David and Dale 26th and 27th at Daytona by Kellyanne Lynch 7 July 2007 David Reutimann's #00 Burger King Camry placed 26th tonight in the Pepsi 400, tonight's Nextel Cup race at Daytona International Speedway. His Michael Waltrip Racing entry suffered some damage from a late race accident, and the team experienced radio trouble throughout closing laps. Teammate Dale Jarrett finished just behind him. Car owner Michael Waltrip did not make the race; he was 5th in qualifying when NASCAR cancelled it due to rain. "How 'bout you, Shawn," crew chief Frankie Kerr came on the radio at 8:06pm ET. "All right, brother, I got ya," spotter Shawn Reutimann replied. Frankie said he could see seven away to the #25 pit stall. "How 'bout you, kids? All got your radios on? Let's have a good night. Just like you're in your yards there playing, nice and easy. Have a good time... all but you. "Your tail's wagging back there," he added after a moment. "How 'bout you, Dave?" someone asked. "Gotcha," David replied. "You guys got me okay?" "Sound great, Dave," Frankie commented on his super antennae. "How 'bout you, D-Reut?" Shawn asked. "I got ya." "All right, guys. Make sure we got that sign up there," Frankie told the crew. "Make sure somebody gets that sign up there so Dave can see it." "David, you're all aware about what we're doing with Richard Petty on the second lap?" Shawn asked. "10-4." "Come on, camera guy. Look alive," Frankie said. "Hey, Art, don't get run over, all right, buddy? Art, you got a short leg. You're not going to be able to run fast." "Hey, Dwayne, do you got your radio on?" David asked. Dwayne responded. David asked if he needed to turn the wheel to the right "just a scouch" when pit and left just a scouch when leaving. Dwayne said yes. "Straight's pretty good, Dave, but slightly left, slightly right is much nicer," Frankie added. David asked what pit road speed would be. Frankie said 4400, "but let's see what you've got." "Will be fourth time by," Shawn added. "All right, Reut, we've still got the Burger King - the round one, buddy, the beach sign," Frankie said. "And we'll be looking out for you." David asked for the crown Burger King one back. "Yeah, we're making a new one, buddy." "All right, look around out there. There we are," Frankie noted. "All right, welcome to the Burger King people here today. Let's have a good day. David, be careful out there." "10-4." "All right, pit road speed right there, buddy," Shawn said. "All right, Beak, we're back in the crowd at the start," added Frankie. "Yeah," David replied. "I'm seeing right at four grand - 4,000 and second." Frankie said he was thinking 4,100 and second. Shawn said the #10 and the #83 were coming back. Scott Riggs' #10 would have to make a couple pit stops and would be going bakcwards quick, "so watch out." "Did you tell them we're not really sure either?" David asked. "Yeah, but they're more 90% race trim," Shawn pointed out. "We're more race ready than they are." "All right, David, we're going to split Richard on the front straightaway. They don't want any weaving," Shawn warned when Richard Petty went through the field during the pace laps. Frankie asked how it felt to be moving past his racing hero. "Yeah, I never thought I'd get to be on the same race track with Richard Petty, even like that," David commented. "All right, getting the one to go when you get here." "All right, bud, let's pull the belts tight. If this thing goes green, we're looking at lap 45 for our first stop." Frankie said others were looking to pit early. "Have a good time, be safe." The green flag waved at 8:23pm ET. Jeff Gordon led, and David was 38th. He was warned about the #19 dropping back as they didn't have first or second gear. One lap into the run, Denny Hamlin moved into the lead. The first caution came on lap 4 when Jeff Green went up track and took out Kasey Kahne. "Got one smoking. Go low, go low, go low. Keep digging," Shawn warned. "Caution's out." Frankie asked about the car. "It doesn't feel bad, you know," David replied. "It feels like it's a little bit tight on exit, you know." Frankie asked about temperatures. "I'm seeing 220 there. 220, 235." "What do you think there, bud. Stay out if everybody stays out? We've got ten cars behind us, eight cars behind us. What do you think?" "Frankie, I don't know what we've got yet. I don't feel bad." "Lot of those guys behind us are going to come in to make adjustments. Frankie said there was no sense losing what they do have, so they would only pit if the leaders did. David said don't jeopardise the race. "But right now, I feel fine." Frankie said they could put a half a rubber in the right rear and put on four tires and fuel. "All right, pit road's open this time. 4100 when you get here." Racing resumed on lap 9 with Denny Hamlin leading and David in 36th. "Clear by two, back to the 83," Shawn noted. "83 coming back to your bumper. Two-wide. Two-wide, still there. Still got the 83 pushing you. Two-wide. 78 car on the outside by himself. Two-wide. Still there. Got the 83 about five back. Clear by five, back to the 83. 83 coming back to your bumper. "Way tight, buddy. Way, way tight. From the centre on off. You're going to have to give me a lot of help centre on off," David reported. "83 right there with you," Shawn observed. "83 right there with you, right on the back bumper. 83 got the inside off the corner, two-wide inside. Still there. Got the 22 coming to your back bumper. Two-wide, 83 right there running up against you. Clear high if you need it. That 22 coming to your back bumper. Two-wide. Still two-wide. Got one in the wall! You want to go, low. You want to go low." Shawn told him to drop to pit road and to maintain his speed. The second caution was on lap 15 when Tony Stewart got into the back of his teammate Denny Hamlin, sending Hamlin into the wall. Reed Sorenson and Dale Earnhardt Jr were collected. Frankie praised Shawn for his spotting and David for staying out of the wreck. "All right, too tight off, bud, right?" David said he was too tight everywhere. "Just give me some help." "All right, kid." Frankie told the team to take the time to put the full rubber in. "00 in front of the 83," Shawn informed his driver. "Still on the inside of you there, still riding there." "I'm going to have to pit. You're going to have to get with the spotter or something," David said when Brian Vickers' #83 would not get in line. David had to drop back as Vickers would not move back and was told to avoid the #2 as he came to his box. "4100 and second. 4100 and second. Frank, you watch that he's not coming out when we're coming in," Shawn said. Frankie guided David to his box. He told the crew to put a lot into the fenders. "Let's pretend you're mad at your wife. All right, let's go. 44 outside. All right, all clear." Shawn told David to go around the #8. "He's got damage." "It really feels like it's skating the whole front," David replied. "You can make it rotate if you roll if out of the throttle some. Feels like it gets light and slides around the race track." Frankie said the car was plenty light on the front. David asked if there were any way they could fix that, but Frankie said it was one to go already. "What option do we have to free it up from the centre off?" David asked. Frankie said they would pit again and work on the right front and the left rear to give the tire clearance. "Guys on the front, pull on the fenders as much as you can." "One to go, Frank, right here." David said he wanted to be able to get back in the draft. He pit. A crew member said the tire wouldn't quit rubbing; they were going to have to take the tire off. Shawn told David to catch up to the field. "I can run the top. It will be less chance of a rubbing, going through the bump," David commented. "Good job, Dave," Frankie commented. Shawn told David they were coming to the restart, and the #22 was behind him. Lap 20 saw the restart with Clint Bowyer leading. Two laps later, the third yellow flag waved for Tony Raines, who turned in front of David Stremme and spun. David was 28th and again led down pit road to avoid it. Dale Earnhardt Jr got the free pass. "That was close, kid. Did you get contact on that?" "What was that?" Frankie repeated that he looked close to getting hit. "We're good, we're good," David replied. "Just look at the valence a bit. We had to go through the grass." A crew member said to put the barrabond where the tire was rubbing. "All right, we're going to stop when the pits are open," Frankie said. He said they would work on the nose and take the left front wheel off. When asked about temperatures, David said, "The hottest I've seen is 220, but that's all I seen. We haven't run enough to really find out. Right now, it's 195." Frankie decided against an adjustment he had planned to make. He guided David into his box. "Get a little flashlight over there - see what the hell you're doing." He told the crew to get a hammer and "beat the crap out of it." "Back straightaway," Shawn warned during the stop. Frankie told the crew to hurry and get the tire back on. "Field off Turn 3." "All right, here we go. Let's go. All right, Dave, 4100 and second gear." Shawn said, when he got back around, it would be one to go. He warned David about the #8 car coming around to get the free pass. Bowyer led the lap 26 restart with David in 33rd. "Clear by three, back to the 9 car," Shawn stated. "Clear by five, back to the 9. You have no help, just the 7. Just you and the 7. Stay in line so you can catch up." "If he's holding you up, get with his spotter and see if you can't get around and lead this pack," Frankie advised. "He's not, Frank." "Starting to catch him," Shawn noted. "No help from behind, just you and him, bud." On lap 31, Jamie McMurray took the lead. David was 27th. "Two-wide. Inside, inside. Still there. All clear. Good job, David," Shawn praised. "Going to be two-wide off the corner. 44 outside, 44 outside. You've got no help right now. 44 outside. "Clear by four, back to the 44," Shawn continued. "Two-wide, two-wide. Right rear quarter, going to be on the outside. Outside, still two-wide, still two-wide. Clear all around." On lap 33, McMurray pit and lost the lead as Kyle Busch moved into the top spot. McMurray was black-flagged for passing below the yellow line and improving his position. "Clear to the high side, if you need it," Shawn noted. "Two-wide, still there. Clear to the bottom if you need it. Inside, inside. Still there. Going to be two-wide off the corner. Still two-wide. Clear to the bottom. Two-wide, still two-wide. Going to be two-wide off the corner. Still two-wide. Going to be two-wide off the corner. Still two-wide. Clear all around. Clear to the high side, if you need it. "Working the middle alongside you. Still two-wide, two-wide. You've got them all lined up on the bottom, he's got no help. Still two-wide. Still there, two-wide. Still there. Clear all around. He's falling in behind you. Got one outside, got one outside. Clear behind that 43. Got that 88 right there at your bumper. Clear all around. Got the 88 about one back." By lap 38, David was 25th. "How's your temps there, Dave?" Frankie asked. "210." Shawn warned that David was two-wide again and that the #15 was coming to push. "15 right there with you. Be two-wide off the corner, 40 on the inside, inside. Still there. Clear all around. Going to have the 8 car off of two on the outside. 15 coming to the outside, right rear corner." Shawn warned the #8 car was dropping back inside with no help, and David passed with no incident. "Clear by four, back to the 15. Got no help behind. "15 right there on your back bumper." David went two-wide with the #15 of Paul Menard pushing. "Got one more coming inside, inside. The 88 inside. Still there, still there. Left rear quarter. 88 inside. Got no help from behind. Inside. 15 coming inside too. Still inside. All clear." By lap 42, Clint Bowyer was in the lead. "All right, David, what do you have there? Is it still tight? Are your fans on?" Frankie asked. "Yeah, they're on. It's tight," David answered. Shawn warned the #15 was beside him and the #21 was one back. Earnhardt Jr went to the garage. David reported on his car on lap 45. "Yeah, it just plows and then it gets real loose, beause I got that muh wheel into it." "All right, buddy. We'll keep working on it." "We can't go higher on the track bar, so don't make it any higher," David told his crew chief. "So whatever you do, don't deal with the track bar, okay?" "Still clear by ten, just you and the 15 right there," Shawn said. "Two-wide. Two-wide, still inside down there. Clear to the bottom if you need it. Clear all around. Clear to the bottom if you need it, bud." By lap 47, David was 27th. "Clear by five," Shawn noted. "Two-wide, still there. All clear. Clear by one, back to the 22. Clear by one." Lap 50 saw David in 25th. "Clear to the bottom, if you need it," continued the spotter. "All right, no help right there. 22 is about four back. Two-wide, two-wide. Clear to the top if you need it." "All right, David, about twenty from a stop. Just keep on hanging onto it until we can work on it." He told David to try to buddy up with someone. "What were you saying again, Frank?" David asked. Shawn said to get with spotters to get the #15 and the #38 to pit the same time they do. Shawn couldn't hear, so David repeated. "10-4. 38 standing right next to me here. Got no help right now. You're by yourself, right there. All by yourself. You're clear by ten there. You got no pressure, no help. Inside, all clear. Outside, clear." By lap 54, David was 26th. David Gilliland had passed. "How's your temps there, Dave?" Frankie asked. "Same thing - 210." "Clear by one, back to the 66," Shawn noted. "He's got the same thing as you, real tight off the corner. The 38 is. He's fifteen laps from pitting." He warned when a car was inside and David was two-wide. "Clear behind the 13." Juan Pablo Montoya slid Kevin Harvick into the wall on lap 57, causing Harvick to smoke and fall through the ranks. David was told to get caught back up by following the #38 and the #13. David complained he was sliding around out there. Frankie said everyone looked "really wicked." Lap 58 saw the fourth caution for Harvick's debris. David had been warned about Harvick's slow #29. "He's smoking on the outside here, smoking on the outside. To the outside, all clear." David was 25th when the yellow flag waved. Cars made stops when pit road opened, and Scott Riggs got the free pass. "Ty, Ty," Shawn called. "Dave, how 'bout you, buddy?" Frankie asked after a great deal of static on the radio. "You got me?" David asked. "I got you now, bud. Both ends sliding around, or just the front?" David said he was really loose on exit. "If we get the front end working, some of that should go away, don't you believe?" David agreed. Frankie told his crew to work on air pressure and asked about a rubber. David said the air pressure should do, and Frankie went with that. "Four tires and fuel, kid. Let's have a good stop. We'll be coming around that 2 car." "Working lap 58 right now, David," Shawn noted. "Left wheel's good now. You're all good on your rubs," Bobby Kennedy stated. "What's your bills look like there?" David asked. Frankie said he hadn't gotten to them yet; he was on tires. "Wear looks good - no issues on wear. "Well, buddy, that just shows we're on the free side - not that bad." David said it didn't feel like they had anything in the front, and Frankie said he would probably have to live with that and could hopefully pit every thirty-five laps. Bowyer led the lap 62 restart with David in 23rd. The #00 was cleared by three car lengths. "Clear by two, back to the 21. Coming back to you," Shawn observed. "21 right there with you, all clear by five back to the next group. 21 still right there with you. Clear by one. Got the 21 and then you have three more in front of him. You should be able to run this group down." David picked up 22nd by lap 67. "Clear by three, back to the 21," Shawn noted. He said cars were two-wide behind him. "9 car right there with you. 9 car looking inside, coming to your inside. Inside, off the corner. The 01 falling in line behind you. Inside, still two-wide. Still there. Got the 01 pushing you from behind. 01 dropping behind the 99. Got no help outside. No help from behind. Still two-wide. Still two-wide. Hold your line. 9 car coming into view. Still two-wide off the corner, it's going to be two-wide. Got some help from the 9. Still two-wide down the back. Still two-wide, got the 9 car behind you. All right, hold your line. Still two-wide. 96 sliding in behind you. Still two-wide. Two-wide, left rear quarter panel. Got the 21 coming to give you a push from behind. Two-wide, going to be two-wide off the corner. Still in there, right up there. 26 still pushing you, still two-wide, two-wide. Still there. Going to be two-wide off the corner with the 88 on the bottom. Still two-wide, still there, still there. Left rear corner, coming back to you. 26 coming to give you a push." By lap 72, David was 20th. "Still two-wide," Shawn said. "Clear to the bottom if you need it. Inside. Two-wide. Still got the 26 about two back, working the outside with you. 26 right there is coming to your bumper. Get to the bottom if you need it. Still got the 26 working to the outside with you. "Still two-wide, 13 right up against you," Shawn continued. "Still there. Clear to the bottom if you need it. Still two-wide, right there." David was 21st on lap 74 and told the #26 was dropped in behind him. He went three-wide momentarily. "Two-wide off the corner. Still there, inside. All clear. Got the 22 pushing you from behind. Clear all around." "Definitely helped it, Frank. Definitely helped it," David commented. Frank acknowledged. On lap 76, David was 24th with the #01 now pushing. "Tight on the bottom," he stated. "Clear by four," Shawn said. "Two-wide. Still two-wide. 38 inside. The 01 is coming to push you from behind. Still two-wide." Bowyer dropped through the ranks on lap 79 from the race lead; he had an ignition box problem. He suspected he had hit a switch. Kurt Busch was still in the lead. The #01 had passed David, and now the #6 was pushing. By lap 82, David was 27th. "Two-wide, still there," Shawn kept warning. "Clear behind the 6. Inside, two-wide. All clear. 15 is going to have a run off the corner, inside. Going to be two-wide off the corner with the 13 on the outside." "Too tight, bud?" Frankie asked. "Yeah. I can't run the bottom, bud. I can only run the top," David replied. "Clear by five, back to the 42," said Shawn. "Two-wide off the corner. Clear behind the 13. Clear by two, back to the 42. Clear by four." "We're in trouble here," David spoke sharply. "Getting too tight to hang with it, bud?" "Yeah." "Clear by five," Shawn observed. "Clear by four, back to the 21." He warned about cars like the #41 and the #96 that were returning from wrecks. "Two-wide. Inside. Clear. Inside, two-wide. Got the 21 coming to your bumper, giving you a push. All clear. 21 right there with you. You and the 21, right there by yourself. 21 coming inside, inside. You'll be clear after the 21 off the corner. Two-wide, still there." Frankie said something about Shawn needing to tell Bill Elliott's spotter to keep the #21 in line. "He's Bill Elliott. You shouldn't have to tell him to stay in line," David replied. "He's sorry," Shawn stated. "He told his spotter he got loose. He was trying to stay in line behind you." "10-4. I'll work with him again. Tell him I'll let him go if he's better. I just don't want to hold us up." Shawn said David was catching the group in front of him again. "Clear by ten. Keep doing what you're doing, brother. You're catching him." "You're catching them guys in front of you little by little. That clean air is helping you a little, bud," Frankie commented. "Still clear by ten, working lap 91." Shawn told him to stay with the inside group. David was 26th on lap 96. "Clear by five, back to the 31. Clear by ten, back to the 31. Clear by ten, back to that 31. You have no help right there. Inside, still there, still there. Clear. Clear by three. Clear by five, all by yourself. You've got no help. You've got one coming off pit road down here. Clear. Clear by twenty, all by yourself. All by yourself right there. Keep the momentum up, brother. You're getting there. Clear by twenty. Frank, you might want to check the radar." Shawn commented on the weather. Frankie said they already had someone looking at it. Scott Riggs lost power on the backstretch. Meanwhile, Matt Kenseth locked up his brakes coming onto pit road with 52 laps to go. Many drivers began making stops. With 48 to go, David was 21st. The fifth caution came two laps later when Sterling Marlin blew a tire. He got into Ricky Rudd and hit the wall. Marling went to the garage. Kyle Busch had just gotten around his brother Kurt before the yellow flag waved. Drivers pit under the caution. Paul Menard rammed into David Stremme when Stremme was leaving pit road. Kyle Busch led the restart with 41 laps left in the race. Three laps later, Kurt Busch moved into the lead along the inside. Two circuit after that, Jamie McMurray was on the outside of the #2. David was 24th at the time as Busch held onto the top spot. He was up to 23rd with 34 laps to go but was back a spot three laps later. "Two-wide. You got the 42 right there at your bumper. Still two-wide. You got the 78 on the bottom. Still there. Two-wide. Clear all around. It will be two-wide off the corner. Two-wide. Still there. Still two-wide. All clear. Two-wide. Got the 42 coming to yoru bumper. It will be two-wide off the corner. 42 on the bottom, falling in line behind you. 42 inside. He's in the middle. Still two-wide. Two-wide, still there. Clear all around. Clear to the bottom if you need it. 43 up top, going to be at the back bumper on the corner. 43 working way up top, working way up top. All clear. Three-wide. Three-wide, still three-wide. Still there. Three-wide, Three-wide, back to two-wide. Clear all around." A multi-car accident drew the sixth caution with 29 laps to go. Montoya got into the back of the #00 as he spun. Bobby Labonte and Dale Earnhardt Jr were also collected. David was marked in 28th. Some cars pit, including the leader. Casey Mears led the restart with 24 laps to go. David was 28th. Mears blocked to keep cars behind him. Four laps later, Bowyer ran to the outside of Mears. The pair ran side-bys-side, and Kyle Busch looked to the inside of the #25. Bowyer, who had help, moved into the lead. The seventh yellow came with 17 laps to go. Greg Biffle wiggled back and tipped David Gilliland, who spun in three-wide traffic off Dave Blaney. John Andretti received the free pass. "Spinning. Back it down, back it down, back it down. Stay high. All clear," Shawn warned. "You all right, Dave?" Frankie asked. "Everything good?" "Yeah, 10-4," David replied. "Feels okay, Frank. I just can't seem to go anywhere." Frankie commented on tight traffic. "You just gotta pick a good hole and go for it. We got twelve to go when we get this going back to green." "Frank, you got me?" Shawn asked. "I got you, bud," Frankie replied. "David, you got him?" "Yeah, I got him." "I just had to change the battery real quick. I wanted to make sure." He asked if they were staying out. "Staying out. Staying out," was Frankie's response. David was marked in 21st. "I don't think they're done wrecking yet," Shawn commented. Frankie agreed and told David to stay on the top line. David reported that he goes straight on exit when he's behind someone. Frankie told him to hang with it. "Stay up there and do the best you can, bud." He warned there would be a line when the #24, #48, and #25 ars jumped to the outside. Bowyer led the restart with 14 laps to go. One lap into the run, Mears was back in the lead. Kenny Wallace followed David throughout the run as Martin Truex Jr looked to pass. Blaney had been pushing but then tried to pass. With ten to go, the caution returned. Joe Nemechek moved up the track and stayed in Vickers' door until he went down the track, tagged Vickers' rear, and sent them both spinning. David was marked in 22nd, and Jeff Gordon had just passed Mears and was marked in the lead. Shawn had led David high and told him he did a good job avoiding the wreck. "All right, Dave, everything all right, bud? No contact?" Frankie asked. "No, 10-4," David replied. "It took you a while to get going, huh," Shawn commented. "Just too tight to keep going, buddy, or what's going on?" asked the crew chief. The driver did not respond. "Wiggle your wires, David, so we can talk to each other." Still, no response. "How 'bout you, Dave?" "Staying out, right, Frank?" Frankie said they were. "He can't talk to us, but he can hear us." He then said, "Wave your hand out the window, buddy, if you hear us." "Yeah, I got you there, bud," Shawn commented as David waved. Frankie encouraged David going into this run. "I know you're driving your heart out, but this is it - the last ride for this little race car." "DJ behind us here," Shawn noted. "Is he riding the top?" "Who, DJ?" "Yeah, he can help us." "All right, David, coming to the green." Jeff Gordon led the restart with 7 to go. David was 22nd, cleared by one back to the #44. "Clear by one, back to DJ," Shawn noted. "The 44 right there with you. The 21 about one back. The 21 about one back, right there to your mirror. Two-wide behind you. Clear by five. You have no help now. 21 about two back." Bill Elliott was pushing David. "Clear all around. Clear by three." "Keep going, bud," Frankie encouraged. "Clear by eight." By 4 to go, Kyle Busch was in the top spot. Jamie McMurray took it with Jeff Gordon pushing. David was now 23rd. "Clear all around," Shawn noted. "Still two-wide. Clear to the bottom if you need it. Two-wide. Clear all around. Still two-wide. Two-wide, still two-wide. Two-wide. 21 inside. It will be two-wide off the corner. All clear. Still two-wide. "Last lap. Still two-wide. Still two-wide, off the corner. Keep 'er wound up on the outside. Still two-wide. Coming to the checkered. Outside, three-wide. 44 going to be outside coming off the corner. Coming to the checker. Checkered flag." McMurray and Kyle Busch battled side-by-side for the top spot throughout the final lap. They came across side-by-side as Joe Nemechek spun through the grass. Jamie McMurray won, and David finished 26th. Dale finished 27th. "All right, bud, I know you can't talk. Good job. Everyone did a good job. Thanks to all the Burger King people and MWR. Good job." The Nextel Cup's USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway airs Sunday at 2:30pm ET on TNT. The USG Durock 300 takes place the day before, with coverage starting at 2:30pm on ABC.