Mikey Power

Subway Jalapeno 250 - 7/3/09

Michael Waltrip led four laps in the Subway Jalapeno 250, this evening's Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. A caution came out during his reign, at which time Mark Green hit his #99 Aaron's Dream Machine on pit road. Mikey's Toyota sustained significant damage and fell back as far as 35th; however, he came home 11th.

The call to start engines came at 8:10pm ET. The #99 Aaron's Dream Machine rolled off 34th.

Clint Bowyer's #29 led the field to the green flag at 8:23pm. Bowyer held onto the top spot to lead the first lap. Dale Jarrett noted that Mikey was already a factor, a part of the lead group, up to 19th. He was drafting Brian Vickers with Mike Bliss pushing him. The #99 was 18th on lap 4 and 15th on lap 6. Lap 7 saw Mikey in 13th. He slipped back to 16th one circuit later. By lap 10, there was a fifteen car pack ahead of the rest, and Mikey led the second group.

The first caution came on lap 11. Kerry Earnhardt's #31 had been sliding back when Donnie Neuenberger slid up the track and into Earnhardtn in Turn 4. Both spun to the infield, and Chase Austin also sustained damage. Neuenberger went to the garage, and Earnhardt's team worked on the #31 on pit road. Bowyer led the field onto pit road. Brad Keselowski overshot his box, and Carl Edwards got sideways. Matt Kenseth was the first driver back on track. Kenny Wallace stayed out to lead a lap, and when he pit, John Wes Townley picked up the top spot. When he made his stop, cars paired up double file for the first time in the Nationwide Series for the restart.

Matt Kenseth led the lap 16 restart with Mikey in 15th. Jason Keller, who took fuel only, dropped back. Michael Annett slid up the race track and was smoking with a flat left front tire due to contact from Bowyer. Meanwhile, the front runners slid into single file formation. Mikey was still 15th on lap 19. On lap 21, he was 14th, and he was 12th on lap 23. Lap 25 saw Mikey pass Vickers for 11th. Mikey fell back to 14th on lap 26. Two laps later, he was 17th. Mikey was up to 15th on lap 30.

Lap 32 saw him back in 12th. Mikey lost a spot one lap later. On lap 35, he was 11th; however, he was back to 13th on the next circuit.

Kyle Busch took the lead along the inside on lap 35; Justin Allgaier was pushing. Mikey was 12th two laps later. He was 10th on lap 39, and he passed Vickers for 9th. The #99 was up to 6th on lap 41 and 7th on lap 44.

John Wes Townley slowed on the track on lap 45 and crawled toward pit road. The second caution came out on lap 45 as Townley was slow just off Turn 4. The #09 did make it to the box. Annett received the free pass and became the 38th driver on the lead lap.

Cars pit under yellow. Bowyer was first off pit road, and Mikey was 7th after coming in 10th. Kevin Harvick had an extended stay in his box. Dale Earnhardt Jr hit Scott Wimmer coming out of his box; Wimmer had been entering his stall.

Bowyer led the restart on lap 50. Mikey was 6th due to Earnhardt Jr needing to make a second stop. He was third in line along the outside, pushing David Ragan who was pushing Kyle Busch. The outside line gained momentum, and Kyle Busch was in the lead. David Ragan took the top spot from him. Mikey remained 3rd throughout lap 51. At the start of lap 52, he dropped to the inside and continued to push Ragan. Bowyer was pushing the #99. Going into lap 53, Mikey was 2nd.

Mikey jumped to the outside line with Kyle Busch pushing Mikey and Kenseth pushing Busch. The #99 and #6 ran side by side, but the #6 remained slightly ahead.

On lap 55, Busch pushed Mikey into the lead. The #99 dropped down to the low line. He went up high to pick up Busch, but then he slid back down in front of Ragan.

The third caution came out a multi-car wreck. Dale Earnhardt Jr, Justin Allgaier, Steven Wallace, and Patrick Sheltra were all involved. Austin had turned Sheltra into the wall, collecting others. Kenny Wallace drove through the grass to avoid the wreck, and Mike Bliss narrowly dodged Earnhardt Jr and Steve Wallace.

The leaders went to pit road. The #99 had already gone down five rounds and went down another as the car was incredibly loose. Kenseth was first off pit road while the #99 lost seven spots. Mark Green's #49 had run into Mikey's right side when Mikey was well out of his box, and he had no room as Joe Nemechek had pitted crooked with his rear out of the box in front of him. The #99 had to come back to pit road for barribond. He fell back to 35th, the last driver on the lead lap, and he kept making stops.

Kenseth, who took fuel only, led the restart along the inside on lap 65. Ragan grabbed the top spot during the first lap back to racing. Mikey restarted 35th but was 26th by lap 67. He was 28th two laps later.

Meanwhile, Bowyer took the lead. Mikey fell back to 31st when the yellow flag waved.

The fourth caution was on lap 71 for debris in Turn 1. Steve Wallace received the free pass. Cars made stops; few of them were from the front draft. Mikey was 28th after his stop. The first nineteen cars in line had not come to pit road.

Bowyer led the restart along the inside with 25 laps to go. Annett dropped out of the groove and fell through the ranks with another flat tire. By 24 to go, Mikey was 29th.

Another multi-car wreck drew the fifth caution with 23 laps to go. Chase Austin got loose, and he hit Robert Richardson III. Kerry Earnhardt was also involved, and his car caught on fire. Under yellow, Annett's #15 was pushed to the garage.

Bowyer led the restart along the inside line with 17 laps to go. Mikey was 22nd. By 15 to go, he was 18th and pushing Harvick. Steve Wallace was pushing him. Edwards and Ragan made contact, and Annett returned to the track. With 11 to go, Mikey was 13th and three-wide. Bliss gave Mikey a tap that sent him forward, propelling the #99 so that it was the last car in the lead draft.

The sixth caution was with 6 laps to go. Eric McClure, Jeff Green, Kertus Davis, Morgan Shepherd, and Danny O'Quinn were involved. Davis lost a right rear tire, triggering the wreck. On his way to pit road, Davis' #04 burst into flames. The driver hopped out without unhooking first.

Bowyer led the green / white / checkered restart with Mikey in 13th. Edwards challenged, but Busch pushed Bowyer out front.

Just after the white flag waved, the yellow flag was out. Richardson III had come up the race track, and he collected Mike Bliss, Jason Leffler, and others. Bowyer took the checkered flag under caution, and Mikey finished 11th.

Coverage of the Coke Zero 400 begins tomorrow at 7:30pm ET on TNT.