Mikey 30th at Chicagoland by Kellyanne Lynch
15 July 2007
Michael Waltrip placed 30th in the USG Sheetrock 400, today's Nextel Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway. His #55 Napa Auto Parts Camry was three laps down. Michael Waltrip Racing's David Reutimann went to the garage early in the race with an engine failure, (click here for David's report), and Dale Jarrett did not qualify.
"Radio check," someone said at 4:06pm ET.
"You up there, Mark?" someone asked spotter Mark Green.
"I got you. I got you loud and clear," Mark replied.
Someone says to switch to channel 1.
"Hello?" Mikey came on the radio moments later. "Test 1, 2. Hello? Test 1, 2. Hello? Everyone hear me? Hello, anybody there?"
"We're going to be on channel one all day," crew chief Buddy Sisco said a while later. "Why don't you put on your rear end fan and your brake coolers too."
"Gotcha," Mikey replied.
"Hey, Chris hall," someone addressed a crew member.
"Yes, sir," Chris replied.
"Get a stop watch and get a pace car time."
"10-4."
"All right, front of the field is just now moving," Mark noted. "It'll be three times by."
"All right, Mike. You are at pit road speed there."
"How would you feel about 43 and 2nd."
Buddy repeated and said that's what the #00 had.
"When I qualify where the 00 is, I like to pull over and fix my steering hweel and pull aside the pace car to get my speed," Mikey suggested. "You gotta act like it's an accident, or they get all pissy about it."
Buddy said that was good information. "He's showing 41, which is typical, just a little off." He talked about their pit road location. "Mark will bring you in."
"It's about ten pits in?" Mikey asked.
"Actually nine, nine pits in."
"Mark, what do you want to bet Juan tries to pass me in the first turn?" Mikey asked his spotter.
Mark said he wouldn't bet against it.
"Who wants to bet I won't let him do it?"
"That would be a wise choice."
"I don't get to race very often," Mikey commented. "I don't want to have to mess up the first lap."
"Yeah, we need to get our money's worth."
Buddy gave Mikey some last words of encouragement before the start of the race. "All right, Mark, you've got the green."
"10-4."
Buddy told Mikey to work heat into those tires well.
"Okay, pace car is off," Mark directed. "Ready? Green green green."
The green flag waved at 4:18pm ET. Pole-sitter Casey Mears led the field, and Mikey was 28th.
"Still inside. Clear behind the 99," Mark directed. "Back inside, back inside. Outside, you're in the middle. Clear low. Still out there, still out there. Clear all around, behind that 49. Clear all around."
By lap 3, Mikey was up to 25th.
"42's got a run up high," Mark warned. "Clear all around."
Juan Pablo Montoya passed, dropping Mikey to 26th on lap 4.
"26 looking outside. Still clear though, still clear. 26 car outside. Still out there. Still out there. Clear, clear all around, clear all around."
Paul Menard's #15 was black-flagged for smoking. Meanwhile, Mikey picked up 25th. Martin Truex Jr took the lead on lap 7.
"Clear by six," said Mark. "No pressure."
Menard went to pit road, where the crew lifted the hood. The #15 smoked tremendously and developped a fire. The crew pushed it behind the wall.
"26 working the high line, one back. Working the high line," Mark warned. He cleared Mikey behind him if he wanted the spot. "Got the 16 looking inside. Still clear. Clear all around."
McMurray's pass dropped Mikey to 26th on lap 9, but he regained the spot the next time around the track. He went three-wide before he was cleared all around.
"Clear by three on the 16," Mark noted.
Buddy asked for temperatures when Mikey got a chance.
"What?" Mikey asked.
"Temperatures, temperatures."
"Uh, 210, 220."
"10-4, 10-4." A moment later, he added, "32.70, 32.70. Leader a flat.
"32.55, 55," Buddy continued with lap times.
"16 got a run on you, half back. Clear all around behind him there," Mark observed. "He followed you there for three or four laps and couldn't gain anything. Then he went up on the top."
"I'm good in. I'm just a little too loose off," Mikey reported.
"Okay, okay," Buddy acknowledged. "10-4, 10-4."
Lap 16 saw Mikey in 26th with Greg Biffle's pass.
"Clear by two on the 40 car," Mark informed his driver. "Still outside, 9 car still there. Clear, clear."
Passing Kasey Kahne on lap 18 gained the #55 the 25th spot. Jimmie Johnson took the lead on lap 19.
"33 flat, leader a 30, 30," Buddy noted. "32.90, 290.
"95, 95."
David Stremme passed on lap 21 along the inside line, dropping Mikey to 26th on lap 21.
"Clear by three on the 66," Mark warned Mikey about his brother Jeff.
"33.10, leader a 30. Leader three-tenths quicker than other guys," Buddy noted. "33 flat, 33 flat. Leader a 35."
"66 on top, got a run here. Got two inside, inside. 2 car. 66 follow him through. You're clear behind that 66. Got a good hole there," Mark said. On lap 24, Mikey was back to 28th; Kurt Busch and Jeff Green had passed. He was cleared by four car lengths over JJ Yeley's #18.
"25, 33.25," Buddy continued. "33.10."
"Inside, 18 car inside," Mark warned. "01 coming with him, inside. Got a ten car length hole behind that 01."
JJ Yeley and Mark Martin's passes moved the #55 to 30th.
"All right, halfway on this run. Still just a little too free off?" Buddy asked.
"I'm neutral in the centre, loose in and loose off," Mikey reported.
Buddy said he would make an air pressure adjustment and would move the track bar. "33.25, 25.
"30, 33.30. Leader, now.
"33.10, 33.10.
"35, 35."
"Still clear by eight - 88 car," Mark noted on lap 34.
"33.05, 05. That's not bad. Stay after it," Buddy encouraged his driver.
"It's just... now it's too tight. It was real loose at first, now it's too tight," Mikey reported.
"All right," Buddy replied. "10-4.
"40, 33.40. Leader a flat."
"88 got a run here, half back. Looking inside, inside," Mark observed. "Clear by five, behind the 88."
On lap 39, Ricky Rudd moved Mikey back to 31st.
"33.45," Buddy said. "About ten laps away, about ten laps away.
"45.
"25, 25.
"35, 35."
"96 running the bottom, still two back. You're doing good," Mark praised.
"Leader's three cars back," Buddy warned.
"It's like it needs the track bar down and air out of the right front."
Buddy said he had that planned already.
"Think we got oil in one and two," Mikey said as his driver David Reutimann smoked and went to the pits on lap 46. He gained 30th with David's departure.
"Still clear by five," said Mark.
"33.20, 20," said Buddy. "Leader two back."
"Clear by six on the 96 car."
Green flag stops began on lap 48.
"Pulling away from the 96. Leader still ten car lengths back," Mark said.
Buddy told Mikey his times were good.
"That 88 will be stopping this time," Mark noted. "He'll be stopping this time. Still clear by ten on the leader."
"25, leader a 20," said Buddy.
"That 21 is going to stop this time, this time," Mark observed. "Leader's just pulled off. Leader's..."
"Next time by, next time by," Buddy interrupted.
Jimmie Johnson pit on lap 51, giving the lead to Dale Earnhardt Jr.
"Clear by ten to the 16. He knows we're coming. Okay, 4300 at the line, 4300, 43. Okay, he's in."
Buddy led Mikey to his box on lap 52. "Go go. Halfway, halfway, halfway. Stay right there beside the 41."
Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt Jr missed pit road entrance. Mark warned Mikey about a big group coming off Turn 2 and told him to go hard.
Kevin Harvick took the lead when Earnhardt Jr made his stop on lap 53. Stops cycled by the next circuit, and Johnson's #48 was back out front. Mikey was 30th and lapped. He picked up 29th the next time around the track.
"Hammer down. The 48 is the leader, so you have to get those boys in front of you," Buddy said before giving lap times.
"Clear all around. Clear low if you need it," Mark noted. A moment later, he cleared Mikey past Martin Truex Jr's #1 before saying the #55 was three and then two-wide. Jeff Green put Mikey in 29th on lap 58; however, Mikey passed him the next time around the track. "Still down there.
The first caution was on lap 60 when Jeff Green got up into the #55 and spun.
Buddy asked if the car were any better.
"It was just too tight," Mikey reported. "Loose in, tight off."
"Okay, 10-4."
"Left rear flat, I think."
Buddy said it was down. "Take those front runners to ten." take it easy, don't tear up anything
"Am I a lap down?" Mikey asked.
Buddy told his driver he was lapped and that it had happened when they were on pit road.
"I know, because our pit stop took forever," Mikey replied.
"We're going to stop this time, right?" Mark asked.
"Yes," Mikey answered.
"Negative," Buddy disagreed. He said he didn't think they needed to.
"I gotta come. I can't take a chance."
Buddy said to come in then.
"That made it too tight, too many adjustments," Mikey commented.
Buddy said he had done a track bar and air adjustment the first time and had just worked on air this last time. Mikey wanted to take a rubber out of the left rear or put one in the right rear. Buddy told his driver the coil was too tight in right rear to take out the wedge there, but they could put one in the left.
"Get those nuts ready," Buddy told the crew. He apologised for their first stop.
"It just sucks when you go a lap down when you're that last," Mikey replied. "But all you can do is do better next time. It wasn't that bad."
Buddy commented that Mikey's times weren't bad. He warned his driver about the #7 car when Mikey pit again for the adjustments they'd discussed.
Buddy yelled at the crew for not taking care of the driver during their three stops.
"A towel and a bottle of whater would be cool," Mikey commented. "Have a meeting, get everyone squared away. This is getting a little ridiculous."
"Yeah, sorry about that," Buddy apologised. "I know you told me before you're not a camel. You've got to have water." He said he'd make sure everyone took care of him.
Jeff Green relayed to the #55 team that he was sorry for the contact on the track.
"Tell 'em it's not big deal," Mikey replied.
Kevin Harvick led the lap 64 restart. The #55 was 40th and lapped.
"We've got it all messed up now," Mikey said on lap 70.
"What you got?" Buddy asked.
"Clear, clear. That 4 car is making its way to the back here," Mark warned. "Clear, clear."
Passing Ward Burton on lap 72 moved Mikey up to 39th.
"60, 60," Buddy read off lap times. "65, 65. Leader a flat."
"I just think I've no grip. Loose in, loose off. Sliding every which way," Mikey complained on lap 75.
"9 car's headed to the back here," Mark observed. "Clear low, clear low. Clear all around."
Getting around Kasey Kahne on lap 76 moved the #55 into 38th.
"32.95, 95," Buddy noted lap times. "32.80, 80.
"75."
"Clear all around," Mark noted.
"80, 32.80," Buddy continued with lap times.
"14 got a run up high, still clear by a car. Still clear by half," said Mark. "Looking inside, inside. Clear behind him if you need it. Inside. Clear behind the 45."
"33 flat, 33 flat.
"33.10, 33.10."
"Clear by two on the 70. Looking outside, still clear by half. Inside, inside. Clear behind the 70, clear all around."
"Okay, what you got on your car now?" Buddy asked on lap 87.
"It's just pushing so bad in the centre and off," Mikey reported.
"All right, 10-4." On lap 90, he read, "33 flat. Leader now."
"I think we got to put a bunch of air in the right rear or something back there," Mikey told his crew chief on lap 93.
"10-4, 10-4," Buddy replied.
"Maybe drop a little bit out of that right front if you can."
Buddy said they were already maxxed out there. "Right rear out, left rear." He continued with times. "33.30, 30. Leader a 65. Leader at the line now.
"30.30, 30. Leader 80.
"25, 25.
"60, 60."
"Clear by four on the 4 car," Mark noted on lap 99. "Clear by twenty on the leader."
"All right, leader's two back. 33.30, 33.30. Leader an 80," warned the crew chief on lap 101. "15, 33.15. Leader 10."
"Clear by six, back to the leader," Mark said. "Leader up high, got a run. One back. Looking outside, outside. By himself. Clear behind him."
Lap 103 saw Mikey go a second lap down.
"Still clear by ten, back to the second place car," Mark observed.
"40. 33.40," Buddy read off the lap time.
"20 car one back, looking inside, inside," Mark cleared Mikey behind Tony Stewart's #20.
"55, leader a flat. About ten laps away from a stop, about ten away," said Buddy. "45, 45."
"Clear by five on the 48," Mark noted. "Clear by one. Looking inside, inside. Clear behind him. Clear by twelve to the next car."
Green flag stops began on lap 109 with Reed Sorenson. Stops gained Mikey 37th by lap 110.
"60, 33.60."
"The front end don't skate. It just won't turn at all," Mikey complained on lap 113.
"All right, 10-4. 10-4," Buddy replied.
"It's like something's wrong. I can't figure it all. The front end sits so nice, but as soon as you press the gas, it goes straight."
Many cars pit together on lap 114, including race leader Harvick. Clint Bowyer picked up the lead. Kurt Busch gained the top spot when Bowyer pit at the end of lap 115.
"We're going to stretch it two more laps here, see if we can get a caution," Buddy told his driver. The #55 was 28th. The next time around the track, Mikey was 25th.
"Okay, next time by, next time by," Buddy said on lap 116. "Four tires. Next time by."
Mikey pit on lap 117 when Kevin Harvick took back the lead. Everyone else had made stops already.
"All the way, all the way. 4300," Buddy directed his driver off pit road. "4300. Good stop, guys. That's what we needed on the first one. All right, big air pressure adjustment on the tires you've got on there."
Mark cleared Mikey back onto the track. "Still clear by six, clear all around."
Lap 120 saw Mikey two laps down in 37th.
"Clear by fifteen on the four car," said Mark.
"32.30," Buddy read off the lap time.
Jimmie Johnson took the lead around lap 122.
"Looks like the right front tire is hitting the fender in travel," Buddy reported. He said that's all he could see on tires. "That's 32.30, 32.30."
"Feels like the front is lower than where we started," Mikey replied.
Buddy agreed. "45, 32.45, leader a 32.10.
"32.60, 32.60.
"32.70, 70.
"65, 65."
"Clear by five, back to the 38," Mark said on lap 128.
"80, 32.80."
"Looking inside, inside. 1 car by himself. Clear all around, clear all around."
"95, 32.95," Buddy noted. "Leader a 40.
"95, 95. Leader 50."
"Clear by four, back to the 25," said Mark.
"32.90, 32.90. Leader a 50."
Mark warned Mikey that someone had a run on him and was coming outside. He was cleared by thirty car lengths to the next car.
"The air make any difference?" Buddy asked.
"Pushing horrible," Mikey replied.
"10-4."
"I'd like not to give up. Do whatever you can on air and stuff."
"10-4, 10-4," Buddy said they would keep working on it.
"I think I might be a little better," Mikey commented on lap 138.
"Clear by three, back to the 2 car," Mark noted.
"33.30."
"Got the 31 one back. Got a run on you. Looking inside, inside. By himself," Mark warned on lap 142. "Clear. Clear by four, back to the 11 car. Clear by two. Inside, inside. By himself. Clear all around. Clear by four to the next car."
"33.55, 33.55."
"All right, I think it's not getting better," Mikey said on lap 145.
"All right, 10-4, 10-4," Buddy replied. "33.20, 33.20."
"In fact, I think it's worse now, but I'm not sure."
"Your times look about the same. It's bad both ways. 33.45, 33.45."
"Feels like it's skating the front tires now. Really didn't feel that way before."
"33.25. 10-4 on the skate. That's good info right there. Let's make some changes."
"Got a run on your inside, inside. He's by himself," Mark warned on lap 150. "Clear all around, clear all around.
Buddy noted that the #19 of Elliott Sadler in front of him was for position.
Johnson was inside on lap 152.
"Coming hard, looking inside, inside," Mark said. "Clear behind him if you need it."
The #55 went a third lap down on lap 152.
"Clear all around, clear all around. Clear by three, back to the 42 car. Looking inside. Still clear, still clear. Still clear by two."
"33.30, 33.30," added the crew chief.
"Got the 20 car looking inside, inside. 42 car lined up with him. Clear behind that 42. Clear by twenty."
The second caution came on lap 154. Jamie McMurray had gotten into the wall.
"Caution's out, caution's out. Got a car in one and two. Caution's out," warned Mark.
"All right, you said right there it got real skaty with that air pressure adjustment," Buddy prompted his driver.
"Yeah, it just went from bad to worse. I have nothing positive to say about it," Mikey commented. "It'd be nice if we can look under the hood." He burped. "See what's wrong with it. It's just pushing so bad, I can't begin to say what's wrong with it."
Buddy said the front fenders were giving up a bit. "I mean, we can look under the hood without taking actual measurements."
"Well, just know I need a lot of help," Mikey replied. "If you need to raise the front, if you need to raise the right rear, or if you need to raise the trackc bar and change the air. The air pressure right there just really sucked."
Buddy said that was good information on what not to do.
"I mean, I knew from the time we practice yesterday that it was going to push like this," Mikey continued. "The best it was was at the beginning of the race. It pushed not too long after it started. For those of you listening at home, a total plow is not what we do in Kentucky in the spring time to plant our corn... or tobacco. It's when our tires refuse to go left."
"10-4, 10-4," Buddy laughed. He reminded Mikey of pit road speed. He called for a spring and an air pressure adjustment. He also reminded the crew to service the driver.
"A bag of ice if you've got time. It's going to be a long stop." He told his crew chief to go ten or fifteen rounds. "All right, go two up there, Jeremy, two down. All right,, come around here. All right, go down one more ont he left rear. Good. Already got one. That's good. All right. 4300."
"Clear all the way out," Mark guided Mikey out of his box.
"How's that right front, Flash? Same as the other?" Buddy asked a crew member.
"All right," Mark said. "Coming to one to go, Mike."
"Would gas help anything?" Mikey asked.
"Come back there, bud," Buddy prompted his driver to repeat.
"I wondered if gas helped anything. Looks like there's about that many laps left."
Buddy said he thought they were still at one stop out.
"Okay, pace car is off. Ready? Green green green. Clear all around right now. Clear all around. Clear all around," Mark noted.
Tony Stewart led the lap 160 restart. Mikey was 36th, three laps down.
"Still out there, still there," Mark warned. "Clear the 49. Still there. Still out there. Clear high behind the 13 if you want it."
David Stremme was black flagged for not being in line on the restart.
"13 still outside. Got one on the inside. Clear high. Still inside. Clear. Clear all around, clear all around," said Mark.
Chad Chaffin's #49 passed by lap 163; however, Mikey got back around him the next time around the track.
"Clear high behind the 1 if you want it," Mark noted. "Clear... come low, come low, come low. Keep coming, keep coming. Caution's out."
The third caution was for Robby Gordon on lap 165. He spun on his own and hit the wall, and he took his #7 to the garage. Tony Stewart was in the lead at the time.
Buddy asked about the car.
"It was definitely freer," Mikey replied. "I can't tell if it was gonna keep getting freer, like start to plow or not. It about spun out behind him, because it was real loose. I can't tell you if it's worth changer. It's looser for sure right now."
Buddy said they would come in for tires and fuel.
"I'll take another water, another rag, and another bag of ice, if y'all are ready for me," Mikey requested.
"10-4. They're getting it together back here," Buddy answered. He told his driver to stop the next time by pit road.
"I wasn't going to spin out there for a couple of laps, if you want to do something to it," Mikey suggested. Buddy said they would go one more round.
The #55 pit under yellow.
"All the way, all the way. 33. Now y'all give me a twelve-second stop!" Buddy commented.
"Tail of the field just there in two," Mark noted. "Got the 42 coming outside here." Montoya's #42 was the free pass recipient. "Pace car's off. Ready? Green green green."
Stewart led the lap 169 restart with Mikey 37th and three laps down.
"42 coming outside," Mark warned. "Still out there. 21 still out there. Clear, clear high if you want it. Clear the 21. 49 still out there. Still there, still there. Clear, clear. Coming back outside, outside. Clear, clear."
Lap 171 saw Mikey jump to 35th by getting around Chad Chaffin and Elliott Sadler.
"Coming back outside. Clear, clear," Mark noted. "Three-wide, you're on the bottom. Two-wide. Clear low if you want it. Still down there. Clear, clear. Looking back inside. Clear, clear all around. 42 looking outside, outside. Clear all around, clear all around. Still out there, still out there. Clear behind him. Clear all around. Clear by five, back to the 14. Still out there. Clear, clear all around. Got a run up high. Clear by one. Half. Inside, inside. Back inside - another car. Clear behind the 14. Clear all around. Clear by two, back to the 22. Three-wide, two-wide. 9 car's still outside. Still outside, still there. Clear behind him."
"Just so loose getting into the turn. I can barely hold on," Mikey reported on lap 180.
"Inside, inside. Clear behind the 88. Clear all around," Mark observed.
"10-4," Buddy acknowledged what his driver had said.
"Still out there. Clear behind him," Mark warned on lap 182. "Still out there, still out there. Clear, clear, clear all around."
"75, 75," Buddy read off the lap time. "55, 55. Pretty good lap right there."
"Clear by ten behind you," Mark noted. "Pulling away."
Buddy praised Mikey on his lap times, as Jimmie Johnson took the lead back on lap 188. "90, 32.90.
"80."
"Still there, still there," Mark warned. "Clear clear."
"32.80, 32.80," Buddy read off the lap time. "85, 85.
"85, 85."
By lap 194, Stewart had moved into the lead again.
"All right, does it feel too loose in?" Buddy asked two laps later.
"Too loose in, but way too tight off," Mikey replied.
"All right, 10-4."
"Actually, it's loose in, loose off, slides through the centre."
"10-4."
"But the loose in and the loose off, I can work it. I just need it to turn better in the centre."
"10-4." He then read off lap times. "32.80, 32.80.
"75, 75.
"90, 32.90. Leader a 35.
"80.
"70."
"Staying the same behind you, Mike. Still eight on the 22," Mark noted.
"65, 65. Pretty good there. Actually, real good." Buddy said just a few cars were better."
"Got a spin behind you, spin behind you. No caution yet, no caution yet. Caution's out, caution's out."
The third caution was on lap 204. Ward Burton and Dave Blaney both wrecked.
"It pushes, like it's... I have to let up early and just baby it into the turn forever," Mikey reported. "And then I can finally get it to run pretty hard and run pretty good lap like those 50's, and then it starts to push. So..." He burped. "It's pretty bad. But I really could spin out every lap but the start, just backing out of the turn. So I can't run the top. I have to run the bottom like a sissy. So that's the best it's been." He suggested a lower track bar and air pressure adjustments.
Buddy said he had planned to put the track bar down.
"How'd he do that, Mark?" Mikey asked.
"He had a left rear flat, and the car just went around in Turn 1," Mark replied. "All right, we'll stop this time. 4300."
Buddy warned Mikey they would have to come around the #13 when they stopped. He and Mark led Mikey to his box. "All right, you're clear out, clear out. 43. All the way."
"Got a clean up truck right on the apron there in 1 and 2, just run up on the race track, and then you got some dryers there," Mark warned.
"We got the right front where you're not hitting the fender where it was," Buddy noted. He said it was now touching on the left front and they'd have to dissect it tomorrow. He suspected it had to do with the springs.
"Okay," Mikey replied.
"All right, Mike, it's going to be one to go when you get back," Mark observed. "One to go."
"All right, we are racing the 13 car at this moment and that's it," Buddy informed the team. "The 13."
"10-4," said Mark. "13's about ten cars in front of us here."
After a long pause, Mikey added, "Uh... 10-4. Racing the 13, roger."
"10-4... aaaand coming to the green," said Buddy.
"Are we all set for gas?" Mikey asked.
"We're what, eleven short, Derrick? Eleven short." Buddy said they shouldn't come back in to top off.
Stewart led the lap 208 restart. Mikey was 34th, three laps down. Dale Earnhardt Jr apologised to his crew for a power steering problem, and Martin Truex Jr went behind the wall with smoke in the cockpit.
"Slow one on top," Mark warned on lap 213. "Keep digging."
Truex Jr's departure gained Mikey 33rd on lap 215.
"32.35, 35," Buddy read off lap times. "60, 32.60.
"55, 55."
"Looking inside, inside. One car, by himself," Mark warned. "Clear low, clear low."
"Fifty laps to go. Fifty to go," Buddy said.
"Slow one on the bottom here. Still clear by two to that 21."
"75. 32.75."
"Clear by three. Got away from him a little bit on that corner."
"50. 32.50."
"Clear by four."
"32.40, 32.40."
"Looking inside, inside. One car, by himself. Clear behind the 26," said Mark. "Caution's out, caution's out. Got a car in the wall, got a car in the wall in three and four."
The fourth caution was for Jimmie Johnson, who lost a tire and backed into the wall on lap 224. Johnson's problem gained Mikey a spot.
"Man, this thing is so hard to drive," Mikey complained. "It's a controlled crash. When I drove with that 40, it was really controlled crash. And then on that next lap, it goes to plowing. So it's just really a lot to hold onto."
"All right," said Buddy. "10-4."
"I mean, I don't ever turn left," Mikey explained. I mean, I just turn it to the left, let off, and hang on."
Buddy asked if it still plowed off the turn.
"Yes, but that's a long way off. It does that thing getting in backwards, and then it's fine off when it gets in good."
"All right, 10-4."
"It's like you need to do another eight rounds, see what it does."
Buddy asked a crew member to adjust the right front shock. "All right, adjust that right front shock while we adjust that other stuff here." He told Mikey they would also try rubbers and air adjustments.
The leaders pit, and Tony Stewart was the first driver off pit road.
"All right, pit this time," Buddy directed. "Four tires and adjustments. Stop a little long. You'll have to come around that 13. Yes, we will. He's in front of us here. Stop him long. Looking at 40 to go right now, Michael. 40 to go."
"4300, 43," Mark reminded.
"5, 4, 3, 2, right here. Wheels straight, put on the brakes," Buddy guided. "All right, all the way, all the way. 4300." After the #55 was back on track, he added, "Same deal. Still racing the 13, the only car we're racing. P32, P32."
"All right, Mike, coming to the one to go this time," Mark noted. "One to go. Gonna be thirty-seven laps when you take the green."
"All right, coming to the green. Good to go on fuel from this point. Good on fuel," Buddy informed his driver.
"Gotcha," Mikey replied. "I'd like to get that 13, but it's going to take a while. This thing is treterous on starts."
Buddy said not to do anything too dangerous for just one spot.
Stewart led the lap 231 restart, but Matt Kenseth dropped inside him almost immediately. The pair ran side-by-side. Kenseth was marked in the lead on lap 232, but Stewart took it back the next time around the track. Mikey was 31st, three laps down, having passed Nemechek during the first lap back to green.
"31.95. Fastest lap of the race for you," Buddy stated.
"Still clear by two," Mark noted. "That 40 car on the bottom is having motor issues. Clear all around, clear all around. Clear clear. Looking inside. Clear. Clear all around. 13 car two back. Clear all around."
On lap 238, Joe Nemechek passed along the inside and moved Mikey back to 32nd.
"One back. Got a little run here. Looking inside. Clear all around, clear all around," Mark said. He cleared Mikey by fifteen car lengths back to the next car.
"25. 32.25," Buddy stated. "40. 32.40.
"45, 45. Nemechek run a 35."
"Got the 18 up high, slow, slow," Mark warned. "He's going again. Clear clear."
"This just made it tighter from the start, too tight," Mikey reported.
Buddy acknowledged what his driver had to say and told him what he and Nemechek were running.
"Caution's out, caution's out. Got one in the wall behind us."
The fifth caution came on lap 245. JJ Yeley had scuffed the wall. His departure gained him 31st.
"Did that tighten you up coming in and off?" Buddy asked.
"Yeah, just too tight," Mikey replied. "You know what you did. I don't know what you did. But as soon as I got into Turn 1, I knew it was going to be too tight. Still better than it's been, just too much."
Buddy pointed out they only had twenty laps left once they got going again. He said the biggest thing they did was open up the shock. Mikey suggested an air pressure adjustment.
"All right, guys. Let's beat this 13 car off pit road," Buddy told the team. He and Mark led Mikey to his box.
"Okay, Mike. Coming to the one to go this time. One to go," Mark observed. "Be eighteen laps to go when you get the green.
"Okay, pace car is off. Ready? Green green green."
Stewart led the restart on lap 250. Mikey was three laps down in 31st.
"Still outside," warned his spotter. "Still out there. Three wide, you're on the bottom. Three wide. Two-wide, still outside. Still out there. Still out there. Clear behind that 38. Clear all around, clear alla round."
The yellow flag waved for the sixth time for Joe Nemechek, who spun through the grass in front of Mikey on lap 252. This gained Mikey 30th.
"You didn't lock them up or anything on those tires, did you, bro?" Buddy asked.
"No, I'm good, I'm good," Mikey replied.
"All right, we're going to stay out here, brother. Stay out."
"All right, that was freer. See what happens."
"All right, 10-4."
"Got the 45 about five back from you. He's going to get his lap back. There you go. As soon as he clears you, you should be good," Mark observed. "All right, we're going to be coming to the one to go this time. One to go. Uh, if my math's right, we'll have twelve to go when you get the green."
"Your math would be correct," Sisco replied.
"10-4. Thank you."
"Make sure your tires are worked in good," Sisco reminded his driver.
Lap 256 saw the restart. Stewart led, and Mikey was 30th. He was cleared behind Kyle Busch, cleared by ten car lengths.
"Clear all around, clear all around," said Mark. "Got the 01 looking outside, half back. Lead lap car. 42 outside, outside. 8 car two back. Looking inside, inside, inside. Clear behind him. Slow one up on top here. He's going again. Outside, 38 outside. Still out there. 38, and the 13's about one back. Got a run on the outside, outside. Another one coming outside. Clear, clear all around, clear all around."
Nemechek dropped Mikey back to 31st on lap 260. Meanwhile, David Stremme's #40 slowed and went to the garage.
"21's still out there, still out there. Clear. Coming back, coming back. Outside," Mark noted. "Still there, still there. Clear clear. Clear all around."
Stremme's departure regained the #55 the 30th spot.
"Clear clear," Mark said.
"Six laps to go, six to go," Buddy noted. "31.90, 31.90."
"Five to go this time, five."
"32 flat."
"Clear by two on the 45," Mark continued. "Looking inside, inside, inside by himself. Still on your quarter panel. Clear clear. Three more, three more to go."
"32.10, 10. A 35 on that 13 car. Two to go."
"White flag this time. One more. No pressure from behind. Clear by ten."
"20, 40 on that 13."
"Coming to the checkered this time. Coming to the checkered."
Stewart went on to win the race. Mikey finished 30th, three laps down.
Buddy told his driver he had a nice run at the end. He apologised about the car and said they couldn't hit upon the right set-up until the end.
"We still didn't have it right at the end," Mikey replied. "Really no excuse on that middle. We just really need a good job when we get home of documenting what we had when we get home.
"We were competitive at the end, competitive at the beginning. We just got a lot off. I know I'm partly responsible for that. I thought I was going to catch that guy, just too tight."
"All right, 10-4," Buddy replied. "I appreciate you running hard that
"I would have run better at the beginning if I'd had some water."
"10-4. Like you said, you're not a camel."
"I'm not a veternarian either."
"Right on." Buddy laughed. He told his crew which plane they were riding back on.
Coverage of the Nextel Cup's Allstate 400 starts Sunday, July 29th at 1:00pm ET on ESPN. The Busch Series' Gateway 250 will air July 21st at 8:00pm on ESPN2.