Mikey 2nd in New Hampshire! by Kellyanne Lynch
29 June 2008
Michael Waltrip shut off his #55 Napa Auto Parts Camry and coasted during caution laps, conserving fuel during the second half of today's Sprint Cup race in Loudon. Despite his fuel saving under caution, Mikey was passing cars like nobody's business just before the last caution. The #55 team's fuel strategy paid off. Mikey finished 2nd in the rain shortened Lenox Industrial Tools 301. David Reutimann's #44 UPS Toyota came in 19th while Michael McDowell's #00 Champion Morgage Camry fell out of the race with a blown engine and wound up 42nd.
"Got a copy?" somebody came on the radio at 2:07pm ET.
"Okay, guys, one minute, one minute. How does the radio sound?" spotter Ty Norris asked.
"Sounds good to me," Mikey commented.
"Same here, same here," said crew chief Bobby Kennedy.
"Thank you."
The call to start engines came at 2:08pm. The #55 had pit box 21, the #44 had pit box 35, and the #00 had pit box 36.
"Yeah, 10-4," Bobby said. "That 29.7?"
"I don't have any oil pressure," Mikey told his crew. "I don't have any oil pressure, and nobody seems to be worried about it."
Bobby told his driver to cycle the gauges.
"I've cycled the gauges three times so far." A moment later, he said, "It's working now."
"Okay, 10-4, 10-4."
"I'm assuming it's 5200 and second?" Mikey asked, referring to pit road speed.
"That is correct. That is correct," Bobby replied.
"All right, we'll be five past the start/finish line," Bobby told his driver once cars got rolling. "8, 5, 55, 12 on the out. Make sure you have all your switches on."
Ty warned Mikey that cars were checking up a bit. "What are we shooting for there, BK?"
"Second, and 5200, 5200," Bobby replied.
Ty repeated this to the driver.
"That makes sense. Does that give me some cushion?"
"Yeah. Yeah, that gives you a little cushion. 5400 is over, 5400 is over," Bobby replied. He said he gives Mikey three miles an hour over.
Ty and Bobby discussed where they'd spot Mikey on pit road.
"The Hendrick cars are all at 4500 and 4600," Ty said. "I don't know what that means, if it means nothing."
"Make sure you get heat in them brakes, heat in them brakes."
"All right, coming to the green this time. Coming to the green this time," Ty noted.
"This ought to be an interesting start," Mikey commented.
"Yes, sir. It's all jammed up already. Pace car's off. Green green green. Green green green. Let's go," Ty led Mikey to the stripe.
The green flag waved at 2:16pm. Pole-sitter Patrick Carpentier led the field. Mikey was 43rd due to an engine change. One lap into the run, he got around Aric Almirola for 42nd. David was 32nd, and McDowell was 38th.
"Outside. Still there, still there. Clear now. Use whatever you need. Inside. Inside, the 8. He's there. All right, brother. Let's get us a little rhythm here."
Lap 5 saw Kevin Harvick take the lead. David was 32nd, and McDowell was 42nd. Mikey was last.
"It's just all messed up. The front end won't stick to nothing," Mikey commented on lap 8.
"10-4," Bobby replied.
"I'm really, really messed up," the driver said a lap later. He had passed McDowell. David was 31st.
"10-4, 10-4."
"Still outside. Clear out, clear."
Lap 10 saw David move into 30th. He was 29th one lap later. On lap 13, David gained another spot.
"Still clear three back, clear three back," Ty noted. "Outside. Still on your corner. Clear, clear. Gonna look back inside. Inside, at your corner. Clear, clear."
On lap 14, Mikey got around Johnny Sauter for 41st.
"All right, bud. Way to work. You've got a couple others coming back to you too," Ty encouraged.
Mikey got around David Gilliland for 40th on lap 17. David was 27th, and McDowell was last.
"Still there. Still there," Ty warned. "Still outside. Clear now, clear. Way to work it, bud. Way to work it.
"Clear five back. No pressure."
"Feels like it's got too much air in the front tires," Mikey said on lap 20.
"10-4, 10-4. Yeah, I've got air coming out of them right now," Bobby replied. "31.20, 31.20."
"Leader's at the line... now," Ty noted on lap 24.
One lap later, Mikey picked up 39th from Dave Blaney.
"Still there, still there, still there," Ty warned. "Clear half back, clear half back. There you go. Nice corner. Driving away. One back."
"Real tight when I go to the gas," Mikey told his team.
"All right, 10-4, 10-4," Bobby responded. "31.20. That's pretty good right there. Leader a flat. The leader's about two-tenths quicker than them other guys.
"35, 35."
"Still there, still there, still there. Clear out. Clear clear. Keep rolling buddy. One at a time. Leader's just now in 2," Ty praised.
On lap 30, Mikey passed Terry Labonte for 38th.
"There you go. Still clear three back. 77 right there has dropped anchor the past five laps."
Lap 33 saw Mikey pass Paul Menard's #15 for 37th.
"Still outside. Still on your corner. Still there, stil there. Still there just barely, bud. Clear up, clear up. There you go. Nice corners. Clear two back. Keep rolling."
"All right, we're going to take a little air out of both tires and a little wedge. 31.30. Good lap, same as the leaders," Bobby said.
"Good job, buddy. Keep rolling." Ty said the leader was getting caught in traffic. "Still there. Clear out."
Mikey picked up 36th from Sam Hornish Jr on lap 37. Meanwhile, McDowell lost the lead lap.
"31.30, 31.30.
"30, 31.30.
"31.30.
"25, 25.
"35, 35. Same as the leader. In traffic.
"45, 45. Be smooth.
"25, 25. Good lap."
"Nice and smooth. You're catching a bunch of cars there. Leader's at the line... now," Ty said.
"35, 35."
Dale Earnhardt Jr had taken the lead on lap 43.
"50, leader 40. You're quicker than those guys in front of you. You're reeling them in," Bobby told his driver. "60, 60.
"75, 75. Be smooth.
"55. Good lap. Real good lap right there."
"He's still out there. Still there. Great job. Nice decision there! Clear all clear," Ty praised.
On lap 54, Mikey passed Travis Kvapil and Scott Riggs. David was 24th.
"You've got four cars between you and the leader. It's the 88, about half a straightaway back."
"31.58. Good lap," said Bobby. "54, 54.
"60, 60.
"We're ten laps away from pitting, ten laps away. 60, 31.60. We're going to have air out of your front tires and a round of wedge out."
"I feel like it's just air," Mikey replied on lap 61.
"Okay, 10-4, 10-4."
On lap 62, Mikey picked up 33rd when Kasey Kahne dropped off, possibly to pit. Robby Gordon may have pit the next lap, as he also dropped back dramatically. Mikey picked up 32nd.
"That 01 says he's going to pit this time, if you want to work the high side around him. Clear five back," Ty told his driver. "All clear, all clear. Clear four back. Leader's at the line now."
On lap 66, Mikey was 29th. Other cars were pitting. Mikey was 26th on lap 67.
"Clear five back. No pressure," Ty said. "All right, the 28 dropped off to pit. The leader's at the line now. 78's pitting this time. Work the high side through here."
"All right, next time by, next time by," Bobby told his driver. Mikey was 21st on lap 69.
Ty cleared Mikey past cars and told him he would pit this time. "5200 where it turns right. Right there, right there. Okay, come on down. Five past the start/finish. You're ten away."
"Right behind this 12 here. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Wheels straight, put on the brakes. Come on. Wheels straight," Bobby guided. "Go go go. All the way out, all the way out. 5200."
Ty reminded Mikey to keep all four tires below the yellow line until he got off Turn 2. He cleared him back on track. Mikey was 35th and two laps down on lap 71. "All right, when it cycles around, that 29 should be the leader, and he's ten behind you. Ten car lengths, that is."
Earnhardt Jr pit on lap 72. Mikey was marked one lap down in 32nd, and Kevin Harvick picked up the lead the next time around the track.
"All right, bud. Clear three back to the 29. 88 still on pit road," Ty said.
"30.80. That's your fastest lap," Bobby noted. "80. Same as the 29 behind you. Be smooth."
"Still clear one back. Still clear one back."
Mikey lost the lead lap again on lap 77. He was 32nd. David was 21st, and McDowell was 41st.
"Good job, bud. Still clear one back," Ty praised when Mikey regained the lead lap. "Got a look, but you're still clear. Still clear. Half back. Got a run. Looking inside. Still clear. Still clear. One back now."
Mikey got lapped again on lap 81.
"Looking inside. Just looking. Back inside. Back to clear, back to clear. Half back. Inside, to your door. There you go. Back inside. Clear, clear. Half back. 29's got the 9 on his ass."
Lap 84 saw Mikey back on the lead lap.
"Still clear half back," Ty continued as the #29 rode the #55's bumper. "Got a run inside. Inside. Clear, clear half back. Spin in turn 4. Spin in turn 4. Awesome job! Come down on the bottom. Awesome job! That was all you right there!"
The first caution was on lap 86. David had gotten into Dario Franchitti and had spun him into the wall in Turn 4.
Bobby asked if the adjustment had helped.
"I don't know. Not much. A little bit."
"All right, Ty, what we've got here, I'd like to lead a lap if possible. So get caught up here and see what's going on."
"Okay, Franchitti's off the wall, but I'm pretty sure it'll be a couple laps clean-up. He's dropping a couple of pieces around, so..."
"Feels like we should raise the track bar a little bit," Mikey suggested.
"Okay, 10-4," Bobby replied. "It'll be two up, two up."
"All right, we're staying out, right? We're staying out, right? 5 car stayed out."
"Come in." When Mikey suggested two tires, Bobby went with it. "Make it four, make it four. Most of these guys are gone," the crew chief changed his mind during the stop. "Go go go. 5200." Bobby said they wouldn't have gained much.
"Yeah, but I would have taken a couple, because it's hard to pass," Mikey said. He talked about the balance and said he'd hoped to go with two at some point.
Ty noted a lot of smoke off the left front.
"They suck. I don't know what to do about them either."
Bobby asked if they were vibrating.
"Vibrating, and I put some on the back to try to help it turn, and that just made it so loose getting in, I couldn't even deal with it."
"Okay."
Two cars at the tail end of the lead lap. He also said the #5 never pitted. "All right, lappers coming under you. You're at one to go, one to go."
"Good job, pit crew, because those guys we were racing with - the 5 and the 83 - got caught a lap down. All right, got the 96, 78, 42 behind you, bro."
Casey Mears' #5 led the lap 90 restart. Mikey was 29th, David was 22nd, and McDowell was 38th.
Ty warned about cars checking up. "Everybody's rolling now. Everybody's rolling. Clear. Whatever you need. Half back." He warned his driver about three-wide in front of him.
By lap 94, Mikey was 24th. David was 21st, and McDowell was 36th.
"Still there, inside. The 6. Inside," Ty warned. "Still there, still there. Clear if you need it. Inside inside inside. Inside, still there. Clear in the middle. Still out there. Still inside. Clear high. Still there, inside. Still there. Still there, inside. Still there, inside. Still there. He's down with the 96 right there. 96 still there, just inside. Still there, still there. We'll get him, bud, we'll get him. Still there. Clear half back to the 42."
Lap 99 saw Mikey in 25th. JJ Yeley had passed.
"Still clear one back," Ty continued. "Looking low. Clear, clear. Still outside. Still there. Clear, clear. Clear three back, bud.
"Great job. Still there. Clear, clear. Still out there. Still there, still there, still there. Still there in the corner. Still there. Still there. Still there. Clear, clear. One back to the 99.
"Still outside. Still on your corner. Still there, still there, still there. Coming back outside. Clear up. Clear clear.
"Still out there. Still on your corner. Still there. Still outside, just barely. Still on your corner. Not giving you a break there. Still there. Clear. All right, clear two back to the 99. Get back in your rhythm there. Driving away."
"31.20," Bobby read off the lap time.
"All right, take it nice and low. Still clear. Clear behind him. Clear eight back. No pressure."
On lap 111, Mikey fell to 26th with Carl Edwards' pass. David was 19th, and McDowell was 36th.
"40. 31.40."
"Did that track bar do anything for you?" Bobby asked on lap 114.
"It feels about the same. A little bit better," Mikey replied.
"10-4. 35. 31.35.
"20. 31.20.
"25, 25.
"25.
"40. 31.40.
"30. 31.30.
"30."
"Still clear three back to the 42," Ty noted on lap 121. David was 18th. "Still there. Clear, clear.
"Clear low, clear low. Clear either side. Still all clear. I'm trying to get the double not to work the bottom."
"31.30."
"There you go. Still outside. Still outside. Still outside. Clear up, clear."
"Okay, go ahead and get your rhythm. Catch that 96. You're better than him," Bobby encouraged.
"All right, bud. Way to keep working there. Way to keep working. Still there. Still there. Still back inside. He won't give up on you here. There you go. One back. Nice job!" Ty praised.
Lap 135 saw Mikey picked up 25th from JJ Yeley.
"Tell me about your car," Bobby said a few laps later.
"Pretty good," Mikey replied. "Just a little tight."
"Okay, I'm just going to make a little air pressure adjustment, a little air pressure adjustment.
"All right, caution's out. Caution's out for debris," Ty said.
The second caution was on lap 139.
Bobby called for another air pressure adjustment in the right front and maybe a little in the right rear.
"Uh, 200, 240," Mikey gave his temperatures.
"10-4, 10-4."
"All right, bud. Pit road's going to be open when you come around."
Bobby prepared the #55 to pit. "Be on your toes. The 5 car... It'll be about time for him to leave his box when you get here, so heads up."
"All right. On pit road. 5200 and second. 5200. Ten away. All right, you see the 5. You're in good shape with the 5, good shape on the 5."
Bobby told Chris to go over the top of the left front fender after guiding Mikey to his box. "Go go go. Halfway, halfway. 16 on your outside. Halfway. 5200 and second."
"5200 to the end there. There you go," Ty said. "Good job with the work there. I know you still got the extra work, but you still got the 16."
"Chris, did you get done that extra work with the tire?" Bobby asked. "Okay, good job."
"Michael, just for your information, one of those lapped-down cars got down on the apron and passed at the restart, and three more did it too." Ty said that's why cars were high, low, and in the middle. "I don't know if those guys are going to do it again, but those guys made it three-wide. That's why we got so jammed up there. It looks like we're p24. Come on around the lappers. You've got about ten more."
Racing resumed on lap 143 with Tony Stewart in the lead. Mikey was 24th, David was 16th, and McDowell was one lap down in 37th.
"Still clear," Ty said. "Inside, inside, inside. The 40 car on the low line is the one jamming them up. Still there now, still there. Clear for a second. Clear half back. Clear. One looking outside. The 96. Outside. He's there. Outside. Inside and out, inside and out. Still outside. Got the 16 up there with him. Still inside. Clear low, clear low. Still outside. Clear up behind the 96 if you need it. Inside, the 42. Still there. Clear now, the 66 is almost on the bottom."
Mikey was 25th by lap 148. Yeley had passed. David was 15th, and McDowell was 36th and lapped.
"There you go. Still there, still there, still there. Still there, inside. Still there. Back to clear. Clear one back. Clear two back."
Lap 151 saw the third caution when Joe Nemechek spun. Almirola received the free pass.
"77's a lapped car. He's been running up top. Spin behind you. No caution yet. Caution's out, caution's out."
"Does that put us one out for the gas and go? Does that put us one out?" Bobby asked somebody. "How's your car right there, bud?"
"Uh, it's pretty good. That's probably the best it's been," Mikey replied.
"All right, on pit road up here, we need to put fuel in here. That will put us one stop out," Bobby said they'd decide on tires based on what others do.
"Well, we ought to just gas and go. Go gas and go, maybe." Bobby then said the guys behind them would probably do that.
"All right, pit road is open." Ty said they'd come, although the leaders were staying out.
"We'll put one and a half seconds right now. Ready everybody."
"Ten away, ten away."
"Gas and go. Be one and a half seconds. Gas and go. Chris, get the fender here. One thousand one, one thousand two. Go go go."
"5200, buddy. Good job, guys."
"Good. That'll get us away from that 96. We've been a magnet to him."
"He's actually not that bad," Ty replied. "Just for your information, the 5 and the 83, when they stayed out on that run, they run third and third on that whole run, so tires didn't make much of a difference."
"Just a little over halfway. Take a little chance to sit back and relax right here. You're p22 right here, p22. Good shape on your points deal, good shape on our points deal. The 66 and 77 are a lap down here."
"Okay."
"Here we go. One to go. One to go. Here come the lappers," Ty said.
Stewart led the lap 156 restart. Mikey was 22nd, David was 15th, and McDowell was one lap down in 37th. David lost a spot one lap into the run.
"Clear four back, clear four back," Ty said. "Clear two back. 66 is really slow on the bottom when you catch him off of 4 here."
On lap 159, David reclaimed 15th.
"There you go. Clear, clear. Got one looking outside. 43's looking outside. He's there. Outside. Still outside. Slow one up high. Keep rolling on the bottom. Looking low. Still there. Outside, both sides. Clear low, clear low. Three-wide, three-wide. Inside. Clear low. Still outside, the 42. All right, keep rolling. No caution. Keep coming. Clear two back."
Juan Pablo Montoya had moved teammate Reed Sorenson up the hill while side-by-side with Mikey. The #42 had been looking to pass.
"Clear five back. All right, bud. Get that rhythm going."
By lap 163, David was 17th. Mikey was still 22nd, and McDowell was still 36th and lapped.
"Clear one back to the 42. Still outside. Still there. Clear up. Clear clear. Nice corner! Clear two back. Still there. Still there on your corner. Still there. Clear clear. Nice job.
"Inside, inside. Clear there. Clear two back."
"31.10."
Mikey lost a spot to Montoya on lap 168. He was now 23rd.
"Clear by half. Inside, inside, inside. Still there. Inside. Clear low, clear low. Clear the 40. Nice job. Nice... nice job. Nice and easy, bud.
"Still out there. Still there. Still there. Still there. Clear clear. Clear up. Nice job.
"Great job, bud. Clear five back, four back."
"31.20, 31.20.
"31.15, 31.15."
"Still there. Clear, clear."
"25, 31.25.
"20, 31.20.
"20, 31.20.
"35.
"31.20.
"30. 31.30.
"25, 25.
"50. 31.50."
On lap 186, Mikey passed Montoya for 22nd. David was 18th, and McDowell was one lap down in 36th.
"Still down there. Still there. Clear, clear. Awesome job, bud! Way to work it! Clear two back."
"25, 25.
"31.10. Damn!
"20, 20.
"31.15, 15. Leader 31.10."
"Still outside. Still there," Ty warned on lap 191. "Still outside. Still there. Clear."
"35, 35.
"31.15. There ya go!
"35, 35.
"25, 25.
"45, 45."
"Still there," Ty said. "Clear, clear."
On lap 200, Mikey moved up to 21st, having passed Bobby Labonte.
"Still there," Ty warned. "Clear, all clear."
"25. 31.25," Bobby read off lap times.
"Okay, got one blowing up on the front straightaway," Ty said. "Caution's out."
Lap 204 saw the fourth caution when AJ Allmendinger's engine blew. Reed Sorenson got the free pass. Bobby asked about the car.
"Real good," Mikey replied. "Just a little free now. But I like it."
"It'll be four tires. No changes. Yeah, your lap times are real good now. Real good," Bobby said. "All right, it'll be the same deal coming into the pits, sandwiched between the 5 and the 12."
Ty said pit road would be closed, and Bobby reiterated four tires.
"You've got trucks everywhere," Ty warned. "They say pit road will be opened this time."
Bobby reminded Mikey of speed and again said four tires.
"All right, it will be 5200 when you get here 5200. Come on right there. Ten away. Right in front of the 5."
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Right here, right here. Wheels straight, put on the brake. Turn it left, turn it left. Right there," Bobby directed. "Go go go. Straight straight. Go hard. 5200."
"You've got one beside you now. 5200. Don't speed. 5200," Ty said. "95 laps to go, Michael. No one can make it on fuel from here." He asked Bobby if they'd do a gas and go.
Bobby said yes and said they'd have to come back in with 20 or 25 laps to go. No one could make it to the end.
Mikey said something about getting two.
Ty led Mikey around the clean up trucks.
Robby Gordon had stayed on track to lead a lap. When he pit, Joe Nemechek was in the top spot. Under yellow, David was up to 12th. Mikey was 24th, and McDowell was 34th and lapped. With Gordon and Nemechek's stops, David moved into the top ten.
"One to go when you get around here. One to go," Ty said.
"All right, should be 90 to go when you get the green. 90 to go," Bobby told his driver.
"Here come the lapped cars. Here come the lappers," Ty noted. Meanwhile, Greg Biffle was sent to the rear for being too fast exitting pit road.
Stewart led the restart on lap 211. Immediately, the #00's engine blew. He went to the pits.
"Got one blowing up on the bottom, one right in the middle of the race track. No caution yet. Stay up. No caution yet. Stay up. No caution yet. Clear clear," Ty guided. "Slow one on the bottom, that 66. Inside, the 42. Inside. Clear now, clear. Clear, clear."
"Something ain't right," Mikey commented. He was 24th by lap 212.
"One looking inside. Inside outside. Inside outside. Clear up behind the 96. Clear up. Jammed up off of 2. No caution yet. Keep coming. They're four wide in the corner. Come on, keep rolling. You're all clear. Inside, the 42."
Mikey said something about his right front in static.
"Clear there, clear. Hole on the bottom. Checking up on top. Everybody's rolling. Watch them coming. Everybody's rolling, everybody's rolling. Got one outside. Outside and inside. Clear low now. Clear low. Clear high, clear high. You've got the 45 down low."
During that part of the run, the #18 and #44 had made contact. David scooted back, and the #8 bumped him. Then the #8 got spun by somebody else.
Mikey was 26th by lap 216. Ty led Mikey low. "Caution's out."
The fifth caution was on lap 217 for Almirola. Kasey Kahne had spun him out in Turn 3.
"Man, this thing's plowing like we got a bad tire or something. I don't know what to think. Just plowing," Mikey reported.
Bobby said they could put four on it. "Still got a long way to go."
"Raise the track bar too in case they're nothing wrong and the track's just getting tighter. Go up on right rear air or something," Mikey suggested.
Bobby told his driver they'd do something and called for four tires. He and Ty noted that the #5 was probably only getting fuel and would be gone by the time Mikey would come in. He was.
Bobby led Mikey to his box. "Go go go. All the way out. All the way, all the way. 5200. 5200 and second."
"Can we make it?"
"What do you got, Billy?" Bobby asked.
"For about how long is this straightaway, I'm going to shut it off and coast," Mikey said. "I made it almost, so far. Going to make it... yeah, I'm going to make it all the end. So that's what, a quarter mile?"
Bobby said he was five laps short.
"Want to top it off?"
"Let's pit it. Let's pit it," Bobby replied with a slight laugh.
"Michael, there's a truck right in the groove off of 4 here," Ty warned, just before leading his driver to pit road for a splash and go.
"5200, 5200. Take it easy."
"Nice and easy, and when you come around here, you're going to drive right up to the 41, I think," Ty said. "Oh, you'll drive up to the 7. Drive around the 19 to the 7. Be ready. Watch the 8 slow on the bottom. Be ready. Coming to the green. Green green green. Green green green."
Stewart led the lap 221 restart. Mikey was 28th, David was 12th, and McDowell was 42nd and in the garage.
"Clear four back," Ty noted.
Mikey lost a spot one lap into the run.
"21.20."
Kasey Kahne spun, but the race remained under green. He pit.
"Got one inside. The 19. Inside. Slow one on the bottom, slow one on the bottom. Clear high, clear high. No caution yet. No caution yet. Keep going. No caution no caution. You're clear one back. Slow one on the bottom up there, the 10."
Mikey was 30th by lap 224.
"Clear, clear," said Ty. "Inside, inside. Clear behind him. Clear two back."
Mikey was 29th on lap 225.
"Real mess up there. The 40 car's lame up top," Ty warned. "Clear low or clear high. Still there. Clear the 40. Clear. Clear. One back to the 15, one back to the 15."
"31.20, 31.20," Bobby read off times.
"Still out there. Still there, still there, still there. Clear now, clear."
"95. Good lap."
"Still outside. Still outside. Still there, coming back outside. Nice job, nice job!"
On lap 232, Mikey passed Aric Almirola for 28th. David was 13th. David lost another spot one lap later and one more the lap after that. He was 15th.
"Clear two back," Ty said. "Still out there. Still there. Still there. Clear clear."
"All right, we're about three laps short. Three laps short on fuel. We've got rain coming in twenty minutes." Bobby told his driver to get all he could.
"Still out there. Still there. Still there. Clear clear.
"All right, bud. 60 to go. 60 to go. You're clear five back."
"31.05, 05.
"10, 31.10.
"15.
"31.10. Don't let him hold you up when you get to him," Bobby said.
"Still outside. Still there, still there, still there. Clear up. still there. Still there. Clear, clear. Clear two back. All right, bud. Work him over again."
On lap 248, Mikey was up to 27th, having passed Robby Gordon.
"Still there. Still there. Still there. Good run. Still there. Still right there outside. Clear, clear. Awesome, buddy! Clear four back."
Lap 250 saw Mikey get around Greg Biffle for 26th.
"50 to go, 50 to go," Bobby told his driver.
"Still outside. Still there. Clear, clear. Clear all clear."
On lap 253, Mikey picked up 25th from Bobby Labonte. David was still 15th.
"Good job, bro. Nice job! Still there. Clear, clear. Looking low, looking low. Inside, a little bit. Still there. Clear clear. Clear one back now."
Mikey passed mears for 24th on lap 255.
"Clear two back," Ty said. "Still there, still there. Clear, clear. Great job, man! You've got some more coming."
"Get all you can. The rain is coming. Get all you can," Bobby added.
"Nice and smooth. 45 to go. 45."
Mikey was 23rd on lap 256 after getting around Reed Sorenson.
"31.30.
"31 flat, 31 flat."
"Still there, still there. Still outside. Clear, clear," Ty noted.
Mikey passed Martin Truex Jr for 22nd on lap 259.
"31.15, 15."
"Still outside," Ty warned. "Still outside. Clear, clear."
Lap 261 saw Mikey get around Elliott Sadler for 21st.
"Bobby, it looks like it's clearing up a little bit. You're clear five back, Michael. How much would you have to conserve to get to the end?" Ty asked.
"Still outside. Still there, still there, still there. Clear, clear," Ty spotted. "You've got a straightaway on the leader. Thirty to go, thirty to go. Some of these guys will have to pit in fifteen."
"Weather'll be coming in about ten laps, ten laps. We're waiting on that radar."
Bobby said they'd have a gap on the others if they stay out and the others have to pit. Ty said he thought they'd make it.
"Big crash off of 4, off of 4. Back it down. There'll be shit everywhere. Back it down, Michael." Ty guided Mikey along the high side and told him about a tire against the wall in the start/finish line.
"How many laps caution do we gotta have?" Bobby asked.
"You're going to get five or six," Ty replied.
The sixth caution was on lap 271. Dale Earnhardt Jr, David Ragan, and Jamie McMurray had spun. Earnhardt had a tire going down and was going to pit road when McMurray got into him. McMurray hit the wall and
"All right, if you're conservative here, and we get these cautions, you'll be close... I say let's go for it, dude. Let's go for it. Save me all you can right here."
"I'll shut 'er down in front of you here," Mikey said. "Last time, I got about a quarter of a lap. Let's see what I get this time. I guess this counts, but I guess I'll get about half a lap. Back of the back straightaway, and I'm still coasting."
Bobby said they'd take a chance and that a bunch would be in the window now. "These guys were about eight laps away from coming in."
"Well that's all right. That's just the way it works. We'll just stay out here and not pit. Maybe we can't hang onto something decent."
"Your lap times are pretty good there. I know you know that, because you're passing everyone in sight."
Some drivers made stops while Mikey stayed on track.
"That was a good coast there. I got us a whole lap that time," Mikey told his crew under yellow.
"Something's falling off the... well, I don't want to throw him under the bus, but his shock fell off," Mikey commented.
Bobby laughed.
Ty told Mikey he had seven cars
"The 2's left his shock," Mikey said. "It's staring at me. Maybe it's not a shock. I can't tell what it is."
Bobby said Kurt Busch had been complaining about something wrong."
Ty mentioned lightening and the dropping temperature. "NASCAR is looking at the 2 car," Ty said.
"Well, I don't know what it, but it might just be a brake hose. I can't tell," Mikey said.
"They're giving you one to go for some reason. There's still a truck right in the middle of the track here."
"Keep saving her. All we can. We're going for it, dude."
Mikey was now 2nd with Kurt Busch in the lead.
"All right, you're going to be coming back to the green, coming back to the green. 22 to go. You're going to have some lapped cars coming under you, the 7 and the 22."
Busch led the restart with 23 to go. Mikey was 2nd, and David was 23rd.
"Good shift here," Ty said. "Clear behind the 7 if you need it. Clear now. Clear clear. All right, buddy. Nice and easy."
The seventh caution was on lap 280 for Hornish and Bowyer. Montoya spun Kyle Busch under yellow and got damage himself. David was in 21st while Mikey was still 2nd.
"Clear three back. Clear low, clear low. Crash behind you, crash behind you. No caution. Caution's out, caution's out."
"All right, keep saving for me. Keep saving for me."
"I'm coasting. I know. I'm doing all I can do." Mikey acknowledged that Bobby was just saying it because he was nervous.
"I know, it's just easier for me to keep talking to you rather than biting my fingernails."
"All right, just saw the first drop of rain. They're going to open pit road for quicky yellow."
Bobby told Mikey to give him long sweeps so they don't stumble on the restart.
"All right, starting to get more drops up here. I'm thinking they're going to try to restart this thing, but I saw some big drops."
"You're about as bad as Bobby," Mikey commented. "I think y'all get nervous, so you like to talk. I get nervous, and I don't like to hear nothing."
"10-4. I'm done with you then," Bobby replied. "It's all up to you, baby."
"They're saying it's too heavy to restart," Ty commented.
"I could agree with that," Mikey said. "I just... I'm fine either way. If they restart, I could beat him, and if they don't, we'll wait it out, or we'll get second. Second is a way far away from first, but I think I could beat him."
"10-4 on that. I know you can," Bobby replied.
"All right, they're going to bring you down pit road. They're going to bring you down pit road," Ty said at 5:06pm. This was due to the heavy humidity on lap 284 when the field went under the red flag. "I believe they want you up against the wall. The 2 is with the inspectors."
"Hey, Kevin, can you go to channel one?" Ty asked.
"Are we going to stay or go?" Mikey asked with static.
"Yeah, looks like the more coming. It's close. It might just come to the north." Bobby said one sight went down. He was waiting for an update.
The crew spoke back and forth after that. "Ron Auto."
"Yes sir?"
"Just give us a shout when we're clear to come down there, if you need us."
"Yeah, 10-4."
"We're sending you guys an umbrella."
"Thank you."
High winds and hail were coming. The #55 team was told to get their car off the track. NASCAR called the race at 5:15pm, and Mikey got a second place finish while Kurt Busch won.
Next weekend, NASCAR heads to Daytona. Coverage of the Sprint Cup Series' Coke Zero 400 begins Saturday at 6:30pm ET on TNT. The Nationwide Series' Winn-Dixie 250 airs the day before, starting at 7:00pm on ESPN2.