.
Johnson led the lap 239 restart. Jeff Gordon looked to take the lead from the teammate, and he got it before the next yellow flag.
The seventh caution came on lap 244. Jeff Green and David Ragan had made contact, and someone spun Travis Kvapil when the field bottled. Jeff Burton left the race after overheating due to earlier contact, allowing Mikey to take 39th.
Gordon's #24 led the lap 248 restart. Denny Hamlin challenged and took the top spot on lap 255. Gordon rallied to lead the next lap, but Hamlin prevailed one lap later.
"38 slowing and going to pit road. Clear," the spotter noted on lap 272. "22 coming to pit road here."
Dave Blaney's #22 was smoking in the turns, all over the #55's windshield.
"Mike, is there any fluid coming from the 22 or no?" Baldwin Jr asked.
"I don't know," the driver replied.
"The 11 car is about ten back. He's the leader," the spotter noted. "Five back to the 24."
Moments later, the spotter added, "Yellow's out, yellow's out. Turn 4. Race track will be clear when you get there. Stopping."
Mikey slowed as the yellow flag waved for the eighth time on lap 280. Clint Bowyer had spun Matt Kenseth.
"What's your car doing now, Mike?" asked the crew chief.
"It's just... just realy skaty," Mikey reported. "It won't turn good. It's not loose at all anymore, just skaty. Won't turn good getting into the centre, then when you get where you need to, it skates off.
"I ain't got no back issues," he continued. "Just can't get the front end to dig into the row."
Baldwin Jr told the crew to go one round up on the rightside track bar and to put half a pound of air in the right rear tire.
"All right, the 43 is going to be coming outside - the lucky dog," noted the spotter.
"Four tires, four tires, one up on the track bar, okay?" Baldwin Jr said to the team.
"One to go at the line," said the spotter, after the stop.
Mikey was 27 laps down when racing resumed on lap 286. Johnson's #48 led after a two-tire stop. On lap 290, the spotter warned Mikey that Reed Sorenson's #41 was slow on the bottom.
"Leader's the 48," said the spotter on lap 315. "One car between you and him."
On lap 317, Mikey was cleared behind leader Johnson. He was now 28 laps down. With Sorenson's departure, he was up to 38th. Other lead lap cars like Kurt Busch's #2 passed him.
"Inside - the 8, all by himself," warned the spotter on lap 323. With Kvapil's departure, Mikey was up to 37th on lap 328.
"Got a spin behind you in Turn 1," the spotter said. "Yellow is out. Big wreck in Turn 1. You've got three of them up against the wall in Turn 1. Stay low."
The yellow flag waved for the nineth time on lap 329. David Ragan came down on Dale Jarrett and ran into the back of Ken Schrader at the same time. Ragan's #06 threw Schrader's #21 around and hard into the outside wall.
"All right, what's it doing there?" Baldwin Jr asked.
"Um, Schrader's pissed," Mikey commented. "It doesn't turn good enough, but that helped it turn, what you did there. But I'm afraid more will just mess it up." He asked for his crew chief to do a combination of stuff to fix the issue.
Baldwin Jr wanted to take a pound of air out of left front tire. "Have a good one here, boys. Around the 16, around the 16," the crew chief directed.
Schrader carried a long, thin car part with him down the track with him and crossed the track to the infield.
"What happened to Schrader?" Mikey asked.
"The 06 and the 88... they were going three-wide, and the 06 got him. He was not happy," the spotter informed.
"Where am I running at now?"
"37th," Baldwin Jr replied.
"One to go at the line," the spotter noted. "Stay ready. Green flag, green flag, green flag."
Kurt Busch led the restart, with Mikey in 37th and 28 laps down.
"Wrecking in the front. Stay high, stay high. All right, stop," the spotter warned.
Lap 247 saw the tenth caution. Tony Raines' #96 had spun out Mike Skinner's #72, giving Skinner heavy rear contact.
"When you were running there, you were the same as the leaders," Baldwin Jr commented. "Car, temps, pressures. Everything was looking really really really good."
"Yeah, it felt good. Car was a little tight," Mikey replied.
"10-4."
"Pit road's open, lead lap," the spotter said.
Baldwin Jr told the team, "We'll be staying out."
"One to go at the line," the spotter noted. He warned Mikey of cars going around him.
"The 55, I mean the 22 is a lot of laps down anyway," Baldwin Jr said. "You can go in front of him, if you want."
Racing resumed on lap 352. Johnson immediately took the lead from Busch. With Schrader's department, Mikey moved up to 36th.
On lap 355, the caution made its eleventh appearance. Elliott Sadler had gotten into the back of Ragan's #06 when the rookie got loose when he took Tony Stewart and Ward Burton three-wide. Dale Jarrett received the free pass.
Just after the restart, the spotter called, "Got a wreck on the front, wreck on the front. Caution is out."
The twelfth yellow flag waved on lap 363. Scott Riggs had come up into Kurt Busch and spun him. Busch went to the garage. Meanwhile, Ward Burton received the free pass and was now just one lap off the lead lap.
Baldwin Jr called for four tires and fuel.
"My car goes awful good on the start," Mikey reported. "I was wondering if a little less air might help."
Baldwin Jr talked about working on the right front.
"Maybe just a pound out of the left, see what happens."
Baldwin Jr said they might take out a little.
"4700," the spotter said as the #55 hit pit road. "10 away."
"3, 2, 1," Baldwin Jr led his driver the rest of the way. "Go go go."
"Ready?" the spotter asked. "Green flag green flag green flag."
Racing resumed on lap 372 with Johnson leading. With Mike Skinner's departure, Mikey was up to 35th. He was 28 laps down. On lap 383, Kevin Harvick began smoking heavily in the corners.
On lap 288, the spotter told Mikey that Joe Nemechek's car was "just smoking too heavily. They had to black-flag him." He then cleared Mikey past Nemechek's dropping #01.
"Spin in Turn 2, spin in Turn 2," the spotter warned. He told Mikey to stay low.
Bobby Labonte spun Jamie McMurray, drawing the thirteenth caution on lap 299.
"I like the low left side airs better," Mikey commented. I'd like to take another out of the left rear, if you want to try it, but I'm fine either way."
"We'll be staying out. If everyone pits, we'll be coming in," Baldwin Jr said. He called for half out of the right rear wedge and one pound out of the left rear if everyone pits.
"Really stacking up off of 2, be careful," the spotter cautioned.
Cars were pitting, so Mikey came in. Bobby Labonte had stayed out and had taken the lead.
"Safety truck up high, off of Turn 2," the spotter said when Mikey returned to the track. "One to go when you get back.
"Pace car's off. Ready? Green flag, green flag, green flag."
Bobby Labonte led the lap 406 restart. The spotter warned that the #26 of Jamie McMurray was slow up ahead.
"Still there," the spotter added as Mikey dropped inside Dave Blaney's #22. "Clear."
"16's slow on the bottom ahead," he spoke again on lap 412. Greg Biffle's #16 was fourteen laps down. Elliott Sadler dropped out of the race three laps later with an expired motor. On lap 442, Mikey was marked in front of Sadler. He was now 34th.
Jimmie Johnson took the lead on lap 447. Two laps later, the field saw the fourteenth caution.
"Yellow's out, yellow's out," warned the spotter. "Turn 4. 06 has spun again on the inside of the race track."
"I think those pressures were better," Mikey commented. He said the car needed four or five rounds of something, because the car wouldn't turn.
"10-4. Do you feel like it's a track bar or wedge issue? Is it pre-rolling or on the throttle?" Baldwin Jr asked.
"Both."
Baldwin Jr called for one round up on the track bar, and a right wedge adjustment.
"It'll be... 43... 45, like 47 laps to go when we go green," the spotter said after the stop. He warned his driver that the #5 car was coming; Kyle Busch had received the free pass back onto the lead lap.
Racing resumed on lap 453 with Johnson leading. Mikey was 34th, 28 laps down. He was warned about the slow #06 on the bottom of the track on lap 458.
"Wreck in Turn 4. Yellow is out. Get it slowed down, if you can," the spotter warned.
Lap 460 saw the fifteenth caution. David Gilliland had spun out Casey Mears.
"Did that feel any better?" Baldwin Jr asked.
"No," Mikey said, "it feels like it still needs some more."
Baldwin Jr wanted to go another round up on the track bar.
"It's got good grip, it's just too tight," Mikey said. He wanted another air pressure adjustment "if it's not against the rules." He said going down on the left side air pressures helped him figure out what was wrong. The car was a little too tight, and now he could tell.
"Come up two on the track bar," Baldwin Jr changed his call.
Ragan received one of his two laps back. Mikey pit under the yellow.
"Did I pass anybody lately?" asked the driver.
"Yeah, you're up to 34th," Baldwin Jr replied.
The spotter noted, "One to go when you get back."
Lap 468 saw the restart. Johnson led.
"Turn 3, Turn 3. Slow it down. Watch your outside - the 06. Still out there."
The sixteenth yellow flag was for Ragan on lap 470. He had spun out Clint Bowyer.
The spotter warned, "The 06 coming outside, coming outside. Pit road's open, quicky yellow."
"We'll be staying out," Baldwin Jr stated.
"There's something, Michael, right up by the Subway sign," the spotter warned. "That's why everybody's stopping. Right here in front of you."
"One more, the 06. Pace car's gone. Ready? Green flag, green flag, green flag."
Johnson led the lap 478 restart.
"Got a wreck in Turn 4," the spotter warned moments later. "Stop if you can. Got the 8 car wrecked right in the centre."
The seventeenth yellow came out just after the restart after Dale Earnhardt Jr dove under Kasey Kahne and spun.
"One to go when you get back.
"Looks like there's going to be 18 left when you take the green," the spotter added shortly thereafter. "18.
"Pace car's gone. Ready? Green flag green flag green flag."
Lap 482 saw the restart. He was 34th and 28 laps behind leader Jimmie Johnson.
"Off of 2. Spinning off of 2. Caution's out."
Mikey stopped altogether until the smoke cleared. Jamie McMurray had spun out Kenny Wallace, drawing the eighteenth caution on lap 490. Mikey reported that his #55 felt like a different car. He asked if he had just run his fastest lap of the race, and Baldwin Jr said he had.
Mikey left a gap on the car in front of him. NASCAR did not like it.
"Just want you to stay closed up," Baldwin Jr said.
"I'm bored," Mikey replied.
"Okay, one to go when you get back," said the spotter. "Coming outside. Looks like the 6. Here he comes. Coming to the green. Six laps left when you take it."
"Ward doesn't know the rules," Mikey complained. "Single file restart."
"Ready? Green flag, green flag, green flag."
Lap 496 saw the restart. Johnson led, but Hamlin jumped to his inside. Johnson held him at bay.
"Last lap," the spotter said. Johnson went on to win. "That's it. Checkered flag. Inside."
Mikey removed his gloves as he slid onto pit road. His helmet came off next, and he pulled off his radio. He finished 34th, 28 laps down.
Next Sunday is the Nextel Cup's Bass Pro Shops 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Coverage starts at 2:30pm ET on NBC. The Busch Series is running their Sam's Town 250 the day before but in Memphis, with coverage beginning at 2:00pm on the same station. Mikey may run that BGN race.
