#44 taken out on lap 44 of Food City 500 by Kellyanne Lynch
25 March 2007
Dale Jarrett's Michael Waltrip Racing entry was wrecked out of the Food City 500, today's Nextel Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. His #44 UPS Camry finished 42nd.
Crew chief Matt Borland came on the radio at 2:21pm ET to let Dale know he was in. He said the #88 stall was behind them and the #83 in front.
"Hey, Dale, it's Michael," the car owner came on the radio. Mikey said he liked his spotter to let him know when he was ten away from his box and to guide him out. He said he liked to be reminded to stay on the apron when exitting and reminded when to hammer the gas.
"Yeah, 10-4," Dale replied. "I think we talked about that, right, Jason?"
"10-4," Dale son and spotter Jason answered.
The pace car led the field off pit road. Jason told his father, "Hey, we're rolling. It's going to be the fourth time by, fourth time by."
"Pace car pit road speed," Matt said once Dale was on the track.
"Yeah, 38 on the tack," Dale replied. "38 on the tack."
"10-4. 38 and second gear," Matt acknowledged.
"Pace car's off," Jason said a couple pace laps later. "Ready. Ready. Green, green."
Twelve-time Bristol winner Darrell Waltrip waved the green flag at 2:30pm.
"Still two-wide. All the way," Jason guided Dale through the first lap. "Outside. Outside. Still outside. Clear, clear. Outside. Outside. Clear, clear. Outside."
Dale had started 30th but was up a spot by lap 5. Pole-sitter Jeff Gordon held onto the top spot until lap 7, when Tony Stewart took the top spot.
"36 stuck up high here," Jason warned. "Clear, clear." A moment later, he added, "40's trying to take a look."
Reed Sorenson spun in Turn 2, drawing the first caution on lap 20. He had moved into Kevin Harvick's groove, and he spun off the #29's nose.
"Got a spin behind you, spin behind you here," Jason observed. "Caution's out. Wave them off."
Matt asked about the car.
"Not bad. Still fighting a left forward bite," Dale reported.
"10-4," Matt replied.
"Pit road will be open next time," Jason added.
"Dale, you're going to have to come around the 83 when pitting. We may beat the 88 out." He called for four tires and fuel and told the crew to go down on the left side track bar.
"Green flag is waving, Dale," Mikey told his driver. "Green flag is waving."
"We'll have a clear pit in," Matt said. "Five, four, three, two, one." "Pull straight out, one lane only."
"Got one inside," Jason warned when Dale left pit road.
"Good job, guys," Matt praised his team.
"We'll have the 41 coming to the inside," Jason noted. Sorenson instead went to the garage.
Racing resumed on lap 23 with Stewart leading and Dale in 31st. The #44 lost a spot one lap into the run. On lap 29, Dale gained back the position.
"45 jamming up on the bottom," Jason warned. "17's looking.
"Looking inside," Jason added on lap 37. "You're clear, you're clear."
On lap 40, Dale passed Sterling Marlin for 30th.
"Clear," Jason said. "Got the 17 with you."
"Got a run inside, inside, inside," Jason said.
Lap 44 saw the second caution. Mikey came on the radio to say they were in it. Matt Kenseth had spun Dale, collecting Robby Gordon, David Gilliland, and David Stremme.
The team talked about right rear and right side door damage.
"Okay, Dad?" Jason asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Dale replied. "It's just that fucking Matt Kenseth."
"Matt, the spoiler is still in tack on the deck lid, sort of just hanging there," Mikey noted.
"10-4." Matt asked if the deck lid was still on it.
"No, the deck lid isn't on it, but the spoiler is still in tack on the deck lid," Mikey said they just needed to put the deck lid on it but that they should be able to fix it. "If Dale doesn't want to, I can drive it."
Mikey told the team to drop the equipment off in Turn 2, but the safety workers dropped it off in Turn 3.
"Hey, the front clip on the car is broke," a crew member said. The team noted other damage.
They noted even more as the wrecker towed the #44 down pit road.
The team noted a vital part that was broken. "You're done."
"We'll go ahead and take it down there. We'll probably need the tools to get it on the truck," a crew member said.
"Jason, just to confirm with you, we're done," Matt said. "All done."
"10-4," Jason replied.
MWR will be at Martinsville next week. Coverage of the Nextel Cup's Goody's Cool Orange 500 begins Sunday at 1:30pm ET on FOX. The Busch Series is off next weekend.