Autism Speaks 400 - 5/31/09
A blown engine relegated Michael Waltrip's #55 Napa Auto Parts Camry to a 35th place finish. His drivers David Reutimann and Marcos Ambrose finished 18th and 20th respectively.
David had qualified on the pole, with Mikey starting 29th and Marcos 20th. This was David's second pole of the year.
"1, 2. Hello," someone came on the radio at 2:06pm ET.
"Got you loud and clear," a crew member replied.
"Okay, Michael, you hear me?" crew chief Bootie Barker asked.
"10-4, loud and clear," Mikey replied.
"All right. You can go ahead and turn your brake fans on. Turn your rear..."
Beeping cut him off.
"10-4."
"I'm better today," spotter Ty Norris said. He talked about radio issues yesterday.
"Apparently, I had water in my antennae area," Bootie replied. "Just a reminder, competition caution at lap 30, guys. No fuel before then." He said they may come in before then to work on the car or for tires.
"One more time, Bootie, you said 3800, right?"
"10-4. 3900, so we'll just go with 38."
"All right, bud. You see him getting on pit road?"
"Yeah, I see him. Actually, I can see all the way back to the first third of Turn 3, so I can definitely... I see it."
"All right, bud, since you run that corner, you talk him in."
"10-4, Ty. Sounds good."
"3, 2, 1."
"Just remind me, Ty, when we pit, if it happens to be green for some reason, that we're right quick on pit road," Mikey requested.
"10-4," Ty replied. "What are we, seven stalls in?"
"10-4," Bootie replied.
Ty told Mikey to count from this concrete block.
"You need to work on your talking skills," Mikey told his spotter. "It sounds like you're up against something."
"Is this any better?"
"Not 100%. I mean no, not really. It's all staticky."
"One to go when you get here. Any better?"
"Yes."
"Okay, one to go."
David led the field to the green flag at 2:17pm.
"All right, buddy, pace car's off. Be ready. Ready? Green green green. Everybody's rolling. Car still outside. Still outside. Still outside. You're all clear there."
David led the first lap. Mikey was back to 30th.
"Still outside on your quarter. Still there. Still there. Clear up, clear up. Whatever you need. Still outside, the 82. Clear three back. Nice job."
Juan Pablo Montoya passed David to lead lap 4. Mikey was 28th, and Marcos was 21st.
"Checking up in front of you. Everything's good. Keep going. 14 looking inside, inside. Inside, inside. Still on your quarter, bud. Got one with him, the 31. Clear up behind the 31 if you need it."
Lap 5 saw David reclaim the lead. Mikey was 30th.
"31's trying to peak down low again. Inside still, inside. 31's still there, still there. Now clear. Looking low, 31's on your corner. Inside. You're clear. Half back to the 39. Looking low. Still down there, still there. To your door. 39's still down there, still down there. All right, you're clear there. He broke loose."
On lap 6, Mikey was up to 29th.
"A little loose off," Mikey reported.
"10-4," Bootie replied.
Mikey was 30th on lap 9. David continued to lead, and Marcos was 21st.
"Half back, on your bumper. Still clear, still clear. Still outside on your quarter, still there. Going to be there off the corner. Still there. 7's going to be there too. 24 is there too. Looking low. The 29's down there, 87 on your bumper. Clear two back."
On lap 12, Mikey was 32nd.
"Real loose off," he said.
"10-4," Bootie responded. "Arte."
"Looking outside, the 87. Outside outside. Will be clear behind him, three back. Lap 13. On your bumper. 98's right there with him. Inside. Still clear all clear, one back."
Mikey was 33rd on lap 14.
"Going to have a big run inside, inside. Got a nose under you. Clear there, half back. Big run on the bottom. Right there on your bumper, right there with you. Inside to your door. Look low, trying to look low. Inside. Nose right on your bumper, nose right on your bumper. You're clear there. Seven more, seven more. Stay with him that time. He's right on your bumper. Inside. Big run inside, one back to the 12. Five til the caution, five til the caution. Way in there, he's in there. Still down there, still there. He's losing the nose under us. Just don't want him to get into us. Three laps til the caution."
On lap 29, David and Reed Sorenson were battling for the lead when Greg Biffle went around both of them. Sorenson was the first back to the stripe to lead lap 30. David had gotten loose, allowing for Sorenson's pass.
"Right there. Going to have a run on your bumper. Lap 30. Inside inside. Keep rolling. No caution yet. Keep coming."
Mikey said something to Ty.
The competition caution came out on lap 31.
Ty told Mikey. "Yeah, I just knew who you were racing there. I just didn't want him to get into you."
Bootie asked about the car.
"Too much air all the way around. Too loose," Mikey reported. "Damn it."
Bootie called for four tires, air pressure, and wedge. "All right, it will be 3800."
"3800, 3800, coming this time."
Bootie called Mikey into the box. "One lane one lane one lane one lane. Up, up up. Good job."
"3800, bud, 3800." A minute later, Ty added, "All right, bud, one to go when you get around here. One to go. All right, buddy, you'll be coming to the green. Coming to the green. Pace car's off. Be ready. Rolling. Green green green. Still clear, still clear. 7's trying to get a run. Going to be inside."
Elliott Sadler led the lap 37 restart; he'd taken on just two tires. Mikey was 31st, David 4th, and Marcos 27th.
"Trying to peak outside. Still clear, still clear. Got a run on the bottom. The 7 all by himself. Right there on your quarter."
Greg Biffle took the lead one lap into the run. Mikey was 30th, David 3rd, and Marcos 26th. Meanwhile, David Gilliland went to the garage.
"There you go. Still there, still there. Still there on your corner. Still there on your bumper. Clear clear. Inside inside, inside. Back to clear, right on your bumper."
Dave Blaney went to the garage. Mikey was 29th on lap 42.
The second caution was on lap 45. Tony Raines' left front tire exploded.
"Caution's out, caution's out," said Ty. "Got debris, debris on the front."
"Okay, Michael, I'm listening," Bootie told his driver.
"Still feels the same," Mikey replied.
"All right, guys, get ready."
"It felt maybe just a tick better. Just a little better."
"All right, guys. Get yourselves ready. We may just take four."
"Track position is everything," Mikey reminded his crew chief. He said he'd come in though if needed.
Bootie called him in.
"How's tire wear?" Mikey asked.
"Looks great." Bootie said he'd keep him updated on the tire situation.
"All right, man, one to go, one to go."
The top fifteen drivers had stayed on the track. Mark Martin pit twice due to contact on pit road.
Greg Biffle led the restart on lap 49. Mikey was 29th, David 4th, and Marcos 32nd.
"All right, bud, pace car's off," Ty said. "Ready? Green green green. Everybody's rolling, everybody's rolling. Clear half back. One looking. All good all clear."
Jimmie Johnson led lap 50.
"Three back, three back. Clear up there, two back. 88's still down there. Clear. Great job! Two back."
On lap 53, Mikey picked up 28th. David was 4th, and Marcos was 32nd.
"You're clear two back. That 7's having issues up top. 83's driving underneath you there. 83's still there, inside. Still inside, inside."
Mike Skinner went to the garage. David was 3rd on lap 54.
"All clear there, whatever you need. Clear two back. A peak inside, the 88. He's there to your door. Back to clear. All the way in there, the 88. Clear. Inside, the 88."
On lap 60, Earnhardt Jr passed Mikey and put him back to 29th.
"It will be clear there. One more back to the 5. 5 car inside, all by himself."
"It's pushing real bad," Mikey complained.
"10-4, 10-4 on the push. 25.75," Bootie replied.
Mikey said the car was hitting the splitter. "It pushes off real bad."
"Doing fine. Leader's at the line now."
"25," Bootie read off lap times."
Mikey was 30th on lap 62.
"Still out there, on your corner."
"77.
"63."
On lap 65, Mikey was 31st.
"72."
"I can't hear you!" Mikey shouted.
"10-4."
Mikey was back to 30th on lap 66.
"The pressures seem better, just tight off," Mikey stated.
"10-4, 10-4," Bootie responded. "Arte."
"Outside, outside. Going to be clear behind him," Ty noted.
Mikey was 31st on lap 73.
"83's right there. Going to be looking inside. Half back to the 20. Going to have a run on the bottom. Clear there half back to the ____. Outside. There you go. Clear up off this corner."
On lap 75, Mikey was 32nd.
"78's got a run on the bottom."
One lap later, he was 34th. Marcos had passed. David was still 3rd.
"Still down there. The leader is a straightaway back. Still clear. Going to have a run, have a run. Looking low. The 82 down there with him. Still clear all clear, one back. 78's right there on your bumper. Coming outside outside, he's there. Clear up behind him. One back to the 82. Half a straightaway back to the 48. All the way down there. Clear behind him if you need it."
On lap 81, Mikey was 35th.
"Two back to the 48. Inside. Clear two back. One back to the 16. Looking low. Clear there, three back."
Jimmie Johnson passed Mikey on lap 85, putting the #55 one lap down. Mikey was also now 36th.
"Coming inside. 9's going to be down here off this corner. Clear here, clear. One back to the 9. Inside. Going to be clear behind the 9. That 82's still the lucky dog right now. A run inside, inside. All the way inside. Inside inside, he's there."
"I'm going to wreck it," Mikey said.
"Still a lot of time. Clear two back. Clear behind that 2."
On lap 91, Mikey was 37th. Marcos was 31st, and David was 3rd.
"One back to that 99. He's all by himself. Inside. It's going to be clear behind him. One back to the 1. All by himself. Be clear down there. Clear. Four back."
"Feels like I've got no right rear on it," Mikey complained.
"Looking inside, inside."
"10-4," Bootie replied. "Guys, get ready, in case he has an issue."
"33's going to be underneath. Clear two back, the 39. One underneath. The 2 with him. The 18's underneath clear two back. Clear two back. Inside inside. He's on pit road, boys. Pit road."
Mikey pit on lap 100.
"3, 2, 1."
"Take all that wedge out," Mikey instructed.
"10-4. 38 38 38, all the way."
"All right, bud, 3800, all the way to the yellow line. All right, brother, let's roll. One coming outside. Clear there five back. Four back. 39's going to be right there on you. Outside. Still outside, still outside. It will be clear there. Slow one on the bottom."
Mikey was now 37th, three laps down. Blaney, Raines, and Skinner all came back on track but went right back to the garage.
"Still there, still there. Clear up, clear."
On lap 103, David was back to 4th. Mikey continued in 37th as Marcos ran 29th.
"A lot of people peeling off. Still there, still there. Clear three back. Clear clear."
Mikey was 36th on lap 108. David pit on this lap. He needed more front grip without hurting the exit.
"Still there. Clear clear."
More drivers were going to pit road. On lap 111, Mikey was 35th.
"Michael, obviously, we lot the right front, and the right rear was going flat. You were right," Bootie informed his driver.
"All right, you're two back to the 77. He just came off pit road. Fresh tires. Still clear two back. Still clear. He's coming underneath. Clear there. Two back to the 44, just came off pit road."
Johnson pit on lap 116. Carl Edwards took the lead.
"Still one back."
The third caution came out on lap 117 for debris in Turn 2, in the middle of stops. It was for a bit of debris off John Andretti's car after Andretti hit the wall. David got trapped a lap down. Mikey was down by three. Brian Vickers got the free pass.
"Caution's out. They called a caution for f..."
"This car is just junk. I mean, I don't know what to say to do to it. Take some more wedge out of it, make me hold onto it, I guess. Fucking right front. I don't know what I'm supposed to tell you.
"You don't have to tell me. I don't know. I mean, shit. I'll just drive it."
Bootie said he hadn't wanted to get Mikey sideways.
"Well..."
"Michael, are you still hitting the splitter bad enough, or is it okay?"
"It's all right. That ain't the problem."
"10-4."
"All right, lead lap cars this time. We're coming next time," Ty said. "Pit road's closed, pit road's closed, pit road's closed.
"All right, lead lap cars only."
"3800 and second. You'll have a free entry. Okay, guys, get ready. Shift when the right side drops, Michael." Bootie guided his driver into the box.
"Am I three down?" Mikey asked.
Bootie confirmed this.
"One to go, one to go," said Ty. "All right, the leader is the 48. In about five rows in front of him."
Johnson led the restart seven cars back in line on lap 124. Marcos was 16th, on the tail end of the lead lap. David was 23rd and lapped, and Mikey was 35th and three laps down.
"All right, pace car's off. Be ready. Ready? Green green green. Still outside, outside. Still outside outside. 48's still outside on your corner. Clear two back. Still clear, clear one back. Still clear, still clear. 7's getting big runs on the top side. Clear behind you, three back."
"Michael, we have debris on the grill. You need to turn your fan on," Bootie said on lap 133.
Mikey said he needed more wedge out.
"10-4."
"17's right there on your bumper, right there, looking low. Inside, all by himself. Clear down, two back. One back to the 43. Looking low, inside. Clear there. Looking low. All clear. One back to the 78. Coming outside outside. Clear behind him. Right to your bumper. Clear half back. He'll be all by himself. Clear behind him. Inside inside. Back to clear. One back to the 07. Hey, you've got a car right in front, going into turn..."
The fourth caution was on lap 165; Montoya had lost a tire. Mikey was three laps down in 35th, David 24th and Marcos 20th. David got the free pass.
"All right, Michael, I'm listening to you."
"Pressure's still good. Just pushing."
Bootie told the crew to clean the grill.
Ty noted leaders would come in first, then they would.
"I mean, what it felt like out here is that we had our air pressures so far off at the beginning of the race that it just skated. Now that's right."
Bootie said just make sure they didn't have failures, although that would be on him, and that other people would have other problems. "3800, second gear, shift when the left side drops."
Bootie guided Mikey into the #55 box. "All the way all the way all the way, 38."
"All right, man, one to go when you get here. One to go," Ty said. "All right, bud, you're going to be coming to the green"
Johnson led the restart on lap . Mikey was 35th, David 24th, and Marcos 23rd.
"31's still outside. Still outside. Still outside. Still outside, 98. Still there. A couple more. 7's still outside. It will be clear behind him. Clear two back to the 12. Outside outside outside. You're clear there, half back. 12's got a run up top. Clear behind him. Still clear one back, still clear. 78's got a run now on the bottom, got a run. Got one down there with him, the 83. Clear by three. Clear there. Got one inside, inside. Got one with him. Inside, inside. The 16 down there with him. You're clear, clear. He lost the nose. Clear one back. outside. Clear now, clear clear four back. Still outside, still there. Half back to the 7. 20 with him. Still outside on your corner, still there. Two more with him, 00 and 9. Lead lap. Still there. Clear two back. Still there, clear clear. Still there. Clear there, ten back. All right, bud, no pressure from behind. Leader now. Still out there. Still there. Still out there. Still there. Clear up, clear up." Ty said something about Johnson protecting someone from going another lap down. Still outside. Still there. Clear four back. Still outside. Clear up. Clear clear clear."
Montoya pit on lap 216.
"Clear there," said Ty. "One back, he's there. Inside inside."
On lap 218, Mikey was up to 34th. David was 17th, and Marcos was 18th.
"Still there. Clear, clear. Leader now." He asked Bootie how long until they pit.
Bootie said he was watching the #48.
On lap 226, Mikey was 33rd.
"Car in the wall behind you. No caution yet. Caution's out."
The fifth caution was on lap 234. Denny Hamlin had blown a right front tire and hit the wall in Turn 4. Under yellow, Mikey complained about the silence on the radio.
Bootie apologised and said he'd give Mikey lap times. He also apologised for the bad communication.
"It ain't that, man. It's just static. It's just a hard job." Mikey said he'd wanted to hear something.
Bootie said he'd talk more the next time. "It's definitely my fault. I just didn't want to mess you up." He guided his driver on and off of pit road.
"Michael, your temperatures have been okay?"
"Yeah."
"10-4."
Ty said it was one to go. "All right, bud, you'll be coming back around to the green.
Johnson led the lap 237 restart. Mikey was 33rd and three laps down. David was 15th, and Marcos was 18th.
"Still outside. 98's got the 20 with him. Clear there, clear there. Clear. 20's still out there. Clear up if you want it. Outside outside outside. Clear one back, clear one back to the 18. Still outside. Clear there, clear there. Clear up."
On lap 238, Mikey was 32nd.
"Clear low, clear low. Outside on your corner. Inside and out, inside and out. Inside and out. Still there. Got the 2 on the bottom, 12 car outside. Going to be outside with him. Outside, outside. 20's still there, still there."
Johnson gave Mark Martin lap 241, then retook the lead.
"Still outside, man, outside. Still there. One looking outside, outside. He's there. Clear there. One back to the 83. Clear there, half back."
"46," Bootie read off Mikey's lap time.
"Clear two back."
"71."
"Clear two back. That 42 lame on the bottom. Looking low, inside inside inside. 83's got a run. 83's inside to your door. All clear. Still clear, whatever you need. Still down there. Clear one back."
"59. Good lap."
"Just blew up," Mikey said on lap 254.
"10-4. Try your B box."
"I just, I don't know. I just get tired of having all this stuff happen to me. Crappy cars and crappy motors. Damn."
"10-4."
"10-4. Roger. Clear."
"I hear you, Michael. Try your other battery is all that I can tell you."
"Do batteries smell like oil?"
"No. I'm not trying to patronise you. I'm trying to help. You're right. Come on in here." He told Mikey to go to the apron.
"I know. I was just trying not to wreck."
Bootie told the crew to go under the hood. "Let's see if there's anything we can do. I doubt it. We're dropping oil. We are. 10-4. Drop his hood. Drop his hood, and we'll take it back to the garage." After a pause, Bootie added, "10-4. All right, guys, let's go back there. Rod, see if there's anything we can do. Somebody help me get this bar off here. Once we determine if this is blown or not, we need to divvy our tires up to our teammates."
"It's blown. There's no doubt about it. For the third week in a row. We just have to see if we can patch it."
"10-4, Michael."
"All right, it's done, Bootie. It's done," Bobby Kennedy said.
Bootie said to send half of the tires to the #47 and half to the #00. Somebody said to bring 13 to #2 car of Kurt Busch.
Somebody else asked for the oil jug so they could pump the oil out of the #55.
"Paul, what do you want to do with the scuffs? Do you want to divvy up the scuffs?" He had to repeat this.
"Yeah, if anybody wants them," was the reply.
Somebody said the #1 team was coming for scuff set #15. Later, the #31 team asked for "the Red Bull tires".
"No, they can't. Tell them the Red Bull team wants them back. That way, they have a set of tires," someone else said.
"Paul, the 31's saying they're buying them from Red Bull."
Paul said to wait a minute, that he was almost to the Red Bull hauler and he'd ask them. Once he checked, he said the Red Bull team agreed to letting the #31 team have those tires.
Once the team had no more tires to send away, only having one set of scuffs they intended to keep, the team took off their radios.
Mikey wound up placing 35th, 150 laps down. David finished 18th, and Marcos finished 20th - both on the lead lap.
Stay tuned this week for live updates from Pocono Raceway as mikeypower.com will be at the track. Be sure to check out the forum for updates as well.
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