Life Lock 400 - 6/14/09
Michael Waltrip struggled with a loose #55 Napa Auto Parts Camry throughout early stages of the Life Lock 400, today's Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway. He finished two laps down in 30th. David Reutimann finished 19th, and Marcos Ambrose finished 31st, also two laps down.
"Hello?" Mikey came on the radio at 2:07pm ET.
"I got you, bud," crew chief Bootie Barker replied.
Spotter Ty Norris came on next.
"Yeah, everyone sounds lovely," Mikey said.
"Cool deal." When cars got rolling, Ty warned his driver, "They're going to stop there, M-Dub. Watch them checking up."
"You know what might be handy, for all of our cars, if if y'all would put a what speed limit in first," Mikey suggested. "Like, when you leave the pits, you're in first, so it says 7200 and first so you know when to shift first. Sometimes I forget to calibrate first gear to second. Everybody might enjoy that little bit of information."
"10-4," Bootie replied. "Okay. I don't want to confuse the situation, but 7700 would be what it is in first."
Mikey said it wasn't confusing.
"Bootie, I just heard you say the same thing, and I wrote 4900, and that's right," Ty said.
Bootie agreed. "4950 is speeding."
"Unless you're in Kentucky."
"True.
"7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1," Bootie counted so Mikey would know where the #55 pit box was.
"It will be one to go, one to go," said Ty. "Hey, Bootie, I haven't asked you yet. If that first run goes green, are we looking at 40, 42 laps?"
Bootie said yes.
"All right, buddy, pull those belts tight. You're going to be coming to the green this time," Ty said.
Brian Vickers led the field to the green flag at 2:19pm ET. Mikey rolled off 36th, David 4th, and Marcos 33rd.
"All right, be ready. Green green green. Everybody's rolling. Still inside, 71 still inside. Still inside to your quarter. __ Inside with him. Clear three back up top. Still there on the bottom. Nice run. The 07. Still down on the bottom. That 82 has been backing up pretty quick."
Kyle Busch led the first lap as Scott Speed dropped back.
"Three-wide. Inside, the 77."
"Okay, all right, spotter," It sounded like Mikey said. "I'm sideways, man, bad."
"10-4, 41.12," Bootie replied.
"All right, bud, you'll be clear three back, right there."
Mikey was 37th on lap 3.
"40.97."
"Dang dang dang DANG!"
"It's all good. We'll pull a rubber."
"It's not all good! Son of a..."
"196 to go," Bootie reminded him.
Lap 4 saw Mikey in 38th. David was 5th, and Marcos was 31st. Reports stated that Jeff Gordon's #24 car may be smoking.
"41.49."
On lap 6, Mikey was 39th. David was 6th, and Marcos was 33rd.
"41.46."
David was 7th one lap later.
"It's very loose, very loose. I don't know," Mikey said.
"41.68."
On the backstretch during lap 9, Jimmie Johnson took the lead.
"41.66.
"41.73."
"Just one time." Mikey paused. "I've got the most messed up car every week when we start."
"10-4," Bootie replied. "I promise you we'll get it better."
"I mean, it's like we don't even practice, but we magically get it better. This is going to be close if I don't wreck."
"Well, just don't wreck. We'll get it back. You know we'll get it back." Bootie told Mikey to keep riding. "42-0."
"Aw..."
"42.07.
"42.14."
"Just so, so loose. I've never seen a car do what this one's doing."
"10-4. 41.99. Guys, come over here and look at me."
"I might have seen one. Dale Jr at Charlotte."
"10-4, man." Bootie gave Mikey a lap time. "We'll get it, man. I promise you."
"We just start so far off."
"42.09.
"41.99.
"41.87.
"41.84. Good job, man.
"41.90."
Mikey was 38th on lap 21. David was 9th, and Marcos was 35th.
"42 flat."
"Still there on your quarter. Clear, clear back."
Tony Raines and Joe Nemechek went to the garage.
"Clear."
"So frickin' ridiculous. Shit!"
Bootie cut him off with a lap time.
"Clear, all clear."
"42 flat.
"41.91."
By lap 27, Mikey was 36th. He'd passed Scott Speed and Paul Menard. David was 11th, and Marcos was 35th.
"41.89. Great job, Michael."
Sterling Marlin and Dave Blaney also went to the garage.
"Great job, Michael. I know you're doing all you can. Great lap times.
"42.10."
On lap 31, Mikey was 35th, having passed Marcos Ambrose. David was 12th.
"We'll be pitting in nine laps, nine laps," Bootie said. "42.18.
"42.25.
"42.31.
"Just don't overadjust!"
"Okay, Michael."
"The front end grip's good. Don't be messing with it. Just work on the back."
"Okay, 10-4," said Bootie. "We're going to give you a little track bar and _____. That's all.
"Okay, Michael, this time, this time. 4800. Nice and smooth."
"All right, buddy, this time. 4900 at the cone, 4900 at the cone. 4900 at the cone. 4th one, 4th one on the left."
Bootie counted Mikey into the #55 box. Others were making stops as well. "One lane one lane one lane. Outside. Behind the 34."
"49, 49. All the way to the cone. Go go go. Still there. You're clear there, clear there. Clear when you get there. Blend in when you get there."
"40.56."
On lap 41, Mikey was one lap down in 35th. Leader Johnson had yet to pit. David was 16th, and Marcos was 38th.
"Michael, that was a great job getting onto pit road. You got a third of a straightaway ahead of the leader," Ty praised.
"40.81."
"Good adjustment so far," Mikey said.
"10-4. Your lap times are fine too. 40.96.
"41.45.
"41.17."
Johnson pit on lap 42 and didn't lose his lead. Mikey was 33rd, David 14th, and Marcos 36th.
"41.37.
"41.60.
"41.45.
"Leader's the next car behind you, but I know you're doing all you can, I know. 41.81."
"48's working the low line. He's inside, all by himself."
Mikey lost the lead lap around lap 54.
"Still so friggin loose," Mikey said.
"10-4."
"It's gotten worse."
"10-4. 43.20."
Meanwhile, David in 14th was reporting that his car was "evil, evil, evil loose."
"77's got a run on the bottom," Ty warned.
"I just... I don't know."
Bootie assured him they'd take a rubber out and would get Mikey some sidebite on the next stop. "41.88. That's a lot better there.
"41.89."
On lap 56, Mikey was 34th. David was 15th, and Marcos was 37th.
"41.87.
"42.28.
"42.04.
"41.92.
"41.77.
"41.78.
"41.80.
"41.89.
"42.17."
"Two back to the 16. He's all by himself."
"42.40.
"41.99.
"42.05.
"42 flat.
"42.22.
"42.18. We'll pit in the next eight laps, guys."
"All clear. All clear. They're talking about some debris. Caution's out, caution's out."
The first caution was on lap 73 for debris.
"Friggin' loose," Mikey complained.
Bootie said they'd pull a rubber.
"You want to wave around and do it under green or what?"
"No, Michael, we're just going to take our spot. We'll pit second time by."
"Only thing negetative is, if there's a wreck on the restart, we'll have missed our chance."
Bootie said Mikey's thinking wasn't wrong.
"I don't care. If you're going to be a lap down, I'm nowhere near the lucky dog. I don't know. I don't know. So if we run six or eight laps and we pit, we'll still be a lap down but we'll have fresher tires. Y'all decide. I don't care."
"Yeah, I hear you man. There's a ton of cars. Let me just think. They're nothing wrong with what you're thinking. It's just touchy."
Mikey reiterated his stance. "I don't want to lose two laps, but we'll be one lap down. We don't have to pull the rubber. We can lower the trackbar."
Bootie said they'd have to make sure nobody stayed out to lead a lap. Mikey said somebody did.
"If we get that damn lap back, we'll get a shot. Staying out."
Ty lobbied for the free pass.
"If everybody stays out, I'll pit, but I don't think they will."
"If everybody stays out, pull the rubber, not the wedge. You understand?"
"Okay, they're coming. Everybody's coming, so stay out, Michael," Ty said.
"I just, if you're one of the ones in the front, yeah, but we'll see how it works. We might be forgetting something, but to me, to get it back and only be a lap down once you pit and not be in all that mess seems to make sense."
"Absolutely, absolutely. It's worth a shot, man. With the restart, it could be all jumbled up, so it's worth a shot like you said." Bootie said they'd have to pit in eight laps.
"One o'clock one o'clock on the temperatures. It's real loose. I can't drive it. Turns in free, it's okay on the centre. It's real loose on the throttle. It's been like that since lap one."
"Okay."
"Okay, when you get to the start/finish line, come on around."
Bootie said, if they can pit under yellow, they'll also pull tape.
Mikey was the only driver who didn't pit altogether. He was the only wave-around car.
"The end of the field is just now entering Turn 2. You're in good shape. Try to coast. Try to save fuel here," Ty warned.
Bootie said definitely try to save fuel but they wouldn't run him out.
"Well, make plenty of notes, crew chiefs, spotters, team managers, engineers. See how this works. I'm right behind the 1, and he doesn't have a prayer of getting his lap back."
"10-4. I like it."
Ty warned Mikey on the restart. "Watch the 82. I don't know what he's doing."
"Well, that makes three of us," Mikey replied. "You, me, and him."
Johnson led the lap 78 restart. David was 22nd, Mikey was 24th, and Marcos was lapped in 36th.
"41 flat. Good lap," Bootie praised. "Okay, Michael, we're going to pit in four laps. Four laps."
David Ragan almost wrecked on lap 82 but held it together.
"Car in the wall in front of you, in the wall in front of you. No caution yet." Ty said the #44 had hit the wall. "Tell them about the debris in 2."
"10-4," Bootie replied.
"Clear the 1."
"Okay, Michael, this time. This time. 4900."
"All right, how much farther there, Bootie?"
"Pit this time, this time. 4900."
"Pit this time. 4900," Ty repeated. "4900 at the cone. 4900."
"Shift when the left side drops. 4, 3, 2, 1. Nice job."
Mikey pit on lap 85.
"4900, 4900 to the cone. 4900," Ty reminded his driver. "4900 to the yellow line, bud. All right, go hard go hard. Stay down. Blend on Turn 2. Clear five back right there. Clear five back to the 82. One back to the 82. Got a run inside."
"It was a good try, Michael. If we have at it again, we'll get it next time," Bootie told his driver.
"Outside on your door," Ty warned. "Still there. Clear now clear, clear."
On lap 88, Mikey was 35th and one lap down.
"Clear, nice job."
One lap later, Mikey was 33rd. He had passed Marcos and John Andretti. David was 21st, and Marcos was 34th.
"41.48."
On lap 90, Mikey was 32nd. He'd passed Paul Menard.
"Still there. Still there on your quarter. Going to be clear up, clear up."
"Nice job, Michael," Bootie praised. "41.54."
"Just loose as shit," Mikey reported.
"10-4 on that. 41.80."
Mikey was 31st on lap 93. He had passed Sam Hornish Jr.
"Still out there. Still there. Clear up behind him. Closing, closing outside. 39's still on your quarter, still on your quarter. Still with him. You'll get him in a second. Still outside, bud. Still. Closing. Outside, outside. Still up top. Still there."
On lap 95, Mikey was 30th. He'd passed David Stremme.
"Man man man, we are terrible," Mikey said.
"10-4 on that. I hear you," Bootie replied.
Two laps later, Mikey was 31st again. Stremme's #12 got back around him.
"41.97."
"There you go, bud. Take their track away from them. Clear clear. Still up top. Got him cleared clear clear. Still clear three back."
Mikey got back around Stremme on lap 100 and was now 30th. David was 21st, and Marcos was one lap down in 35th.
"42 flat.
"42.28
"42.17.
"42.26.
"42.41."
"Outside. Clear the... one coming on your bumper. Inside inside. Clear there. Clear two back. Still outside to your quarter. To your quarter. He's still going to be there. Two back, two back. Clear now, clear. Clear."
On lap 106, Mikey was 31st. Stremme had passed again.
"42.46.
"42.28."
Martin Truex Jr went to pit road on lap 109. He was black-flagged after hitting the wall. His crew had fixed the car, but the back end was still flapping.
"42.40.
"42.27."
"Still outside. You're clear now. Clear clear."
"Good job, Michael. Way to stay with it, man. Good job. 42.46," said Bootie.
AJ Allmendinger's #44 went to the garage due to earlier right side damage.
"42.14."
Mikey was 30th on lap 112. He had passed David Gilliland.
"Still all the way up there. Still there. Still there. Clear there."
"That ain't real bright. No wonder people get mad at him," Mikey commented. He was likely talking about Stremme.
"Leader now.
"Still there, still there. Clear up clear up clear up. These leaders are going to pit. We've got eight or nine laps on them."
"42.22.
"42.30."
Green flag pit stops began on lap 117. Mikey was up to 28th.
"42.28."
"One back, one back. He's looking inside, fresh tires. Next car is the 77. The 00 as well. Keep digging. The 48 is the leader. He's pitting."
"You gotta give me... frickin ten car lengths, instead of two."
Bootie told Mikey to pit this time.
Ty continued spotting. "Did you say come in this time?"
Bootie confirmed this.
"4900, this time," Ty said.
"Okay, I got you. Shift when the right side drops. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1," Bootie counted Mikey into his box on lap 119.
"900 to the yellow line," Ty said. "Go hard."
Stops had cycled, and Johnson was still in the lead on lap 120.
"Okay, keep rolling. It will be clear when you get here."
Mikey was 30th, two laps down. David was 22nd and lapped, and Marcos was 33rd.
The second caution came out for debris on lap 122. David got the free pass.
Bootie said they'd pit to get the rubber out of the right rear.
"Hopefully they pit. That would be nice," Mikey said. "How many laps to go?"
No one responded.
"That is true. The only leader in front of us is the 48, right?"
"I guess so. But nevermind. Ef it."
"All right, come on around. It's our turn next time. We'll figure out what we're going to do," Ty said.
"I don't know if you can pull out a rubber right now if you don't know if you did help."
Bootie said they were two laps down now, so they couldn't get the free pass.
"But didn't you just make an adjustment?"
Ty said he did.
Bobby Kennedy came on the radio and said the #00 and #47 both pulled rubbers. The #47 was worse, and the #00 was about the same.
"Yeah, it doesn't feel like that," Mikey added. "It already backs into the corner. It backs in. I'd just as soon try it as it is."
"10-4. We can give it a go."
"Or try something else." Mikey said he's sure Bootie tried something else.
Bootie said he'd done trackbar, then said he had something else he could do. "Four tires and adjustments."
The #55 went to pit road. Bootie cleared Mikey behind John Andretti's #34 after the stop.
"All right, coming... it's one to go, so double up."
"Billy, go to channel 1," Bobby said.
"All right, buddy, be ready. You're going to be coming to the green, coming to the green."
Johnson led the lap 126 restart. Mikey was two laps down in 34th. David was 21st, and Marcos was two laps down in 35th.
"Ready? Green green green. Everybody's rolling. About four wide, coming into that corner. Inside inside. Still clear up, still clear up. Clear clear. 77's right there. Outside outside. Still there outside. 00 is closing the hole up top, up top. Stay on the bottom, stay on the bottom, stay on the bottom. You've got a real slow one up top. Inside, inside. Four wide. Clear behind the 31. Still outside, all the way to the top. Outside."
On lap 128, Mikey was 32nd.
"Still got him outside. Three-wide right now, three-wide."
Mikey was 33rd on lap 129.
"Inside and out, inside and out. Both sides. 77's got a run on the bottom. Clear high there, behind the 12. Still down there on the bottom. Still there. Both sides, both sides. Clear high now behind the 12. All right, got a run inside inside inside. Still down there on the bottom, inside. Clear low, clear low behind the 47. 12's got the 34 up top with him. Clear there, clear there. Two back."
"41.38."
"All the way up there, still up top. Clear now. Coming back outside outside outside. Clear by a carlength, clear by two, clear by two."
"41.72."
On lap 133, Mikey was back to 34th.
"38's still out there on your corner. Clear have back to the 47. Still out there. Going to be clear there, one back."
Mikey was 33rd on lap 134.
"One back now to the 34. Still out there. Still out there to your door. Still out there on your corner, bud. Clear back two back, clear up one back."
"41.93.
"41.79.
"41.89."
"Still on your corner. Still there. Clear up clear up clear up. Half back, 00."
On lap 140, Mikey was 32nd.
"41.88.
"89."
"Clear there. Clear one back. Clear two back."
On lap 142, Matt Kenseth made an unscheduled stop.
"Big run. He's one back. Inside inside. Still there. Clear one back."
"42.38."
"That dude needs to go stay in the desert," Mikey complained. He may have been talking about Robby Gordon, who won the Baja 500 last week.
"10-4."
"42.05."
"Still down there. Still there. Clear the 71, one back."
"41.95. Good lap.
"42.08.
"42.17.
"42.20."
Mikey was 31st on lap 149, having passed David Gilliland.
"42.04."
"Spin off of 4. Caution's out."
The third caution was on lap 152 when David Stremme spun out. Matt Kenseth got the free pass.
"Okay, Michael, we're going to do the same thing we did earlier in the race. We're going to let the restart happen, then we're going to pit in five or six laps."
"It's better than it was, but it gets sideways if I get aggressive." Mikey said the car was loose off bad.
Bootie said they'd get the wave-around if all the leaders pit.
"I can probably go twelve or fifteen, right?"
Bootie said that would put them with the cars he's racing, but they could stretch it to try to get the yellow.
Mikey told him the car was better now.
Bootie said they'd use their gut on this one.
Ty suggested staying out for a bit and pitting if they're getting murdered.
"Yeah, we just need to stay out for a little while, and I don't think we'll get murdered. The car's better than it's been all day. So we'll just stay out and see if we get lucky... once."
"Pit road's going to be open to the leaders," Ty said.
"10-4."
Ty reckoned nobody would stay out. Mikey said somebody might stay out for the five bonus points, so they should just stay out anyway.
"Hey, I think we're in good shape. We're in good shape, Michael," Bootie said.
"We're just looking for a little bit of President Obama action. We just need a bail-out."
"Damn, I'll take it."
"We've worked hard and deserve our chance. If we get it, we get it. If we don't, we don't."
"Word." Bootie said, if they stay out a little bit, nobody's going to be able to make it to the end anyway.
Mikey said they'd run whatever's safe and see what they have.
Bootie told Mikey he could make it with two more laps. "I'll just look at the people around us and see what we can do. Hmmm, we have some other takers with us this time."
"Well, this is interesting because of the fuel. What do you mean we can make it? Oh, if we pit in a couple laps. 10-4. We might ought to stay out and get two tires and get enough gas to the finish. Maybe we should get four in case the caution comes out."
Bootie said it was a possibility. "Yeah, Billy just brought up a good point. We're going to need two cans anyway, so we might as well get four."
Mikey agreed. "See what happens."
"10-4."
"That shock adjustment is the first thing that touched this car. That's a good adjustment for your notes there."
"10-4. 10-4 on that."
Ty told Mikey to pull around someone at the start/finish line as they were one to go. "Okay, go ahead and coast. Exit of 2, exit of 2."
"Okay, Michael, we can run about sixteen green, sixteen green laps."
Greg Biffle led the restart on the outside line on lap 157. Mikey was 30th and lapped, Marcos 32nd and lapped, and David 19th.
"There you go. There you go. That's right. As far as we know."
"It's kind of right."
"Get dicey here. It's going to get really dicey. Pace car's off. Green green green. Everybody's rolling. Outside, outside. You're clear to the wall if you need it. Still clear up, all clear. Clear one back, still clear. Outside outside. Clear there. You've got two back. He's got a run on you. You've got another one with him, inside. Still got them trying to come on the bottom, inside. One back. The 98's going to have a big run up top. Clear three back."
Mikey was 31st on lap 159. Marcos had passed him.
"Clear there one back, two back. Two back to the 1. All the way at the bottom, inside. Clear two back."
"Your lap times are fine, Michael. We're going to run another ten laps as it is." Bootie read off lap times. "41.82.
"41.91.
"41.95."
"Still there. Clear clear."
"42.44.
"42.28. Four more laps."
"Maybe just a little tighter, tiny in the back," Mikey stated.
"10-4," Bootie replied. "10-4, Michael. We'll make an air pressure adjustment. 42.02."
"Clear three back fresh tires. Clear two back fresh tires. You're going to be clear there. That 47 will be pitting this time."
Mikey was 30th on lap 169.
"42.47.
"Okay, Michael. This time. This time. This time. 4900."
"4900, coming this time. 4900," Ty repeated. "4900 at the cone. 4900."
"Got you, Michael. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Clean the grill, Chris."
Mikey pit with 30 laps to go.
"All the way, all the way. 4900, Michael. 49. 4900 to the cone," Bootie guided his driver out of the box.
"Okay, here we go. Stay down. We'll blend in in Turn 2. Outside outside. Clear behind the white car. Still outside, the 98. Still outside. Clear now, clear. Half back, half back. Clear."
Mikey was 34th and two laps down on lap 174. David was 21st, and Marcos was 31st and two laps down.
"Still outside, the 43. Clear now, clear. Still there. Clear clear. Clear on the bottom. Both sides. Clear low. Still there. Still there. Clear up, clear."
Mikey was 32nd on lap 175.
"41.76."
"Clear up."
"41.94."
"31's still down there. Clear clear."
On lap 177, Mikey was 31st. He had passed Gilliland.
"Still down there. Still there. Still there on your corner. Still there. Clear clear, two back."
Mikey was 30th on lap 181. He had passed Marcos.
"All clear. Next one's 77."
"41.91. 10-4, 77 next.
"41.68. Great laps right there, man."
"Okay, bud. 18 to go, 18 to go."
"42.02.
"41.78.
"41.87."
"Still there. Still there. Clear."
"42.13."
"Still there. Clear clear."
"12 to go, Michael. 12 to go. 42.06.
"Good job, Michael. The 77 is just in front of the next car, so you're getting him. 42.09.
"06."
"Still there. Still there still there. Clear one back."
"9 to go.
"33.
"93, 41.93."
With six laps to go, Johnson passed Biffle for the lead, but Biffle dropped back inside. Johnson led at the stripe going into 5 to go.
"5 to go, bud, 5," Ty said.
"Flat," Bootie read off the lap time.
"Four more."
"09."
"Slow one on the bottom, the 13. Clear there, clear. Clear the 9, clear. Two to go, two."
Coming to the white flag, Johnson ran out of fuel.
"Guys are running out of gas. Keep rolling, buddy."
Biffle ran out of fuel on the backstretch and lost the lead to Mark Martin. Martin went on to win the race.
"Still out there. This is going to be it here. This is going to be it."
"Great effort, Michael. Good try. You hung in there all day. Good job, crew. You didn't give up."
"It's just a shame to be that far off. Shame shame. But that's life."
"10-4. We'll keep working, try to get it right."
"I know we keep working, but we're not getting much better. But we'll just go to the next one, see what we do there.
"I betcha you can't get anyone to drive it any harder than that," Mikey continued. "So great pit stops."
Mikey finished 30th, two laps down. Marcos was 31st, and David was 19th and on the lead lap.
Next weekend, the Cup series goes to Sonoma. Mikey will not be driving the #55 in that race; Patrick Carpentier will.
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© 2009 Kellyanne Lynch, in association with Cyber Speed Design. All rights reserved.
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