Chevy Rock And Roll 500 - 9/12/09
Michael Waltrip finished two laps down in 32nd in the Chevy Rock and Roll 500, tonight's Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. Issues with the #17 team during the first two pit stops and Matt Kenseth parking in the #55 box on the third cost the Napa Camry valuable track position. David Reutimann finished 20th and Marcos 22nd.
Mikey rolled off 40th tonight. Marcos started 16th and David 23rd.
"You guys got a copy?" spotter Ty Norris was the first on the #55 frequency at 7:59pm ET.
Crew chief Gene Nead responded.
"Thanks, bud."
"It's going to be a little bit tough catching him coming into pit road. You're just going to have to let me know when he's coming to the first pit stall."
"Yeah, 10-4."
"Sound clear there, bro." After a pause, Gene added, "We're looking at 5000 second gear."
"He's still getting hooked up there, Gene," someone said.
Gene repeated pit road speed.
"Hello, testing, 1, 2, 3," Mikey came onto the radio.
"Yeah, I got you loud and clear."
"Yeah, you too."
Someone repeated the pit road speed.
"10-4," Mikey acknowledged. "I didn't hear anyone say that."
"10-4. You were still getting hooked up.
"M Dub, you got a copy?" spotter Ty Norris came on the radio.
"Yeah, I got you. You just didn't have that near tight enough, Ron."
Ty discussed Mikey's pit box position, and Mikey said something about being near the big pole.
"10-4 on the big pole," Gene said.
"So, um, got the 7, the 77, and the 17," Mikey observed.
"Yeah, 10-4. It's 7, 77, 17, then us."
"That should pay off at least fifteen times your bet."
"I was thinking the same thing. Let's make this look like Bristol, Ty." Mikey talked about how they'd come from the back there.
"Yeah, 10-4."
"It was this same bunch of pricks, wasn't it?" He noted the drivers around him. "Tonight's going to be a good, good night."
"Sounds good to me, Michael," Gene said.
"As long as we avoid that other boom boom pow," Ty said.
Mikey told Ty all the responsibility for that was on him.
"Yeah, I accept." Ty laughed. After a pause, he added, "Looks like they've got this track pretty much dry. I think they said four laps of caution. I'll let you know."
"Make sure you hold that pit sign up so he can see it on the way by," Gene told the crew.
"I see it there. It looks pretty," Mikey commented.
"All right, bud. Let's have us a good night."
"What do you have for pit road speed?" Ty asked. "I'm asking that of Gene, of course."
"Say that again?" someone asked.
"5000 and second gear is what we have here."
"Say that again, Gene?" Ty requested.
"5000 second gear."
Gene asked about the rain. "Let us know what you think after a lap. We'll let the inspector know."
"It looks dry to me."
"Scrub them tires in real good, man."
"Okay."
"Gene, I hate to ask you a third time," Ty said. He asked for pit road speed again.
"5000 second gear," Gene repeated.
"I heard it that time, but I heard it squelch. As long as Michael can hear you." He told Mikey to double up.
"Does that sound okay there?"
"It sounds good to me."
"Make sure you get some heat in them tires."
"Okay," Mikey replied.
"Michael, let's leave our brake fans off the first couple laps," Gene told his driver.
"Okay, I hadn't turned them on. Tell me when to turn them on."
"Make sure you have your rear end fans on."
"Check."
"It's going to be two to go, two," Ty said. "All right, buddy, one to go. One to go."
Mark Martin led the field to the green flag at 8:12pm ET, and he jumped out ahead of the field.
"Coming to the green. Pace car's off. Ready? Green green green. Everybody's rolling. Still inside. You're clear now, clear. Clear one back. Looking inside, diving inside. Still there on the bottom. Still there inside. The 8's looking inside."
Mikey was 39th one lap into the run.
"98's still there, inside."
Lap 4 saw Denny Hamlin take the lead.
"Clear one back to the 34, working the bottom. He's there inside, inside. Still there, still there. 34's going to drop down on you on the inside."
The yellow flag waved for the first time on lap 6 for Scott Speed's spin.
"Still down there, still there. Come through the middle, come through the middle. Clear, come on, come on. Caution's out."
"How was your car there, bud?" Gene asked.
"It seemed normal, Gene," Mikey replied. "Nothing to report. Someone tell Mike not to race when the caution's out, to settle the frick down." Mikey was talking about Michael McDowell.
"Okay."
Mikey wanted to take four if no one pit behind them.
"Let's go ahead and get four."
"They're checking up right there, checking up," Ty warned.
"When pit road opens, we'll get four."
The #55 team prepared to pit, and Ty warned that pit road would be tight. Gene told Mikey to go around the #17 of Matt Kenseth.
"Wheels straight, put on the brakes. Sorry about that. Put it in gear." After the stop, Gene said, "All right, I'm going to have to work harder at seeing you get in. It's really hard seeing you get around the corner."
"Got a truck up against the wall going into 3," Ty warned.
"Keep scrubbing the right front in there, bud."
Ty told Mikey to start doubling up. He also warned that the #71 of Mike Bliss was jamming people up on the restart.
Hamlin led the restart on lap 9. Mikey was 42nd, David 18th, and Marcos 19th.
Ty warned Mikey about Scott Speed. "He's going up there to go hit whoever hit him. Watch out. The 14's stuck in the middle out there. Outside, outside. Still there. Three-wide, three-wide. Two. He's right there, right there on your bumper. Still down there, still right on your bumper. Right on your bumper, still right there. Still right there, right there inside. Still right there on your bumper, man. Right on you. Right on you."
"Turn on your brake fans," Gene directed. "Turn on your brake fans."
"Outside, outside. Still there. 36 still outside, still there."
By lap 14, Mikey was 41st.
"Clear the 36. Still outside, still right on your corner. Clear up, clear up. Half back. Still down on your quarter, still there."
"23.10," Gene gave the lap time.
"Clear there, clear."
Mikey was 39th on lap 18. David was 19th, Marcos 15th.
"23 flat. Good lap, bud," Gene praised.
"Leader now. Outside, 87, still there on your quarter. Still there, still there. Clear now, clear."
On lap 21, Mikey was 38th.
"Clear low behind him, clear low behind him. Outside. Still there. Clear high, clear high. Clear half back the 34. Trying to look at the bottom. Clear low if you want it. Two back."
Mikey was 35th on lap 24.
"Still out there. Still there. Still on your quarter, still out there. Clear up, clear up one back."
Gene said Mikey was running one of the fastest laps, but there was a lot of static.
"Still there, still there. Still there on the bottom. Clear there if you want it, clear there one back. Going to dive inside. All good, whatever you need, bud. 98's still down there. Great move! Still there, still there. All clear. Great job, bud."
Mikey was 33rd on lap 31.
"23.55." Gene said something else that was garbled.
"Clear five back. Nice job, man. Still down there, still there. Still on your quarter. Clear now, half back, half back."
"Great job, bud. 23.50."
Regan Smith slowed and went to pit road in his #78.
"23.60. You're doing a great job."
"I know, bud! Leave me alone!" Mikey yelled.
"He's doing fine, Gene. He's doing fine, brother," Ty said.
"23.60."
"Leader now."
"23.50. Good job, man!"
Mikey was 32nd on lap 34. David was 20th, and Marcos was 16th.
"I need a smaller steering wheel," he said.
"23.50.
"23.50. 70's and 80's in front of you, bud."
"Still clear five back. Still down there, bud. Still there. Still there. Clear, clear. One back. Still down inside, the 16. Back to clear. Leader now. He's still got a couple cars between you. Clear one back."
Mikey passed for 31st on lap 44.
"23.80"
The second caution was on lap 45. Tony Stewart took two cars three-wide and spun out himself and Reed Sorenson. David Ragan received the free pass.
"23.80."
"Spin off Turn 4, spin off Turn 4, right in the middle of the track. Go to the very top lane."
"Great job, Michael." Gene called for four tires. "All right, what do we need to do to help you?"
Mikey said he didn't know, because he didn't want to mess with it. "Feels like it has a little bit too much right front air. I don't know. It's a little tight in the centre, but it drives off pretty free."
"Let's just put tires on it." Gene told Mikey to stop short as the #17 was in front. "5000, 5000."
"It's the fifth one around. He's about five behind the 17."
"3, 2, 1. Wheels straight, put on the brakes. Put it in gear. Go go go. Go go go. All the way out, bud. All the way out."
"Well that sucks."
"That was horrible. What happened here, guys?"
"I mean, I, I. I don't know. Just the story of my life, it seems. Shit!"
"We'll be all right, bud. You've got a pretty good race car. Just keep digging."
"Yeah, I know. I got a great race car. Great job."
"The rear tire got away? What are you talking about the rear tire? Our rear tire didn't get away! Find out what's going on. All right, bud, we're up to 30th." He said that was better than where they'd started.
"Did we roll a tire? That's what they said we did."
"We're still arguing here."
Ty said they would lose.
Mikey said they were losing more spots. "If you don't know what you're talking about, just chill."
"Yeah, we had to go to the back."
"Great. Great great great. That's just 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. That's ten car, plus another three. Fourteen cars on a track where you can't pass, so that's great."
"We'll be okay, Michael. Just do the best you can do."
"I am."
"I know. Just keep doing it."
Hamlin led the restart on lap 52. Mikey was 32nd, David 18th, Marcos 17th.
"Still there inside. Still there on your quarter, still there. 82's going to be there with him. 82's looking inside. Clear on the bottom if you want it. Clear topside if you want it. Clear whatever you need, one back. Still outside on your quarter, still there. Still outside. Clear up now, clear. Clear one back. Slow one on the top. Get to the middle get to the middle. Clear up. 82's still outside. Keep going. No caution, no caution. Still outside."
The third caution was on lap 58 for the #78 car of Reagan Smith. Marcos and Jamie McMurray made contact with one another.
"78's not going to make it around," Gene said.
"Caution's out, caution's out. Wave that 26 off."
"How was your car there, bud?"
"The same. Feels like it has too much air in the right front. Everything else is fine. Four tires."
"10-4. Four tires. When pit road's open."
"All right, let's make it clean. We'll get all those spots back from those slugs," Ty said.
Gene guided Mikey around the #17 to his box.
"That's bullshit, Sharpie! That's bullshit!" Gene yelled after the stop.
"Why are we going back to the tail of the field, Gene?"
"The guy in the pit box behind us is screwing us."
"Usually, rules are rules, so I don't know what to do," Mikey said.
"Come on, man."
"Come on. Tell me what we did here."
"This is, this is great."
"Be ready. Ready? Green green green."
Lap 64 saw the restart with Hamlin leading. Jeff Gordon passed for the top spot shortly thereafter. Mikey was 33rd, David 17th, and Marcos 14th. Mikey had to start at the tail end again, because Matt Kenseth's team whined that the #55 team had blocked his exit with the rear tire when it wasn't an actual rule.
Ty warned about a car outside. "The 82. Still out there, still there. You're going three-wide with that 33 who's backing up. 87's inside. Inside, the 19's right on your quarter. Clear, clear. Clear low, clear low. Outside outside, outside. 19's looking outside. Clear up there, clear up there two back, one back. Half back 36, looking low. Still there, still there. Still on your corner, still there. All clear, one back."
"Too loose, way too loose," Mikey reported.
"10-4. 22.30. Too loose on the gas there, bud?"
"On the gas."
"10-4."
"It will be clear up if you need it, half back. 36 on your corner."
"It's so loose everywhere," Mikey complained.
"10-4," Gene replied.
"Peaking inside, at your bumper. Still there, still there. 87. Still there on your quarter."
"23.60. Good lap."
"Still down there, still there. The 34. You'll be clear there, one back. Still there, still there. Clear there, one back. Okay, the 78 fresh tires just came out of the garage, looking inside. Still clear two back."
On lap 91, Mikey passed Brad Keselowski for 32nd. David was 15th and Marcos 14th.
"Still there, still there. Clear one back. Leader now."
"23.70. Nothing but 80's and 90's in front of him."
"Looking low. All clear."
"23.85.
"23.70.
"23.70." Gene said something else that was again garbled. He gave another lap time just after that wasn't clear enough to hear either.
"Still out there. Clear whatever you need, three back. One back."
The fourth caution was on lap 107 for debris.
"Caution's out for debris," Ty said.
"Michael, we need to make sure we get into our box better. They've been bitching about that," Gene said.
"I knew it would come around to being my fault."
Gene said it wasn't, but he was getting bitched it.
"Make a plan. Adjust the car, please."
"We didn't make any adjustments."
"Well, like I said."
"10-4. We're going to make a little wedge adjustment. Four tires, guys."
Mikey pit, and Ty told Mikey to go around the #17 again. But the #17 missed his box and parked in Mikey's. Mikey came off pit road first, because he couldn't pit due to Kenseth's mistake.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa. The #17 went in our box for some reason."
Ty told Mikey to get his five points. Mikey led lap 109.
"Yeah, I believe that was a good point. Good idea. I'm just really frustrated. Everyone is doing everything wrong."
"We're just having a little problem in the pits," Gene laughed.
"Well, I'm glad you can laugh about it."
"We can't cry about it." Gene told Mikey to pit.
Mikey pit, and this time, Matt Kenseth wasn't there. Ty told Mikey that the #19 would be on older tires due to the wavearound. He called Mikey to the green on lap 114. Gordon led, Mikey was 34th, David was 20th, and Marcos was 17th.
"Outside, outside. The 14. Clear low, clear low. Still outside. Clear up now, clear up. Clear up. Inside, inside. To your door. Looking up top. Clear low, clear low. 34's still there. Still outside on your door. Back on your quarter. Inside, inside, inside. All clear, man. Half back. One back. On your bumper, still there. Still outside. Clear up, clear up if you want it. 7 still there. Still on your bumper, still there. Still there. Clear, clear. One back."
On lap 122, Mikey was 33rd. David was 20th and Marcos 18th.
"Still outside on your door. Still outside, outside. Still out there."
Somebody said something that was not clear at all.
"Yeah, I know," Ty replied. "He's not going to move though. Clear one back. Brake smoke. Everything's clear. Still outside, still there. Still outside on your corner. Still there. 6 car outside, still there. Still there. Clear up, clear clear. One back. Still out there. On your corner. Still there. Still out there. Still out there. Clear up, clear up. Half back."
"23.40. Good lap, bud."
Lap 131 saw Mikey in 31st.
"Still there, still there. Still there, right on your corner. Still there. All clear, bud. Half back. Leader now. We're in good shape."
Mikey was 30th on lap 132.
"Still down there, still down there. Clear."
He was 29th on lap 135.
"23.50. Good job there.
"23.50. How's that car running now?
"23.70.
"23.80."
"Half back to that 7. Right on your quarter, right on your quarter. Inside."
"It was good, now it's going loose fast," Mikey reported.
"10-4," Gene replied. "23.70."
On lap 142, Mikey was 30th. David Gilliland in the #7 had passed. David was 20th, and Marcos was 23rd.
"23.70.
"23.70.
"23.84."
"98's on your quarter. Inside. Still down there, still there. Clear four back."
On lap 147, Mikey was back to 31st.
"Leader five cars back."
"24 flat.
"23.90.
"23.80."
Hamlin reclaimed the lead going into lap 152. Mikey was 31st, David 22nd, and Marcos 24th.
"23.90.
"23.80. The leader just ran a 23.74.
"23.90.
"24 flat.
"23.80."
"Three back to the 09 and six back to the 11."
"23.80."
"Three back to the 11. Still one back to the 11. Looking inside, inside. Still there. Two back to the 24. Inside, inside. All the way back inside. Going to be clear behind him."
"24 flat."
By lap 166, Mikey had lost the lead lap. He was 31st, David 23rd, Marcos 24th.
"Three back to the 5. Half back. Inside. Clear ten back."
"24 flat."
The fifth caution was on lap 174 for debris.
"Caution's out for debris, caution's out for debris."
Gene asked about the car.
"It's like I said. It's loose, and it's loose and there's too much air in the right front tire still."
"10-4. Are we just loose everywhere or just off?"
"I'd say loose everywhere. It's loose off." He said it skates too. "I know you're not listening to me, but right front air would help."
"I put air in the right front."
"All those bad pit stops finally got us caught here."
"I got you."
"Stay down through here," Ty said.
"If we get 'er tuned up a little bit, we'll be where we need to be."
"All right, 5000. Five away."
Gene counted Mikey to his box. Meanwhile, Brad Keselowski pit backwards after David Ragan spun him.
"Let's go. All the way out, all the way out. 5000."
"Got three of them there," Ty noted.
"That should put us in front of the..." Gene faded out. "All right, obviously, we're going to be racing the 98 for the lucky dog, bud."
"How many on the lead lap, guys?"
Gene said 27.
"Okay, that should put you on the bottom."
"Nice job with the car. It turns better than it ever has all weekend. We have a good platform." Mikey said the skate made him lose forward grip.
Gene complimented Mikey on his wheeling. "Like I said, we're racing the 98."
Ty noted ones behind them they were racing. "One to go, one to go."
Gene told Mikey to get heat in his tires.
Gordon led the restart on lap 181. Mikey was 31st.
"26 coming inside. Still there. Still there inside. Still inside, 26. Still there, inside. 6 is right on your quarter, 6 is right on your quarter. Inside. Clear low. Trying to look inside, inside. Clear there, two back, one back. Inside, the 82. All the way down, inside, inside. 12's right there on your door. Still inside, the 96."
"Good job, bud. Good job," Gene praised.
"Here we go. Hold that 6 down. Still there."
On lap 189, Mikey was 30th.
"Still there. Inside, inside. Inside, the 12. Half back to the 7. Clear there. Clear there half back, 09. Looking low. Inside, inside. Clear, clear one back."
Two laps later, Mikey was 33rd.
"22.50."
"Three back. Sticking to your bumper, inside."
Hamlin reclaimed the lead on lap 195.
"Clear low, clear low, clear low. Still outside to your door. Clear, clear. One back."
"22.49.
"23.50."
"Clear one back. Looking low. He's inside, inside. Clear. Back inside, back inside. Half back, 88. Inside, inside."
"It's just so frickin' loose," Mikey complained.
"10-4 on the loose," Gene replied.
The sixth caution was on lap 204 for Smith, whose #78 had hit the wall.
"Got one in the wall behind you. Not out yet. It'll be out in a second. Caution's out."
"You've got to frickin tighten me up," Mikey said. "I'm loose in, I'm loose in the centre. Nothing you've done has helped it. I shouldn't say that. It didn't help the last time."
Gene called for a track bar adjustment.
Mikey suggested trying to get the wavearound.
"Man, I'm scared of the wavearound, dude." Gene said the car was bad on old tires.
Mikey told him he couldn't be scared of it and had to have a rationale for his strategy.
Gene called for four tires.
"I should be able to outrun these scrubs, so get me a good adjustment."
"Okay, 10-4."
Mikey prepared to pit.
"Good stop, boys," Gene praised.
"5000, 5000."
"All right, we dropped the track bar a round, bud."
"Man, I don't know how that 26 passed me," Mikey said.
Gene said he didn't know either. "He cut that corner, which should make the segment faster, quicker. I don't know. We'll see.
"Scrub them tires in good there, bud. Hey, man, we're racing the 98, the 26, the 6, and the 96."
"It'll be one to go. We'll double up at the start/finish," Ty said.
Hamlin led the restart on lap 212. Mikey was 33rd.
"It'll be coming to the green. Pace car's off. Green green. 6 still down there inside. Inside. Still right there, inside. Still there, inside. Still down there inside. Clear there. One back, both sides. Both sides. Clear there, clear. Still clear. Inside, going to be looking inside. 87 still there. Still down there. Spin in front of you. Keep coming, keep coming. Come on. Still inside. 87 still there. Still there inside, still there. Now you're clear half back, half back. 47's going to be the first car. He took two tires. Inside. Got him clear, one back. Still clear there. Clear, whatever you want. Clear, half back. 6 is still there, still there. 6 is still on your bumper, still there. Clear the 6, clear. One back."
Mikey picked up 32nd from David Ragan on lap 227. David was 23rd and Marcos 28th.
"Still clear. All clear, bro. Looking low. Inside, inside. Clear. One back to the 6. Inside, inside. On your quarter, he's on your quarter. Still out there. Clear clear. Looking back on the inside. Right on your quarter. Leader's at the line now. Still inside."
Mikey was 33rd on lap 244. Ragan had gotten back around the #55. David was 23rd and Marcos 28th.
"23.90."
"Stayed on your corner. Still there. Clear two cars back to the 11. Clear. Two back."
"23.70. Good lap.
"23.80."
"Plowing. Loose off," Mikey reported.
"Two back to the 11," Ty observed. "Looking inside, inside. Still three back to the 47."
By lap 255, Mikey went a second lap down.
"Front tires are just so bad, so far off," Mikey complained.
"Say it one more time," Gene requested.
"Front tires are just full of air."
"10-4."
"Inside at your bumper, at your corner. Inside, inside."
"23.90. Good job, man."
"Clear half back."
On lap 261, Mikey was 32nd.
"23.90."
"Five back to the 5."
"23.86.
"23.90.
"23.80.
"23.80."
"Three back to the 2, three back. Inside. He's all by himself. Still two back to the 5. Still there, still there. Clear."
"24 flat."
"Got a run on the bottom, the 5. Car inside, all by himself."
The seventh caution was on lap 279 for debris after Martin Truex Jr blew a tire and hit the wall.
"23.87."
"Car in the wall over here in the frontstretch. No cauton. Caution's out, caution's out."
"All right, Michael, we got it real tight that time?"
"It's tight in the centre, it's loose in. Nothing we've done has helped it at all," Mikey replied. "The third run there maybe, I was real good. Then it went off on me."
Gene called for an air pressure adjustment.
"Okay. Pull the wedge back out after that last adjustment, then try to help me with air."
Gene said they'd gone back where they were on air pressure.
"Pit road was still closed. Pit road was still closed," Ty said.
"Tell him half a round up," Gene said.
The leaders pit under yellow.
"We're going to have to come around the 17 here."
"10-4. 17. Stop a little long."
Gene led Mikey to his box. "All the way up, buddy. Good job, guys. 5000 second gear. 5000 second gear."
"They're stopping us up there. Two more coming to the outside," Ty said. "All right, 6 and then the 55. All right, one to go."
Hamlin led the lap 288 restart. Mikey was 30th, David 21st, Marcos 26th.
"Okay, 114 to go. It's going to get really antsy here, so... ready? Green green green. Outside. Clear there, clear. Still clear, still clear. Outside, outside. Outside and inside, both sides. Clear high, clear high. 17's on the bottom. Still there on the bottom. Inside. Down there with him. On your corner. Still there, still there. Clear there one back. Still clear, clear one back. Inside inside inside. Right on your quarter. Still right on your bumper. Right there, inside."
On lap 290, Mikey was 32nd.
"The 7 down there with him, trying to go three-wide. Three-wide. Inside, 26. 26's still there."
One lap later, Mikey was 31st.
"He got it up, he got it rolling."
On lap 294, Mikey was 32nd again.
"Inside, inside. One back."
"Damn, y'all," it sounded like Mikey said.
"One back."
Lap 296 saw Mikey fall to 33rd. David was 20th and Marcos 27th.
"Looking low. All clear. Inside, inside. Still on your quarter. Still there. Still there."
"I don't care," Mikey replied. "We just have it so loose now that it's just undriveable."
"10-4."
On lap 306, Mikey was 34th. David was 19th, and Marcos was 27th.
"Front tires won't turn," Mikey complained.
"Clear one back to the 19 on the high side. Still there, inside. Back to clear. All clear, clear."
"24.80.
"26.60."
"Stay in the middle, stay in the middle. Looking low. Still out there. Clear now, clear, clear. Trying to get a run back on the bottom. To your door."
With 83 laps to go, Jeff Burton slowed with a flat tire. David Stremme had gotten into him.
"Clear the 09, one back to the 11."
The eighth caution with 81 to go for debris from the #31.
"Dig hard if you can. One with a flat tire. Working the bottom. Inside. Caution's out. Way to dig, brother. That saved you a lap."
Gene praised Mikey too.
"You just got my car all messed up, man!" Mikey shouted. "It's so frickin loose on entry, I can't drive it, and it feels like you put air in the right front. It's just plowing the right front. You've made decisions that have hurt me."
Gene said they'd gone back to the start.
"Well frickin do something to the pressures!" the driver continued to yell. "Don't just go back to where it was. You can't say you put it right back to the start and then say you didn't. Just let me know you're working on it, man. Make a difference." Mikey described the car. "I said it needs air out of the right front. I've said it from the beginning."
Gene said they'd taken air out.
"Well take more out. Work with me."
Gene warned Mikey he'd have to drive around the #17 again
"Roger."
Mikey pit under yellow.
"We got some wavearound guys there. I don't know what you thought about that, but we've got some," Mikey noted.
"Yeah, we can make it to the end on fuel, bud," Gene said.
"Roger."
"Keep scrubbing those tires in."
"All right, doubling up here. We'll be behind the 47."
Hamlin led the restart with 75 laps to go. Mikey was 33rd and two laps down. David was 18th, and Marcos was lapped in 27th.
"Be ready. Green green green. 09's going to be outside, outside. Outside, outside. Outside outside. All right, come on around. Didn't hit anything, Gene."
"Four tires, guys."
The ninth caution was with 73 laps to go. Mikey had spun in the grass after the field got bottled on the restart all behind Hamlin. Gordon had lost quite a few spots with the restart too.
"We've got to get the front end cleaned up here," Gene said. "Clean the nose out, guys. Get the nose cleaned up."
"Pace car, Ty."
"Off of 2."
"Turn 2."
Gene told the crew to get the grass and make sure the grill was clean. He then told the crew to fix the right rear corner as Mikey prepared to pit again. He said several times to get the right rear quarter panel fixed. "Okay, we're going to pit one more time. Get caught up. We're going to pit one more time."
"All right, come on down. 5000."
"Arte, take a round out of the right rear." Gene said more, but it was incoherent.
Hamlin led the restart with 67 laps to go. Mikey was two laps down in 33rd, David 17th, and Marcos 27th.
"Be ready. Pace car's off. Ready? Green green green. Clear clear."
Casey Mears had to serve a pass through penalty for not letting the lead lap cars go by.
"Still outside, outside. Stay on the bottom, stay on the bottom. That 13's up there, jamming everyone up. Clear there. Outside, outside. Still outside. Outside, outside. Three-wide there. Two wide, back to two wide. Clear."
"22.70."
"One back to the 88. He's way inside, inside. Inside, all by himself."
Mikey was 32nd on lap 338. David was 19th and Marcos 26th.
"96 diving inside. Still there, still there. Still there inside. Inside, inside. Inside, on your corner, the 96. Still down there. Still there. Inside, inside. 87."
On lap 346, Mikey was back to 33rd.
"Still down there, still there. Got the 19 diving down there with him. Inside, inside. 19 still there on your quarter. Clear there. Clear one back. Looking low. Inside to your door. Both sides, still both sides, both sides. Still both sides. Still outside. Clear high, clear high. Still inside. Clear one back."
"23.33.
"23.60."
"Three back."
"23.60."
"Still there. Clear there, all clear. Still back inside, inside. There you go. All clear, one back."
"23.80.
"23.70. That's 24 flat in front of you."
"Still down there. Still there, still there. Still there right on the corner. Clear there, clear."
Mikey passed Bobby Labonte for 32nd on lap 364.
"Back inside. Inside."
"23.80.
"23.70.
"23.69."
"Still down there. Still there."
"29 to go. 29."
Mikey was 31st on lap 373. He had passed David Ragan.
"Still there. The 09 looks like he's blowing up. He's slow on the bottom. Still there. Clear the 34. Back inside, back inside. Clear the 34. You've got the 11 in your mirror, half back. Inside. Inside."
By lap 377, Mikey had gone a third lap down.
"Clear there, five back."
"23.88.
"23.90."
"Got one blowing up on the front straightaway. Caution's out, caution's out."
Gene asked about the car.
"It was terrible. I can't, it's just so loose in, so loose, and then finally it comes in, and I can run decent but not great. I appreciate it, Gene. A waveby sounds good. I appreciate the work. I'm just off. My skills are there, my brain is on, but the car is just off."
Gene said they just had to keep working on it.
"Yeah, 10-4. My fault. I'm just not able to give you the information you need. It's a lot better, for sure, but still nowhere near where I need it to be to turn and to get into the turn."
Gene told his driver they could get fixed up if they get back a lap.
The tenth caution had been on lap 280 for Brad Keselowski's car blowing up. Marcos got the free pass. During the pit stop, Tony Stewart ran over one of David's tires, and a #00 crew member got hit - Dwayne, the rear tire carrier.
"Make sure you keep cleaning them tires off, bud," Gene advised.
"Okay, come on around," Ty said.
Hamlin led the restart with 14 to go. Mikey was two laps down in 31st, David 23rd, Marcos 24th.
"Pace car's off. Be ready. Ready? Green green green," said Ty. "Outside outside. Outside. Clear behind him. 96 on the bottom. Bobby on the bottom. Inside, inside. All right, everybody behind you has the same tires, except Marcos. Still there inside. Clear. Clear there, clear. Still there, still there. A little bit of a tire rub. I can't tell where it's coming from. Ten laps. I think it might be the left front, Michael. Clear there. Two back to the 87."
Gene said something that was garbled.
"10-4. Clear there, clear."
Mikey was 32nd on lap 395.
"Five laps to go, five," Ty said. "Still outside, still there. Clear there, clear. Three to go, one back. Two to go, two. One more. Okay, that's it."
"I believe, like I said, the car was the best at the end for sure. I just, I just got off in the middle."
"Yeah, 10-4. That's my fault, man."
"No, it's not. We're trying, we're learning, but we got off in the middle. Good job. I appreciate everything."
"You too. You did a heck of a job tonight," Gene said. "That 17 stopping in our pit stall is what got us." He also noted the other issues with the #17 car earlier.
"Yeah, I think all three of them hurt the same, messed up our track position. So just disappointing for us. So thank y'all. We ran decent. We'll just build on that."
"Yeah, 10-4."
Mikeypower.com will be covering practice and qualifying live from Loudon next weekend. Coverage of the Sprint Cup's Sylvania 300 begins next Sunday at 1:00pm ET on ABC. The Nationwide Series returns on September 26th at Dover.
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© 2009 Kellyanne Lynch, in association with Cyber Speed Design. All rights reserved.
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