Mikey Power

Stater Bros 300 - 2/21/09

Michael Waltrip finished 15th in the Stater Bros 300, this afternoon's Nationwide series race at California Speedway. An incident with Brandon Whitt during green flag stops cost his #99 Best Western Camry the lead lap early in the race. While he overcame the lost lap, he did not get back to the front.

Mikey rolled off 10th in today's race. During green flag pit stops, he was coming into the pits when Whitt's #61 Ford ran into the #99 and spun it. Mikey wound up backwards in his pit box. Once he got back on track, he was to 23rd and lost the lead lap. He was back to 20th by the time the yellow flag waved.

Kyle Busch led all but three laps during this first run. Brad Keselowski led two laps, and Carl Edwards led one.

The first caution was on lap 51 when Michael McDowell's #47 Pacific Packing Group Toyota spun and caught on fire. McDowell and his team were unsure what happened.

"I got down in the middle of turn one and felt like I was spinning out in my own oil, and then obviously it caught on fire," McDowell said after the accident. "The motor was running. I don't know if we had an oil line or something happen."

Racing resumed on lap 61 with Busch in the lead. Mikey was 17th, one lap down. Four laps into the run, Mike Bliss got a flat left rear tire. Mikey was 16th within the next four laps.

The second caution came with 60 laps to go. Brian Vickers had attempted to force his car under Greg Biffle's car on the apron, and Vickers spun out. Scott Lagasse Jr, who was running in 15th and just in front of Mikey, received the free pass. Drivers pit under yellow.

Busch led the restart with 55 laps to go. Mikey was 16th, the first driver one lap down.

The third caution was two laps later. Greg Biffle spun out Brad Keselowsk, who collected Jason Leffler. Mikey received the free pass.

Again, Busch led the restart. Mikey was running 15th. He remained last on the lead lap throughout the run and gained one spot when Greg Biffle fell out of the race on lap 128 and drew the fourth caution.

When racing resumed, Busch was still at the front of the field. Mikey moved up to 14th one lap into the run but was back to 15th by lap 137. He finished in that position. Meanwhile, Busch won, becoming the first driver to win a Nationwide and Truck series race on the same day.

Coverage of tomorrow's Sprint Cup race, the Auto Club 500, begins at 5:00pm ET on FOX.