Problems at Darlington by Kellyanne Lynch
13 May 2007
Michael Waltrip Racing's #00 Domino's team struggled with radio, handling, and overheating issues in the Dodge Avenger 500. Driver David Reutimann fell out of the Nextel Cup event shortly after the eighth caution; his Camry overheated and spit water on pit road. He finished sixteen laps down in 33rd. Owner Michael Waltrip and teammate Dale Jarrett did not make the race.
David had started the race from the 14th position after leading the first practice session of the weekend. The race was scheduled to run last night but was postponed due to rain.
"How 'bout you there, Reut?" crew chief Frankie Kerr came on the radio at about 1:05pm ET this afternoon.
"Yeah, I got you there," replied spotter Shawn Reutimann.
Frankie informed the team of the lap 40 competition yellow and added, "No gas 'til lap 40, no matter what, even when we stop." After a minute, he asked, "Got that there, gassers? No fuel unti the competition yellow on lap 40. Even if we stop, we can't take gas."
A crew member asked, "How about you, Dave?"
"He shook his head," another replied. "He's still strapping in."
Another moment passed before Frankie addressed his driver. "All right, Dave, how 'bout you?"
"Gotcha. Do you guys got me?" David answered, all in one breath.
Frankie told him that the #5 was in front on them in the pits and the #66 behind. He mentioned the lap 40 competition caution again. "No gas if we pit before that, which if there's a yellow before, everybody will be there."
"How far can you see down pit road?" Shawn asked.
"Six or seven away," Frankie replied. "What's that, Kyle Petty right there? I can see that." He asked Shawn, "All right, Reut. You're going to call the green, right, buddy?"
"Yeah." Shawn then addressed the driver, his cousin. "Got ya, D-Reut. Do you got me?"
"Yeah."
"A little sprinkle's coming down every now and then, so..." Shawn trailed off. He then told David to get onto pit road like he did during the Busch race - angle it out toward the wall to give the guys room for the pit.
"You're allowed to go through one pit, or two, if that will help you, buddy," Frankie reminded.
"10-4," David replied.
"All right, Dave. Everything good in there?" Frankie asked. When David said yes, his crew chief told him to put on the rear gear and to add brake gear after a few laps. "Let's have some fun."
"All right,, it's going to be the third time by. Let's get rolling here." s
"Where am I in line, Shawn?" David asked.
"I think you're behind the 48."
"Yeah, you'd be behind the 48, bud," Frankie added.
"Hey, just get to down here, and we'll switch up with Reed." Shawn directed. Reed Sorenson's #41 had qualified 16th but was in front of David's 14th-place car. The two exchanged spots.
"4300. 4300 and second," David reported.
"All right. It's all good," Frankie said.
"Drop down. There you go," Shawn directed. "All right, it will be one to go when you get here."
Frankie told his driver to have a good day, stay with leaders, and to take care of his tires.
"All right, Dave. Next time around, bud. Long way. Stay calm," Shawn adviced. "Be safe.
"All right, coming to the green. Pull your belts tight one more time.
"All right, pace car's off. Be ready. Be ready. Ready? Green green green."
Clint Bowyer led the field to the stripe at 1:18pm ET with David in 14th. One lap into the run, Shawn warned his driver that Brian Vickers' #83 was looking inside. "Clear by three."
"41 right there with you," Shawn said on lap 4. David was still running 14th. "Clear by one.
"Nice and smooth," Shawn continued. "Nice and smooth, bud. Clear by one. 41 inside, inside. Left rear corner. Inside. Clear. Clear by three."
Frankie asked about the car.
"Good in the centre, loose in the centre, tight off," David replied.
"10 car looking inside, inside," Shawn warned. "Clear by two. 41 has a run. Let him go. Inside, inside. Still there. Behind the 41."
Lap 9 saw David back to 16th; Sorenson and Kurt Busch had passed. Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart, Vickers, and Martin Truex Jr all looked to pass next. By lap 10, David was 10th. He scuffed the wall and made contact with Kyle Busch.
"Fix your radio," David complained. "This sucks."
"Frankie, you hear me all right?" Shawn asked.
"It's fine down here," Frankie said. "Thumbs up from the crew."
"Clear by one," Shawn noted on lap 11. David was now 21st. He lost another spot the next time around the track.
"Put a little front brake to help entry," Frankie adviced.
"Yeah, I've been doing that," David replied.
"Clear by one, back to the 12," Shawn continued spotting. "12 car inside, inside, inside. Clear behind the 12."
David reported that he was loose on entry and tight in the centre. "This entry is killing me off 3 and 4."
On lap 14, David dropped back to 23rd with Newman's pass.
"Yeah, you gotta help me on entry, Frank."
"Yeah, we'll work on it, bud."
Carl Edwards took the lead on lap 18, with David now back to 25th. Three laps later, he was 27th. Sterling Marlin looked to pass, and he went three-wide. He fell to 29th within the next lap.
Frankie asked if the car felt like it was getting any better. Shawn warned about Tony Raines' #96 and cleared him behind the Chevy.
"Clear by one. Can you still hear us, Dave?" Shawn asked.
"Dave, can you hear us?" Frankie added.
"If you can hear us, wave to Frankie down the frontstretch," Shawn directed.
"I cannot hear anything on this radio. Period," David finally came on the radio.
Mark Martin and Dave Blaney passed, dropping the #00 to 33rd on lap 28.
"I can't race nobody, Frank," David complained. "Tighten me up on entry, freer in the centre. All right, buddy?"
Frankie acknowledged.
"Do you hear us all right?" Shawn asked.
"It's breaking up real bad," David replied.
Frankie said he would pull a rubber out of right rear during their next stop.
"Yeah, sounds good," David replied. "Start there."
The #00 drop to 35th on lap 31.
"Just hang in there another nine laps there. We'll get you fixed up," Shawn encouraged. "Clear by four.
"Clear by two. Six laps 'til the caution," Shawn continued. "Clear by two. Still got the leader by half a straightaway. He's not gaining any. 40 car right there with you. All clear." Shawn added, "His car is better in 1 and 2, but you're better than him in 3 and 4."
"Five laps 'til the stop," Frankie added.
"No pressure. All by yourself, clear by five. Nice and smooth."
On lap 35, Denny Hamlin took the lead.
"Frank wants to know if it's getting any better, Dave," Shawn relayed.
"No, it getting no better!"
"Two more laps. Two more laps, D-Reut, 'til you get your caution. All right, caution's out. Caution's out."
The first caution was the competition yellow on lap 41. David was 37th.
"I just, I just can't get down in the centre getting into three," David reported. He said he was tight on both ends of the track when exitting turns. "I can't get up the race track, or I'm going to wreck," he said. "Eight on everything I'm telling you."
The field pit under yellow.
"You'll have the 45 restart behind you on the restart, David," Shawn informed.
David's reply returned as static.
"Frank, did you hear any of that, what he just said?" Shawn asked.
Frankie said the radio was way worse.
"We're the last car in line," Shawn noted. The team discussed David making a stop before the restart.
"Come in, Dave," Frankie directed.
Shawn said it was one to go.
Frankie told his driver to stay out and to try to at least go back to the other radio.
"10-4," David replied, his voice clear on the frequency. "How 'bout now? Is it any better?"
"You're perfect."
"Like I was saying, Frank, I have the tendency getting loose in three," David reported. "It's okay in one, no big deal. It kills me, the lack of grip in Turn 1, and it's taking everything to keep me out of the wall."
Frankie acknowledged.
"Fix my entry, and I'll do a lot better in three and four," David added. "Just be thinking, because that seems to be the way we're going right now."
"From up here, you're not too bad in 1 and 2," Shawn passed along his observations. "They're killing you in 3 and 4."
Lap 45 saw the restart with Hamlin leading and David in 39th.
David reported that going to the B box almost made the car shut off. He was 40th two laps into the run; Kyle Petty had passed.
"By yourself, right there," Shawn noted.
David got ahead of Petty on lap 50.
"Still really really really tight on exit," David reported.
"Did we help the entry any?"
David said the entry was better, but he was tighter on exit.
Petty passed again on lap 54, dropping David to 40th.
"Getting tigher and tighter. It's up to a ten in the centre," the driver reported.
Frankie told him to get his fans on.
"Yeah, I've had them on. It's not going to help it now, bud. It's as fast as I can go with it."
David said the car was still loose on entry after all, but it was about a five on entry but a ten in the centre. "In the middle of three and four, it's actually pretty decent, but it doesn't have any grip."
"Leader at the line... now," Shawn said on lap 59.
"I even think it's worse in on exit, Frank," David added.
Passing Kenny Wallace moved David up to 39th.
"78 right there with you," Shawn said on lap 63. David lost the lead lap two laps later. He was cleared by four, back to Wallace's #78.
"Working lap 77. Doing a good job, David. Hang in there, bud."
David said the problem was the same; he still lacked grip.
"How's your temperatures, bud?" Frankie asked. David didn't respond. On lap 83, the crew chief added, "All right, ten laps 'til we stop, Dave."
Lap 85 saw Joe Nemechek pass for position. The #00 was back to 40th. David regained 39th two laps later when he got around AJ Allmendinger.
"Clear by four," Shawn noted. "Whatever you're doing, it's good."
"You pulled down just a little," Frankie said.
"There you go, baby. Looking good now!" Shawn praised.
"It was looking better, now it's looking worse," Frankie commented on lap 94. Scheduled green flag stops began with Matt Kenseth's #17. Kenseth's departure gained David a spot.
Frankie told David to come in the next time around the track and told the crew to take out wedge.
"This time, or next time?" David asked.
"Pit this time."
"All right, David. Come on. 78 coming to your outside," Shawn directed.
"Stop long, bud," Frankie added. "You're coming around the 66. Stop long."
"4300 and second. 4300 and second. All the way down."
"You just went the wrong way!" Frankie yelled during the stop. "All the way!"
"4300 and second all the way out. Keep it on the bottom when you come out," Shawn directed. "Get all you can get." He cleared David behind Tony Stewart's #20.
David was 41st when he returned to the track. Hamlin didn't pit and relinquish the lead until lap 102. Shawn cleared David by half a straightaway at that time.
Carl Edwards took over the lead when Hamlin pit. Kevin Lepage's stop gave the #00 the 40th spot.
"Clear by fifteen. No pressure," Shawn said on lap 108. "Frankie, have NASCAR check our pit road speed. See if we can't bump it up.
"Clear by five, back to the 41," the spotter said the next time around the track.
Frankie asked about the car.
"A little bit, but it's going to need some more. Still got no front grip," David reported.
"Clear by five, back to the 70," Shawn said on lap 114. "Caution's out. Caution's out. Wave them off."
The second caution was on lap 117 for Reed Sorenson scraping the wall.
"All right, Dave. Have we helped any?" Frankie asked.
David said the centre continued to be a problem. "Entry's still pathetic, but you can't fix that. Really tight off exit still - about a seven."
Frankie said they would go down two on the right rear wedge and down on the track bar. He noted they were one lap down with a bunch of others.
"Don't do something that's going to hurt the centre more by helping the entry," David requested. "I'll just live with the entry, because I know it's hard to get out of it."
Shawn asked if the team had heard anything on pit road speed.
"Travis, go two and a half on the wedge, to the right, and two down on the track bar," Frankie directed. He said pit road speed was 4500.
"10-4. Because we got beat big time on that stop," Shawn said.
"4550 anyway."
Shawn said to go 4400 to be safe. "Gauge it off that 70 in front of you."
"Man, I have to start doing a better job at that," David said of assessing pit raod speed. "Every time I'm in, I'm too slow. Did I lose time getting in?"
"Lost a lot of it off, according to NASCAR," Frankie said. He asked for temperatures.
David said he was at 230 right now, but was at 200, 230 when out there running.
"If we do another green flag stop, we'll do what the 20 did," Shawn said. "We saw him drop off the banking there."
Frankie noted that lots of cars were on their lap and that they would line up next to the #6 car.
Lap 121 saw the restart with Hamlin leading and David in 39th.
The third caution came on lap 124. JJ Yeley checked up, and when Vickers slowed, Jamie McMurray spun him.
"You all right there, bud? Everything all right?" Frankie asked. Later, he asked about how the car was running.
"Hard to tell there, Frank," David replied. He said he was working more at staying out of others. "Once I got free, it felt all right."
With only two cars behind them on their lap, the crew determined to pit. David said to work on the centre and off. "It's still about a seven in the centre and a seven on exit."
Frankie told the crew to take one out of the left rear.
"The only way to get it to rotate at all is to jump right out of the throttle."
Frankie asked about a water.
"No, I'm fine."
Frankie talked about speeding onto pit road initially and to go to the tail end of the longest line but then said, "Hell, 4400." After the stop, he said David should try to get by as many cars as he can on the restart.
"Well, you know, we can't here."
"How many down is that 88?" Shawn asked.
"The 88 is two laps down, bud," Frankie replied.
"Gonna have the 78 and the 40 behind you," Shawn noted. "All right, coming to the green. Be ready."
Racing resumed on lap 128 with Hamlin leading and David in 36th. He was warned that cars were checking up. Stremme's #40 passed one lap into the run. Meanwhile, Kevin Lepage went to the garage. On lap 136, David gained back 36th.
"Good line you've got going on there," Shawn observed. "88 here two laps down."
On lap 144, David was racing around Johnny Sauter's #70, who was about twenty seconds behind the leader. He asked if the #70 was on the lead lap. Shawn relayed the message, and Frankie said that Sauter was.
Kyle Petty passed, dropping David to 37th by lap 146. Shawn told him to get back into his groove.
"Leader at the line... now," Shawn said on lap 153. Getting around Paul Menard moved the #00 into 36th. "Go get that 45. He's been holding you up."
"45's been holding you up. You're the same speed as the leader," Frankie added on lap 158. Two laps later, David got around David Gilliland.
"Talk to me about your car, Dave," Frankie requested on lap 162.
"Still pretty tight on exit. You're making it better on entry. Still pretty bad in the centre."
Lap 165 saw David get around Petty. He was cleared by ten and told he was pulling away. Frankie gave lap times and said he was better than the leaders.
"No pressure. All by yourself," Shawn noted. "Leader at the line... now."
"32.80. About fifteen laps 'til we stop," Frankie said on lap 170.
Jeff Green dropped back, allowing David to gain 33rd. He was cleared by ten car lengths.
"33 flat. Leader 33.90," Frankie read off lap times. Kasey Kahne lost a tire and went to pit road. "Still clear by five. Nice and smooth. You're all right."
On lap 174, Robby Gordon hit the wall hard and went to the pits. Shawn told David that he needed to work on the entry in Turn 3, because David was really struggling there. As drivers made stops, the #00 moved into 31st on lap 175.
Leaders began making stops.
"All right, Dave. Next time by, we're going to pit. Get all you can," Frankie said on lap 177.
David came in on the next circuit.
"Let's get a good stop, guys," Frankie told the crew. David's words were walked on as his crew chief guided him to the pits. Hamlin pit at the end of that lap as Joe Nemechek got a flat and went to pit road.
"Look at the left side there," David said during his stop.
"We're good. We're good," Shawn said. He cleared David back on track.
Ryan Newman had the lead, due to Hamlin's stop. Newman's #12 pit the next time around the track, and Matt Kenseth assumed the top spot.
Stops cycled by lap 183, and Hamlin was in the lead.
The fourth caution was on lap 184 for debris from Joe Nemechek's #13.
"All right, did we help you any?" Frankie asked.
David said, "Did you take any wedge out that time? Seems like wedge is the biggest change you've made so far."
Frankie said they did take wedge out.
"It's still really killing me. I can't make any time with it like that. Sometimes when I pick up the throttle, it's just tight."
Frankie told the crew the adjustments they'd make, including wedge.
"Frank, we have to analyse our pit road deal," Shawn said. He noted how much time they'd lost to Kyle Petty.
"Unless I can get on pit road faster, Shawn... I don't know. Something's weird."
Frankie said their RPM wasn't off but they were losing time on and off pit road somehow.
"How the hell did he drive by me when I'm at 4500?" David said. "I'm about to drive by the 45 in front of me."
"Who's that, Dave?" Frankie asked.
David said the #41 tore by them on pit road when he was right up behind the #45. Sorenson was fifty-seven laps down. "Something's weird."
"It don't matter. He's a bunch of laps down anyway," Shawn said.
Frankie said that NASCAR was putting the #41 in front of them. "Who's the caution for anyway?"
"Debris. Same piece of debris they were talking about when we came to pit road. It took them that long to throw it," Shawn replied. "One to go at the line."
"All right, be ready. Coming to the green," Shawn said.
Hamlin led the lap 190 restart with David 35th and two laps down. Passing Nemechek seven laps into the run gained the #00 a spot. Tony Raines dropped through the ranks and pit on lap 205, allowing David to take 33rd.
"What do you got with your car now, Dave?"
"Don't mess with the track bar no more, Frank. You're not helping it any," David said. He told Frankie to work on what they can fix, which was the centre off. David reported the car was the worse it's ever been. "Got no front grip at all. It's back to about an eight on exit, back to an eight on centre."
Tony Stewart pit on lap 214 with a left rear tire flat.
"Man, across the bumps, it just takes off. It's horrible across the bumps," David complained on lap 218. "No grip at all."
"You get through 1 and 2 as good as anybody," Shawn observed. He said Turns 3 and 4 were their problem spots.
"32.50. Leader an 80," Frankie read off lap times.
"Man. Damn it! I just have no grip on exit!" David exclaimed. He asked Frankie to work on that.
"Hang in there. Your lap times are really good right now."
"Just can't be consistant with it."
On lap 225, Ryan Newman took the lead.
"Clear by twenty. No pressure," Shawn said.
Frankie read off lap times. "About ten away from a stop."
"33.20. Leader a ten," Frankie said on the next lap.
"All right, Dave. About five away from a stop. Five away from a stop," Frankie said on lap 234. Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne made the first scheduled green flag stops.
"Clear by five. Pulling away," Shawn noted.
On lap 235, David was up to 31st. He'd gained one spot to Kahne and the other to Petty.
"Next time by, Dave. We're gonna pit. Next time by," Frankie said on lap 237. He was warned that the #9 was on his outside. David was leaving pit road when David Ragan and Ken Schrader wrecked.
"Caution's out. 4300 and second," Shawn said on lap 239. The sixth caution was for the pair; Ragan had spun out on his own, and Schrader got involved. Shawn told David to follow Stremme and that he thought they could go around the pace car.
"That's just our luck," Frankie said.
"That killed us, didn't it," Shawn added. "Now how many laps we down? Four?"
"Three," Frankie replied. "Unfortunate, but we ain't stopping right now."
"Staying out there, Dave," Shawn said.
"What'd they throw the yellow for?" David asked.
"The 6 car spun out and got the 21 just a little bit." Frankie said to stay down on the bottom line, no matter how many laps they're down. "Maybe caution will come out, and we'll gain one of them back."
"Frank, the 1 car wants to get ahead of us."
"Uh, I don't believe... no," Frank replied.
Shawn said the #1 was only one lap down. "Nevermind. David made the corporate decision." David had been the first one in line for the restart, but then Truex Jr had the spot.
Matt Kenseth led the lap 243 restart. David was three laps down in 34th.
The seventh caution was on lap 255 after Schrader scraped the wall. Truex Jr got the free pass.
"Caution's out. Caution's out," Shawn said.
"All right, Dave. What do you got there? Same thing?"
"Yeah, it's like we don't even stop. You were gaining on it for a while, Frank," David stated. "It's the least tight it's been on the throttle since we started. Probably about a seven on exit - tight. No front grip in 1 and 2."
Frankie called for four tires and fuel.
"You cut it down to a five after the last stop," David added. He said he thought they were on to something there.
Frankie asked if they should work on freeing up entry more.
"No, I hit the wall with it," David replied. "I don't think I can be any freer on entry, Frank."
"Need to pull the fender on the right rear," Shawn told the crew.
Frankie told the front tire changer and carrier to tug on the fender and to clean the grill.
"Need to tug on the quarter panel too. That's always where it hits first," David added.
"Is the 66 behind us or what?" Frankie asked.
"The 66 is in front of us," David replied.
Frankie told him to go around him when he gets to his box. The #00 was guided to pit road. "Get that grill cleaned!"
"Get the grill!" Frankie yelled during the stop.
"4500 and second," Shawn said.
"Do I come back in to clean the grill, Frank?" David asked.
"One more minute," Frankie replied.
"We can come back in if we want," Shawn said. "Only three cars behind us."
"Stay out. Just stay out."
"Definitely aren't staying out like that again," Shawn commented. "29 just about hooked us into the fence."
"That's why I slowed down. Just about got wrecked," David added.
Shawn noted all the one lap down drivers who were trying to get back on the lead lap.
"You may want to think about... it's just now gotten pretty warm. I don't know where you're going," David said.
Frankie told the crew to check the fenders and pull a piece of tape.
"We're going green, dude!" Shawn exclaimed.
"Oh, all right. Stay out. Screw it."
Shawn said to keep the #13 behind him as they were on the same lap. He also said he could go in front of Menard.
Lap 260 saw the restart with Kenseth leading and David 36th and three laps down. Six laps into the run, the #00 passed Rudd's #88 for position.
"Clear by twelve," Shawn said. "Get back in your rhythm, bud."
"31.80. Leader 55," Frankie noted lap times.
Newman moved into the top spot on lap 271.
Shawn said they had a part getting loose on lap 279. "Ten laps ago, we got into the wall pretty hard."
"You're doing a good job. Go get that 38 up there," Frankie said. "32.90. Car you're racing is a 33.20.
"32.80. Good lap," Frankie added on lap 284.
"Clear by twenty," Shawn noted.
"It's the best it's been on exit," David reported. "It needs to be freer in the centre; I'm just hanging on for dear life."
On lap 291, Hamlin reclaimed the top spot.
Shawn told David that Sorenson's #41 was passing. Because the #41 was a bunch of laps down, he said, "Just let him go."
"It's too loose right now. I'm just kind of hanging on." After another lap, David added, "Loose everywhere."
"All right, buddy. Hang onto it," Frankie replied.
"Really bad."
"All right, buddy, hang in there. Fifteen laps 'til we stop."
"It feels like these rear tires have a hundred pounds of air in them," David added on lap 295.
Frankie told him to hang onto it again and read off lap times.
David said something about wanting to pit early.
"We'll stop as soon as we can make it to the end on fuel," Frankie replied.
"20 about two cars back, trying to stay on the lead lap," Shawn warned.
Trapped behind Montoya's lapped #42, Hamlin bumped the back of Montoya's Dodge and lost the lead spot to Jimmie Johnson on lap 301.
The seventh caution was on lap 304. Allmendinger got into the wall, and Kyle Busch got into him.
"Caution's out. Caution's out," Shawn said.
"I don't know if it's the adjustments we made or the track temperature being hotter," David commented. "It's spinning out in the centre. Unless you made a huge change, we definitely got on the other side of it."
Frankie said having no bumper cover left was probably killing him on the way into the corners. He told the crew to fix it and to put a little wedge back in along with the four tires and fuel.
"You're going to have to pull some tape or something," David advised.
Frankie told the crew to pull the bottom two pieces.
Cars pit under caution, and Johnson held the lead. David had to wait another lap before he could stop.
"I mean, it's like an eight loose. I'm sorry for htiting the wall with it, but it won't get into the corner at all. I mean, so. It gets in there and takes off, and you have no choice."
Frankie told the team to lower the track bar too. "Keep an eye on that pace car for us, okay?"
"All right. 4500 and second," Shawn replied.
Frankie said to stop the car short so the #5 car could get out. He told the crew to make sure they topped off on gas.
"Getting into three," Shawn warned. "You're going to have to get out of there."
Frankie sent David back on track.
"All right, big guy. Still racing that 38, 45, 88... and that looks like it's all," Frankie said.
Johnson led the lap 310 restart with David in 35th, three laps down. Allmendinger's departure gained him another spot. Tony Raines' engine blew, but the race stayed green. When Raines dropped through the ranks, David picked up 33rd. On lap 320, the #00 was up another position to Ragan. David passed Rudd for 31st within the next eight laps.
The eighth caution was for debris on lap 334. Blaney led a lap under yellow but pit before the restart, as the other leaders already had. David was on pit road with the hood up and water squirting out of the left front.
David was four laps down in 34th on the lap 340 restart. He left the track again by the time the nineth yellow flag waved for debris on lap 344. Under caution, the #00 was shown as having a speed again, now seven laps down. Some drivers made stops.
Racing resumed for just a few laps before David Stremme's blown engine brought out the tenth caution. Jeff Gordon was leading, and David was 34th. He gained a spot under yellow due to Mears' departure.
Lap 355 saw the restart with Gordon leading and David 33rd, seven laps down. Blaney's engine blew one lap into the run, but the race stayed green. Because of Stremme's earlier problems, David picked up 32nd on lap 358. The #00 left the track again two laps later and did not return. David ended up sixteen laps down in 33rd while Jeff Gordon went on to win.
Michael Waltrip Racing will compete in the Nextel Open, next week's qualifying race in Charlotte to get into the non-points race of the season - Nextel All-Star Challenge. Coverage starts next Saturday at 7:00pm ET on Speed Channel. Busch Series is off next weekend.