Short track racing rough on MWR by Kellyanne Lynch 30 March 2008 Misfortune struck all three Michael Waltrip Racing cars in the Goody's Cool Orange 500, today's Sprint Cup series race at Martinsville Speedway. Michael Waltrip's #55 Napa Auto Parts Camry was involved in a few mishaps. David Reutimann's #44 UPS machine had led a lap before a transmission problem landed him in the garage for over twenty laps. He ultimately finished in the garage with smoke billowing from the #44. Rookie Michael McDowell's #00 Aaron's Toyota was spun within the last ten laps after losing the lead lap he had maintained throughout most of the day. Mikey finished seventeen laps down in 35th, David finished 59 laps down in 39th, and McDowell finished three laps down in 26th. During the national anthem, the #55 team talked about switching to channel 2 due to a hung radio on channel 1. Someone from Racing Electronics came on the radio to repeat this. The call to start engines came at 2:07pm ET. Cars rolled off pit road five minutes later. "Okay, you're at pit road speed right there," spotter Mark Green noted. "All right, when you get a chance, work a little heat in those tires before we go green here," said crew chief Bobby Kennedy. He then addressed the spotter. "Mark Green, just let me know if it gets to a point where you can't hear me with the traffic. I'll just speak up for you." "10-4," Mark replied. "Okay, Mike, it will be one to go this time, this time." "Okay, bud, get those belts nice and tight." Bobby also told his driver to exercise patience. "Take care of those brakes. Good luck, bud." "Make sure we have good pit stops there," Mikey replied. "No mistakes. We can't afford no mistakes." Jeff Gordon led the field to the green flag. Denny Hamlin led the first lap, but Gordon took back the top spot. Mikey had started 16th and was up to 14th within the first four laps. David maintained 15th, and McDowell fell to 37th. "Looking inside. Clear, clear all around," Mark guided. "35. That was your fastest lap so far," Bobby said on lap 9. "45. "25. Good lap." "Got that 8 car trapped up on the outside there," Mark warned. "Inside, inside. Clear, clear. Looking inside. Clear, clear. Back inside. Clear, clear. Clear all around." David passed on lap 14, then picked up 13th the next time around the track. Mikey was 15th. "Clear, clear all around," Mark observed. Lap 19 saw Mikey in 14th and David in 12th. McDowell was last. "Still outside. Still there. Clear, clear. Got a spin behind us. Caution's out, caution's out." The first caution was on lap 20. Kyle Busch had spun Kurt Busch, and JJ Yeley was collected. "All right, how's the car there, bud?" Bobby asked. "It's pretty good. Got to put some top brake in it," Mikey replied. "I'm a little heavy in the rear. I want to go two rounds here, if you remind me." "All right, 10-4. We're going to stay out here. That was only twenty laps. I don't see anyone else going. Be ready, guys." McDowell was among the few who pit. "All right, we had two cars in the top 25 come in and 27th on back come in, just for your info," Bobby told his driver. "Okay," Mikey said. "Thank you." "All right, one to go right there. One to go. Coming to the green," Mark stated. Lap 25 saw the restart. Mark warned his driver about the lapped #96. Mikey was 13th, and David was 12th. "Inside, inside," Mark warned. "Got another one looking. Clear low, clear low. He's still inside, still inside, still inside. Clear right there. Clear, clear." Kurt Busch had knocked the #55 when Mikey got loose in the marbles battling Dave Blaney for position on lap 28. He fell through the ranks. "Who was that?" asked the driver. "He got into you." "I know that! Who is it?" Mikey demanded. "2 car," Mark answered. "Clear all around, clear all around." "All right, just get your rhythm back, just get your rhythm back," Bobby calmed his driver. "Don't overdrive it." Mikey was knocked back to 24th by lap 32. "Inside, inside. 88 inside. Got a hole behind that 88. Clear behind him." Lap 35 saw Mikey in 25th. McDowell was 26th, and David was 14th. "I'm loose off," Mikey reported on lap 38. He was 30th. "Okay, 10-4, 10-4," Bobby replied. "Inside, inside," Mark guided. "Got another one. Clear, clear all around. Inside, inside. Lined up on the inside here. Clear right now, clear by half. Back inside. Clear, clear all around." By lap 41, the #55 was 33rd. McDowell was 34th, and David was 24th. "I'm so loose. I'm loose," Mikey complained. Bobby said they'd put down the track bar. The second caution was on lap 44 for Robby Gordon and Mike Skinner. Skinner washed up the track into Gordon's #7. "Spin low. Go high, go high. Easy now. Caution's out, caution's out," Mark guided. "Mark, he just brake-checked me. Did I hurt anything?" Mikey asked. Mark reported he didn't see a rub. "He just brake-checked me in front of the back straightaway," said the driver of Kurt Busch. "Hey, I'm crazy loose. Bad loose." Bobby called for three rounds track bar and air pressure. "Is that going to be enough?" "I don't know." Bobby said they'd do that. "We got a little buckle on the hood, Bobby. No rub, no rub." Bobby said that was okay. He told them they would stop the #55 short. Mikey told his crew to only take two tires if necessary. "Go go go go go!" Bobby shouted. "Go, Michael. Go!" "I don't know what you're talking about!" Mikey replied. Bobby told him to come back around for the other two tires. "Just make sure it's not one to go," Mikey said. "One to go this time, one to go this time," Mark noted. "I can't pit." Mikey then yelled at his spotter. "Mark, you need to get your head in the game! We need to know where the pace car is!" "Yeah. I was screaming go at you, because I saw him in the middle of the pace car," Bobby replied. Mikey said he didn't know if he were talking to him or the tire changers. The green flag returned on lap 49. Bobby Labonte had stayed out to lead, but then Dale Earnhardt Jr took it. Mikey was 38th, David was 31st, and Michael was 35th. "Inside, inside. Clear all around." The third caution was on lap 57 for a multi-car wreck. Kyle Busch and Bobby Labonte had been battling for position when Aric Almirola turned Labonte. Other cars were collected, including Scott Riggs, Martin Truex Jr, and Jeff Gordon. "Something's bad bad bad wrong with it, man." He said he couldn't do anything and needed about ten rounds of bite. Bobby called for four rounds of left rear and a track bar adjustment. "How much time are you going to need to fix that right front, guys?" "I wouldn't worry about the right front as I would the tires and get four where it matters," Mikey commented. Bobby said, the way the car was damaged, they couldn't get the tire off. "Well tell me which way to turn the wheel. It will come off. Do we need to get our work done? We're going to be last anyway." Bobby said pits would be open this time and to come in. "All right. How much longer is it going to be, Mark?" When Mark told him it wouldn't be long, Bobby said they needed to get the work done quick. The #55 made a stop. Mikey complained to Mark about not being on his game today. "You need to chill out so we can do it now," Bobby replied. He then addressed Mark and told him they needed information. "He was who I was talking to!" "10-4. Sorry about that. Get all the pieces you need there at the end. Okay, that was four rounds of wedge right in you there. Is your steering wheel straight?" "Yeah." "Okay, 10-4." Mark called the restart on lap 67. Earnhardt Jr led, Mikey was 38th, David was 25th, and McDowell was 27th. "Inside, inside. Back inside. The 1 car inside. Clear all around, clear all around. Spin in front of you here. Stay low, stay low. Caution's out. Caution's out." Reed Sorenson spun, bringing out the fourth caution on lap 69. Bill Elliott picked up damage too. "I'm just junk, man. I don't know what's happened to it. I don't know what's happened to it. I've got some issues somewhere." "Still real loose?" Bobby asked. "It just won't turn now. Maybe it will get better. It's just sliding through the middle." Mikey replied. "I wouldn't change it back, man. I was so loose earlier getting in." Bobby said they would quickly put on right side tires and bang out some dents. "Middle of the back," Mark warned. Bobby told the crew to hurry. "Gotta go, gotta go." After the #55 left pit road, Bobby said the sheet metal was clear from the tire now. "It should be good. All right, we got it clear off the tire. I'll just remind you to cut that wheel to the right every time." "Was it rubbing on the tire? I mean, why was I so messed up?" Bobby said they were about to lose a tire, because it was rubbing on the tire hard. "It should be completely off of it now. It was rubbing just a little then, not like before. Now we just got to work on the car. We got that part of the equation dealt with now." Racing resumed on lap 75 with Earnhardt Jr leading. McDowell was 24th, David was 36th, and Mikey was 37th. David gained a spot six laps later, and Mikey gained one the next time around the track. "Still there, still there," Mark warned. "Clear, clear. Still out there. Clear, clear." "Just let me know what your car's doing when you get a chance," Bobby requested on lap 87. "25.50. Leader 35." On lap 88, Mikey was 35th, and David was 34th. Both had passed Sam Hornish Jr. "60," said Bobby. "Leader 40." "Clear, clear all around," Mark noted. "Know where the leader is, Mark," Bobby prompted. "Leader at the line... now." By lap 92, both Mikey and David had passed Kurt Busch. The #44 was 33rd, and the #55 was 34th. Meanwhile, McDowell fell to 30th. "Still there. Clear, clear." "20.80. Leader 70." On lap 100, McDowell was 31st. David was 32nd, and Mikey was still running 34th. Two laps later, Jimmie Johnson picked up the lead. Mark warned his driver about a slow car, and all three MWR cars gained a spot. "Looking inside. Inside, inside," Mark said. "Clear, clear all around. Spin behind you, spin behind you. Caution's out." Lap 105 saw the fifth caution. Hornish Jr had spun out Yeley and collected Skinner. "What you got, bud?" Bobby asked. "It's way better, it's way better. Be nice if the back end would stick a little bit better and the back end was a little grippier." Bobby wanted to get two tires for track position. "Keep your tires working good. Your brakes were getting a little red. I know you were in tight traffic, so take it easy on them when you can." "Okay, will be one to go this time. One to go," Mark noted. Racing resumed on lap 110 with Johnson leading. Mikey was 22nd, David was 29th, and McDowell was 30th. "Still there, still there," Mark warned. "Still out there. Still there. Clear, clear. Still out there. Still out there. Still outside, still out there." Lap 118 saw Mikey in 20th. He had passed Kevin Harvick and David Gilliland. "Caution's out, caution's out. Got a spin behind us," Mark warned. The sixth caution was on lap 120. Almirola had spun David into Paul Menard. Bobby asked if the air pressure adjustment had made a difference. "It feels good right there," Mikey replied. Bobby noted sheet metal that would need to be cut off if they did come in for a stop. He told the crew to have two saws ready. "Hey, how's my brakes looking?" Mikey asked. Bobby said they weren't glowing like they had been when the leaders were on him the last run. Lap 124 saw the restart. Johnson led, Mikey was 20th, McDowell was 27th, and David was 34th. "Clear, clear," Mark said. "35, last lap. Those are good laps on those tires," Bobby commented. "Still down there," warned the spotter. "Still there. Still there. Clear, clear. Still out there. Clear, clear." On lap 134, Mikey picked up 19th. McDowell was 27th, and David was 31st. "Looking, just looking inside. Clear, clear. Inside, inside. Still down there. Got the 41 inside. Clear, clear all around. Inside, inside. Got another one inside. 96 inside. Clear behind the 96." Mikey was back to 21st on lap 140. "That's all right. Just get your rhythm back. You see how they want to play the game," Bobby encouraged his driver. "Leader stuck in traffic, at the line now," Mark noted. "The last lap was a little quicker there. You run a 70. Just be smooth," Bobby said. "Clear by eight behind you. Got a lot of room behind you." Bobby asked his driver to tell him what the car was doing when he got the chance so they'd have time to work on it. Lap 150 saw Mikey in 20th. "Clear the 96," Mark observed. "Clear the 12. Clear all around." "85, 85. Same as the leader. He's stuck in traffic. Be easy on the brakes here, right now when you have no pressure." By lap 154, David went a lap down. "85, 85. "80. That's faster than the car in front of you and the car behind you. The 29 in front of you is for position. P20. "90, 20.90. Leader at the line now. "85, 85." Earnhardt Jr took the lead on lap 161. Mikey was 19th, having passed Kevin Harvick's #29. "95, 95. Leader 90." "Still clear by five on the 1 car," Mark noted. "Clear, clear." "90, 20.90. Doing good. Doing real good," Bobby praised. "95, 95. All right, you're faster than the next ten cars in front of you." He also noted that the #8 behind him was quicker. "If that 8 gets to you, just let him go so we don't lose no time." "Clear by one on the 8," said Mark. "Clear high, clear high." Bobby told him his times were in the top five or six but to let Almirola's #8 go. On lap 173, Mikey was 20th after Almirola's pass. "Let us know about that leader, Mark," Bobby requested. "Leader at the line... now." "21.05, 05. "20.95, 95. All right, let me know what your car is doing." "More forward bite," Mikey requested. "Okay, 10-4 to the forward bite." The seventh caution was on lap 181. McDowell received the free pass; he was 23rd. "Caution's out, caution's out. Got debris on the race track." "Woo! Good job! Let's get caught up here. Good job hanging on there! You held your own." Bobby called for an air pressure adjustment and four tires. He said the caution was perfect timing. "Hey, they give the extra man yet, Ron? Well that's bullshit." Bobby led his driver to the box and told Mikey how to turn the wheel so they could get the tire off. "All right, get a chance to get your rhythm, buddy. That was a good stretch." He said Mikey had respectable times. "All right, everything felt fine. I just needed to hammer a little bit harder. It turned good right there." Bobby said what adjustments they'd made. He asked about temps, and Mikey was they were at 200. He also noted that the tire changer said the way Mikey turned the wheel that time was perfect. "Hey, your left sides looked real good. We may play that card again toward the end of the race." "Okay, 10-4. It felt fine." Bobby also suggested rotating 2-4-2-4 as the race went on. "Bobby, we're getting a little bit of mist up top. I'll let you know if that changes," Mark noted. "Yeah, we got a little system coming, Mark," Bobby replied. "I appreciate that info." Mark said NASCAR was calling off the restart. Racing resumed on lap 187. Johnson led. Mikey was 21st but fell back with smoke. On the restart, Almirola checked up in front of him. "Still inside," Mark warned. "Got a lot of smoke coming out of there." "Get ready, guys," Bobby told the crew. "Still inside, still inside. Still inside. Clear all around, clear all around. Inside, inside. Clear all around. Inside, inside." By lap 192, Mikey was 23rd. "Clear, clear all around." "Okay, Mark, give me a report as soon as you can." "Inside, inside. Clear. Inside, inside. Clear all around. Mikey hit the wall on lap 195 and went to pit road. "No caution, no caution. Got a right front down, a right front down." Bobby told the crew to get the hammers ready. "Get it cleared. You gotta get it off of it. Get the saw ready. Put on the brake, bud. Mikey asked the crew to put the back of the hood down. "I can't see." "Get the saws ready. Make sure you make that clear. Get it right here." "Don't worry about the hood. Don't worry about the hood. I need to go." "We got it clear. You all right?" The eighth caution was on lap 199 for Bill Elliott's spin. Mikey was now last, five laps down. "Caution's out, caution's out." Mark noted. "Let's go! Get the tire on it! Fix it under caution!" Mikey told his team. A crew member said they needed to cut the bumper bar off first. "I'll tell you, Bobby. I really don't know, Bobby. I really don't know," Mikey commented. "Okay, drop jack. 4750, bud. 4750. What do you got. Come on!" Bobby said. "The steering wheel's in the right place, but I got something going on up there that's bad." "What are you going to do there, Chris?" "Pace car's in the middle of one and two. Make a lap and catch up there." "Okay, come back to me. We got some more cut-up there. Get the tire. Get him another right front ready." Bobby said they needed to fix something. "10-4. Something isn't right there. Maybe I can run around there and run minimum speed." Mark observed that the tire looked farther back in the wheel well. "Pace car off of two." "Let's not worry about the pace car. Just y'all fix it," Mikey requested. "All right. Is it bent, or is it..." Bobby's voice faded off. "You said the control arm is bent, but it's not broke." He said they'd put another one on. "All right, get the parts ready, if you can't keep up with it. Get the spindle. We'll get that right side package ready." "Middle of the back straightaway, coming to the green flag." Bobby told his driver to keep him informed of what's going on when they went back to green. Johnson led the lap 204 restart. Mikey was 43rd and six laps down. David was 36th, and McDowell was 26th; both were lapped. "All right, right now we're six laps down and not racing anybody. We're six laps down," Bobby said. He noted Mikey was okay on minimum speed. "Just keep moving it. Ain't racing nobody right now. Just be smooth man. 60, 20.60. "70, 70." "Still out there," Mark warned. "Clear, clear. Slow one up high - flat tire. Clear, clear." The ninth caution was on lap 213. Elliott Sadler spun Ken Schrader, and Kurt Busch got turned behind them by Yeley. Matt Kenseth received the free pass. "Let's change the right sides and make sure I ain't getting into anything up there," Mikey requested. "Okay, 10-4, 10-4. Right sides. Let's check them all out," Bobby agreed. "If you've got issues, you've got to tell me. I ain't no lip reader or mind reader, so you've got to tell me what's going on. No gas, Art. No gas, Art. Ron, you still go. All right, check it all out, check it all out. Look at the tires. Are they good? Are they okay? Okay, gotta go, Ron. Gotta go, Ron. 2750. You're all good. All right, they all look good, dude. Everything looks good." "Okay, 10-4," Mikey said after the stop. Mark warned his driver about a clean up truck high in Turn 2. "All right, A-frame's bent back pretty good, so just let me know what you've got handling wise," Bobby said. He told his driver they would do a little experimenting. "The next one in line is two laps ahead of us." Lap 219 saw the restart with Johnson leading. Mikey was 43rd and six laps down. McDowell and David were 26th and 30th respectively, both a lap down. "Still out there," Mark warned. "7 car outside. Got another one looking outside. Clear all around. Clear. 29 looking outside, outside. Clear all around. Looking inside, inside. 17 inside. Clear, clear all around. 2 looking inside, inside. 21 inside. That's the last car. Clear all around." "20.90, 20.90. 20.90," said Bobby. "85, 85." "Leader at the line now," Mark warned on lap 233. "95." "Leader at the line now." "21.10. Rain is about ten minutes away. Rain is about ten minutes away. "21 flat." "Clear by eight on the leader," said Mark. "Looking inside. Leader inside. Clear by six behind him. 88. Clear by four. Inside, inside. Clear behind him, clear by six." Mikey went a seventh lap down on lap 242. "Still clear by five. Got the 26 half back. Inside, inside. Clear behind the 26. Clear by eight. Lot of room. Clear by three back to the 31. Inside, inside. He's by himself. Clear all around, clear all around." "All right. Take an easy on those brakes now. Still got 250 to go. 21.10." "Looking inside, inside, inside. He's by himself. Clear, clear all around. Looking inside, inside. All by himself. Clear behind him." "21.40." "Inside, inside. By himself. Clear all around. Clear by ten back to the next car. Clear by ten. Lot of room." "21.40. "20. 20. "20." "Clear by four, back to the 20 car." "40, 40." "Inside, inside. Got a couple more lined up here. Clear by one right there, clear by two. Coming inside, inside. Got another one coming. Got another one inside. 44 inside. Clear by six behind the 44." The tenth caution was on lap 261 for Hornish Jr, who spun. "Caution's out, caution's out. Got a spin off of 2. He's up high, he's up high." "Something happened to my right front brake here, I think," Mikey commented. He said he didn't think he had right front brake, just rear. Bobby said he thought the same thing, then said they'd get the car fixed up. Mikey told his crew chief they could take time, because they were so far back. Mark warned that the rain was picking up. "4750," Bobby reminded. "Okay, right here, right here. Wheels straight. Four tires, four tires. Okay, go by, Chris. Check the back of the wheel to make sure there isn't any fluid or anything." "Checking up here," Mark warned. "Okay, when you get back around, it will be one to go." Johnson led the restart on lap 266. Mikey was seven laps down in 43rd, McDowell was lapped in 24th, and David was lapped in 28th. "Clear all around, clear all around," Mark said. On lap 269, Jeff Gordon took the lead from his teammate. "Spin in front of you. Go low, go low. Caution's not out yet. Keep digging. Caution's out." Patrick Carpantier spun, bringing out the eleventh caution on lap 272. Travis Kvapil turned Carpantier's #10. McDowell received the free pass. "Mark, I think you're having a bad day. I about run over everybody, so I'm having a bad day too. I guess you get those every now and then," Mikey said. Bobby wanted to pit, because he said something was rubbing. Mikey wanted to pit before pit road opened, and Bobby agreed. "Four tires," Bobby made the call. "It's in three," Mark noted. "10-4, 10-4. A little late there, dude." Mikey commented on how his car was actually running better. "I'll tell you, I don't know why it would be, but what'ever's wrecked, when I get on the gas, it makes the car go to the left so good, just like you'd want it to. It just gets in there and cuts." "They're saying the upper A-frame is bent way back," Bobby said. He told his driver they'd check it out after. "Well, whatever it is, if it weren't for the fact that it's crashed and it wobbles around, the front works real good." "We're going to need attrition to work in this race." "Yeah, we need attrition and no rain, but it looks like we're going to get the opposite." "Yeah, 10-4." Gordon led the restart on lap 279. McDowell was 24th and back on the lead lap while David was lapped in 30th. Kyle Busch went to the garage on lap 283. "20.50 that last lap. 20's and 80's. You're running really good." "Slow one up high. Clear all around," Mark warned. "21.30. "80, 20.80. Good lap there." The twelfth caution was on lap 288. Matt Kenseth and Patrick Carpantier had spun in Turn 3. Mark led Mikey through the middle of the scene. By then, the #55 was 42nd with Kyle Busch's departure. "You lock your left front up any during that run?" Bobby asked. "I don't think so," Mikey replied. "All right, I didn't see it either." The crew chief said they'd stay out. "All right, we just picked up one spot. That 18 car is in the garage." "Well that's good. Is that the first one?" "Yeah, that's the bad part," Bobby replied. "I would tell you to take care of business with some of them, but you don't have any front bar." Mikey said he knew and had already tried. Racing resumed on lap 295. Gordon led, McDowell was 22nd, and David was one lap down in 28th. "55. Good lap," Bobby commented. A multi-car accident drew the thirteenth caution on lap 296. Earnhardt Jr had just taken the lead when Greg Biffle got into Ryan Newman, who got into Jimmie Johnson. Reed Sorenson and Kurt Busch were also collected. "All right, we'll just stay out this time. Stay out." "We need to study this car," Mikey commented. "It's just handling way better." "Yeah, me and Billy were just talking about that," Bobby laughed. "We don't need to tear it up anymore." "Who's right there in front of me?" "The 2 car. All right, the 2 car just lost a lap, so he's only one in front of him. Wish you had a bumper left. You could take care of him." "It looks like he's trying to take care of himself." "Yeah, 10-4." "If I'm just a lap behind him, I'll restart in the middle of them. If he gets a lap down, I can get in front of him." Bobby agreed. Earnhardt Jr led the restart on lap 301. McDowell was 17th, and David was one lap down in 27th. "Still out there," Mark warned. "Another one outside. Clear all around. Clear by half. Clear by four. Clear all around." The fourteenth caution was on lap 309 for Mikey's spin. He was in the middle groove and and went around, bumping McDowell. "You're in the middle, you're in the middle. Clear... No caution out. No caution's out. Roll if you can. Caution's out. We need a push." "The starter won't work," Mikey said. "10-4," Bobby mumbled. "Four tires, guys, whenever they come push us off." After a long pause, he asked, "Have they come to get us yet?" "They're working on it," Mark replied. Bobby said they'd take four tires when they get to pit road. "Do you need any adjustments?" "No," Mikey answered. "What's going on, Mark?" "They're just now getting ready to push it." "Yeah, wouldn't want them to rush into anything." "10-4." The #55 was now ten laps down. "I can't get it to start. I've had my fuel switch in both positions. I can't get it to start." "Get ready to spray it, and we'll get some gas in it." "That ain't going to do anything." Bobby said it would if they got some fuel in it and if they got it a push. "How do I tell if I've got my battery, if I've got my killswitch in the right position?" "Yeah, you can't tell." "10-2. There's a light here. It's either on or off. I'll tell you what happened - the battery fell out of it again. I switched it to both batteries, and it started." "Okay, 10-4." "That battery coming disconnected, that's happened to us 100 times I guess." Mark said they would come to the green when he got off pit road. "You've got three more behind you. One more. Pace car's off. Ready? Ready? Green green green." Lap 317 saw the restart with Earnhardt Jr leading. Mikey was thirteen laps down in 42nd, McDowell was 17th, and David was one lap down in 27th. On lap 321, McDowell fell to 18th. "75," Bobby read off lap times. "80. "69, 69. Good lap." McDowell was 19th on lap 326. One lap later, he lost another spot. "79." "Got a spin in front of you, spin in front of you. He's up high. Caution's out." The fifteenth caution was on lap 328; David Gilliland had turned Matt Kenseth. David received the free pass back onto the lead lap. "All right, we'll just stay out right here," Bobby made the call. "Stay out." "I must be rubbing something on my left front, because I see smoke," Mikey commented. "Pit this time, pit this time." He told Mikey to keep it away from the wall a little bit. "Quick, guys. We don't want to lose any more laps. 3, 2, 1. Right here, right here. You're going to have to beat that up, beat that up, Chris." "Did y'all do some air pressure in the right rear just to learn?" Bobby said they went up on the right rear to help with forward bite and to see if it would help him turn off. "Hey, truck driver, bring me a battery. My radio's going dead here." Earnhardt Jr led the lap 332 restart. McDowell and David were 20th and 26th, both on the lead lap. Mikey was thirteen laps down in 42nd. "Clear all around," Mark noted. On lap 337, David passed McDowell. He was 25th, and McDowell's #00 was 26th. "75," Bobby read off lap times. "67 that lap before." "Looking inside, inside. By himself," Mark warned. "Clear behind him." Mikey picked up 41st on lap 344. Scott Riggs had made multiple stops to pit road. "88, 20.88. Okay, you just passed the #66 car. He's in the garage. That's another spot," Bobby noted. "88." "18's back out there. He's back three. Clear by three, back to the 18. Slow one on the outside here. Slow one on the outside. Clear, clear. Clear by one on the 18. New tires. Inside, inside. Clear behind him." "Let's try some air out of the right front before we try that decision," Mikey suggested. Bobby called for two pounds out of the left front on the next stop. "2 inside. He's all by himself. Clear by five on the 21. Leader behind him," Mark noted. "Clear by three on the leader - 88 car. Leader right there with you. Inside, inside. He's by himself." By lap 359, Mikey went a fourteenth lap down. "24 three back, one back. Inside, by himself. Clear behind him. Next car back's the 21. Looking inside, inside. Still inside. 31 car one back, fourth place car. Inside, inside. Clear behind him by five to the next car." Lap 362 saw the sixteenth caution when Kenseth deliberately spun Gilliland. Kenseth was held two laps for aggressive driving. "Got a spin in front of you. Stay low. Caution's out, caution's out." Mikey said the car had better forward run four or five laps ago. Bobby wanted to pit and try the air adjustment. "Pit road will be open this time," Mark noted. "I can't pit and mess up the leaders," Mikey said when Bobby wanted him to pit early. "Okay." "How many cars are on the lead lap?" "25." Robby Gordon had dropped back behind the #55. Mikey was now 40th. David had stayed on track and was 2nd. Blaney was in the lead. Bobby told his driver he had taken air back out of the right rear. "Did we pass that 7 yet, Bobby?" Mikey asked. "Let me look here. Just did. You just ticked off another spot." "Where's the 77 running?" "30th, 30th. 30th, and you're 40th." "Be coming to the one to go this time, one to go." Blaney didn't get going on the restart on lap 367. David passed him for the lead, but Gordon was all over his rear fender. Burton moved Hornish out of the way after Hornish had gotten in the way of the leaders. On lap 371, Gordon took the lead from David. Within the next two laps, the #44 was 4th. "67," Bobby noted the lap time. David was 6th by lap 374. "50 that last lap. Good lap. 60, 60. "50, 50. "65, 65." David was 7th on lap 378. "65, 65." On lap 380, Almirola went to the pits after being involved in many accidents while Blaney went to the garage. Mark noted the smoke coming from the #8. "Inside, inside," Mark warned. "Clear behind him." "83." "Slow one on top here. Inside, inside. Clear all around." The seventeenth caution was on lap 387. "Caution's out, caution's out," Mark noted. "All right, could you tell me anything with that air?" "That air was better," Mikey noted that it turned better and turned off better for a while but then was loose off. "So if you wanted to drop it some more and perhaps give me a trackbar down or something." "Billy, I mean Paul, how many sets of tires do we have left now? Okay, let's do that now. Let's do exactly what you just said on that tire and that trackbar, and see what that combo does." "Did I pass the 8 yet?" Bobby said he would pass the #22 then the #8. "I just hate when I mess things up, but we just messed up a bunch of things today. Me and a bunch of other people." Mikey said he had a decent car but ran into somebody, because he didn't know cars were stopping in front of him. Bobby figured they were in a good position before. "Yeah, I know. It's my fault. I shouldn't have wrecked it, and I did," Mikey said. "I'll just have to be smarter." The #55 went to pit road, and Bobby reminded Mikey how to hold the wheel. On lap 377, Mikey was 39th. "How's Reutimann and McDowell doing?" Mikey asked. "Uh, McDowell's in 15th right now. Both of them are back on the lead lap. They've both ended up getting the lucky dogs. Reutimann stayed out after that last caution and fell back to 11th or 12th on that run. Yeah, 15th and 21st right now. 15th McDowell, 21st Reutimann." "Well that's going to change, because Reutimann was just in the pits." Mikey said he saw the #66 come out from behind the wall. "Did we get him?" Bobby said they did and they'd get the #8 in another lap. "The 66 and the 7 are behind us." Lap 393 saw the restart. Jeff Burton led. McDowell picked up 14th, David was 23rd, and Mikey picked up 38th with Almirola's departure. By lap 397, David was in the garage. "60, 60. Okay, that puts you past the 41. That puts you past the 41." Mikey was 37th on lap 402 with Reed Sorenson in the garage. Schrader's #49 was smoking heavily. The eighteenth caution came out for him on lap 403. Mark noted it was tire rub. "Spinning out here in front of you. Clear the 21. Caution's out, caution's out." Bobby said they would stay out. "44's behind the wall. It's either a gear or a tranny trouble. He's the next one you're going to catch here. In four laps, in four laps." "The 49's going to be the next one. He just dropped an oil pan," Mikey commented. Bobby commented that it looked like the rain would hold off, and attrition would set in. "Staying out, staying out." "Hey, Bobby, would you mind if I came back in and we put the track bar up and put in some air? I think that would really help it," Mikey asked. "Give me a tear off. Off two, it got oil on it." "Yup, yup. Tearoff and trackbar. Go two on that? No tires, no tires." Bobby told Art they were good on fuel but give it a little for security. By lap 409, Mikey was up to 36th with David's departure. Bobby noted that they'd pass the #49 in eight laps. Jeff Burton led the lap 411 restart. McDowell was 20th, Mikey was 36th and fourteen laps down, and David was in the garage in 37th. Hamlin took the lead on lap 420. "Still inside, still there," Mark noted. "Clear all around." "80. "90." "Everybody's checking up there. Still clear. Come on." Mikey was 35th by lap 420, having passed Ken Schrader, who was in the garage. "We just passed the 49 car," Bobby reported. "We just passed the 49 car. Why don't you give those cars in front of you a little room? They're getting a little racy, and we don't want to pile into them." "Clear by half, back to the 41. Inside. Clear behind him." By lap 427, McDowell was 20th. "21 flat. 75 to go, 75 to go," Bobby noted. "Clear by half back to the 7 car. Looking inside, inside. Clear behind him. Clear by three, back to the 21." "This is way too loose off still," Mikey reported on lap 431. By then, David was back on track and was 26 laps down in 36th. McDowell was 19th. "Okay, 10-4. 10-4," Bobby replied. "Clear one back to the 44. New tires. Inside, by himself," Mark noted. "Clear. Leader at the line now. Got the leader four back - 11 car. Looking inside, inside. Got the 31 coming with him. 99 half back, third place car. Inside. Got the 88 and the 24 one back. 88 inside." Lap 440 saw Mikey go a fifteenth lap down. McDowell was 18th. "Clear behind the 24. 21 one back." "21.15." "Got the 48 car three back. Inside, inside. Got two more lead lap cars - the 26 and the 5. Got the 26 two back. 26 looking inside, inside. Clear behind that 26 by four. Got the 07 half back. Inside, inside. Got the 20 with him. Clear right there. 6 car's the next car. He's four back. One back. Inside, inside. Clear behind him. Clear by four to the next car. Clear by two to the 42. Half back. Inside, inside. Got the 1 car looking inside, inside. Clear behind the 1. Clear by two back to the 21. Got the 29 car half back, looking inside, inside. Clear, clear all around. Clear by two to the 21." "50 to go, 50 laps to go. Be smooth with 'er now," Bobby advised. "21.20. Leader 90." "96 car half back. Looking inside, inside. Clear, clear." McDowell passed Kasey Kahne to retake 18th on lap 457. Reports of smelling rear end grease came from all over the track. "40 car inside, inside," Mark warned. "Clear behind the 40. Got the 01 half back. Inside. 21 inside. Clear by ten behind the 21 if you need it. Clear by two to the 15 car. Clear. Clear by two back to the 70." On lap 463, David went a 27th lap down. "Inside, inside. Clear behind him by six," Mark continued guiding Mikey. "Clear by three back to the 18. 18 looking inside. Clear all around. Clear by two back to the 00. Inside. Got another one coming. 49 inside. Clear by half back to the 28. Inside. Still inside. Clear by two." By lap 468, McDowell had lost a spot to Kahne. Mikey went a sixteenth lap down one lap later. "Clear. Clear by two back to the leader. Inside, inside. Clear by six behind him there. Second place car half back. Inside. Third place car half back. Clear by four back to the 24 car. Clear by one back to the 24. Inside. Got the 48 one back. I mean 88 one back. 88. Clear by two behind him, back to the 48. 48 coming inside." "30 laps to go, 30 to go. You're in good shape." Bobby let him know that nobody was around them to race. "Got the 5 car inside. Clear." Lap 474 saw McDowell lose the lead lap. He was 20th, and he unlapped himself. "Got the 20 car inside. Clear all around. Clear by three back to the 26. Inside. 66 inside. 07 inside. Clear by three, back to the 6 car." "25 to go, 25 to go. P35, P35." "Looking inside, inside. Got the 83 lined up behind the 6. Clear by two back to the 29. Inside, inside. Clear behind the 29, back to the 7 car. Inside. Clear behind the 7." With 20 to go, McDowell got lapped again. "Clear by one back to the 43," Mark continued. "Inside. Clear behind the 43. Clear by six back to the next car." "Easy there, hoss. 20 to go, 20 to go," Bobby warned. "Inside, inside. Still down there. Clear all around, clear by one back to the 77. Coming inside. Clear by half back to the 42. Inside. 96 inside. 01 inside." With 15 to go, David was in the garage smoking heavily. "Clear by six, back to the 2 car. Clear by two." "15 to go, 15 to go." "Looking inside, inside. Inside. Clear behind the 19 by five to the 40 car. Clear by one. Inside, inside. 15 inside. Clear by two back to the 10 car. Clear all around. Clear by half. Inside, inside. Clear by two back to the 84. Clear all around. Clear by half. Inside, inside. Clear by one back to the 49." "10 to go, 10 to go." "49 inside. 9 car inside." On lap 493, McDowell got spun. The race remained green, but he had a flat. The #00 went to pit road. Bobby let Mikey know they couldn't gain or lose any more spots. "Still got three more to go. Five laps to go. Five. 5 car coming inside. 5 car's the last one in that group. Clear all around, clear all around. Clear by eight behind you. No pressure. Clear by three, back to the 26 car. Lead lap car. Three to go, three to go. Clear behind him. Clear by ten behind him. Two to go this time. Two to go. Still clear by eight. White flag this time. Still clear by eight. Checkered flag. Got a slow one on the bottom here. Out of gas." Edwards ran out of gas as Denny Hamlin won. Mikey finished seventeen laps down in 35th. McDowell was three laps down in 26th, and David was in the garage 59 laps down in 39th. "You got 35th, dude. 35th," Bobby told his driver. "Sorry about that," Mikey apologised. "I just messed up there on that restart." "Yeah, well we had a better car than it showed. We'll get there next week and do it better. Who all ran out of gas at the end there, Mark? I saw the 83 car go to pit road. Who else?" "99," Mikey replied. "Thanks." Next weekend is the Sprint Cup series' Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Coverage begins Sunday at 1:30pm ET on FOX. The Nationwide Series' O'Reilly 300 runs the day before. Coverage starts at 2:30pm on ESPN2.