Dickies 500 - 11/8/09
Michael Waltrip struggled with an incredibly loose #55 Napa Auto Parts Camry in the Dickies 500, today's Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. He played the pit strategy game with wavearounds, but luck wasn't on his side with the last one. He finished three laps down in 23rd. Marcos Ambrose and David Reutimann both ran out of fuel and finished 15th and 16th and lapped when they had been running in the top five throughout much of the race.
Mikey rolled off 40th today. David and Marcos started 13th and 19th.
"Hello out there Anybody hear me?" Mikey came on the radio at 3:22pm ET.
"Yeah, man, I got a copy," spotter Ty Norris responded. "How bout you?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Hey, Bobby Kennedy, you on this channel?"
Silence followed.
"You got me there, Michael?" Gene was on the radio next.
"Loud and clear," Mikey replied. "Everybody sounds good."
"Ty, pit road speed is 4200 and second gear."
"Thanks, man."
The call to start engines came at 3:23pm.
"All right, bud, we've got the 48 behind us on pit road and the 18 in front of us on pit road," Gene noted.
"Okay," Mikey replied.
"Be five away right there, bud."
"Sorry about that, fellahs. I didn't see you standing there. Better now than later, right?"
"Yeah, looks like we're wedged in there between the 48 and 18, 48 and 18," Ty said.
"10-4, Ty. I told him once we were between the 48 and 18," Gene mumbled.
"Ty, if he's trying to talk to anybody, I can't hear him again," Mikey told his spotter. "Like last week."
"10-4, I'll try to do better than that," Gene spoke louder.
Mikey said something that was difficult to understand due to static.
"Watch these trucks up against the wall, at the end of the dog leg," Ty warned his driver. "All right, Gene-o, you said 4200, 4200, right?"
"4200, 4200 and second gear."
"Bud, you're going to be on the outside behind the 96, outside behind the 96, so you'll go around the 31."
"I thought I qualified 41st," Mikey said.
"4-0."
"Oh, okay."
"The 41 was in front of us, but he had to go behind us."
"All right, bud, we made a lot of changes this morning. Hopefully they're all for the better," Gene told his driver.
"Roger, I"m optimistic that they are all for the better," Mikey replied.
"10-4. Me too."
"If it goes green, how many laps are we looking at?" Ty asked.
"50, 51, 52 somewhere," Gene responded.
"Okay."
"Okay, you've got front b blowers and rear blowers as well."
"Do any of them need to be on yet, Gene?" Ty asked.
Gene said no, they'd have to get heat in the tires first."
"All right, 10-4. Bud, you're going to be coming around to the green, coming around to the green."
Jeff Gordon led the field to the green flag at 3:35pm.
"All right, pace car's coming off. Be ready," Ty said. "Ready? Green green green. Everybody's rolling, still inside, 41. Still down there. Still down there. Got the 31 tucked in there with him. Still there 31. Clear there one back, clear there one back. Two back all clear. Spin off turn 2, spin off turn 2. NO caution yet. Okay, back it down back it down back it down. One in the wall on the bottom. Stay straight, stay straight. You've got another one down there. He went off to the left."
The first caution was on lap 5 for a multi-car accident involving Jimmie Johnson, Sam Hornish Jr, and possibly David Reutimann.
"It's no good," Mikey reported. "It's vibrating the front tires, and it's loose in. Loose in the corner and just totally totally skates the tires through the turn, major, and then just nothing off. But just really bad combination of backwards in, and when it lands, it plows."
"All right, 10-4," Gene replied.
"You need to figure out a plan of taking packer out or putting it in or something. It's not going to be very pretty."
"Is it hitting the ground at all?"
"It doesn't feel like it. What happened, Ty?"
Gene started talking about pitting.
"00 got into the back of the 77 a little bit," Ty started, but the crew chief cut him off.
Gene wanted to change rubbers and put on four tires. "Take the rubber out of the left rear and pull a thirty-second out of the left front. Pull all the rubber out of the left rear. You didn't pull any packer out of the left front. Thirty-second I said. Sorry. We'll come back in."
"What'd you say happened, Ty?" Mikey asked.
"The 77 got loose off the corner. I don't know if the 00 got a piece of him." Ty said the #77 shot up the track and collected the #48.
"The 77 spins out all the time though, so I wouldn't have to think David would have to get into him to do that."
"I don't care," Gene said, then directed the crew. He called for all the way down on the right side track bar.
"All right, come on back down here, 4200."
"A round and a half out of the left rear. 4, 3, 2, 1. Stop. Wheels straight. Let's go. Make sure you turn on the left front blower, bud."
"Hold up on the track. There are some trucks on the bottom," Ty warned.
"Do I need any gas or anything?" Mikey asked.
"No, we're good."
"It's going to be one to go right here, one to go right here. You're going to double up behind that 31."
Gordon led the lap 9 restart. Mikey was 36th, David 11th, Marcos 20th.
"All right, bud, be ready. Pace car's coming off. Ready? Green green green. Everybody's rolling. Still down there on your bumper, the 96. Still inside. Clear there one back. Looking low. Inside, 34. You've got the 77 looking with you. Clear right there one back. Inside, inside."
On lap 11, Mikey was 38th. David was 10th, Marcos 20th.
"It's turning a lot better. It's just a lot looser off," he reported.
"10-4," Gene replied.
"No chatter. Just real loose."
On lap 13, Kurt Busch took the lead.
"31.30," Gene read off the lap time.
"The __ has a run on you. Half back, half back. Still out there, still there, still on your outside. Still there. Clear, clear one back. He's trying to come back. He's there. Outside. He's going to be there off the corner, he's going to be there."
"I'm going to hit him."
"Yeah, I know. He's being a goofball. Still going to be there. About half the field is up in the second groove."
"So fucking loose!" Mikey exclaimed.
"Still there, still there. Still coming back outside. You're clear clear, all clear. Clear two back. One back. All clear though."
Mikey was 37th on lap 21. He had passed John Andretti. David was 7th, Marcos 18th.
"31.90," Gene read off the lap time.
"This is, this is just great. I'm going to spin out," Mikey complained.
"Hang in there, bud. We'll tighten you back up when we get a caution. 31.80.
"31.80.
"31.80. We've got 32 teens in front of you."
Meanwhile, Mike Skinner and Joe Nemechek had gone to the garage.
"I just can't hold onto it. I'm not kidding," Mikey said.
"32.20."
By lap 29, David was up to 6th and Marcos 16th. Mikey remained 37th.
"Leader's the 2 car, the line now," Ty warned.
"32.15.
"32.20.
"32 flat."
"Still outside on your corner. Still there still there still there. There you go. Still there. Leader's five car lengths back, just letting you know."
On lap 38, Mikey was up to 36th. He had passed Erik Darnell. David was 5th, Marcos 13th.
"2 car's all the way at the bottom. Still outside on your quarter."
Mikey lost the lead lap on lap 39.
"Still there. All clear. One back, two back."
"32.19.
"32 flat."
On lap 44, David was 4th. Mikey and Marcos were still 36th and 13th.
"31.96. Leader ran an 80.
"31.80. Leader ran a 70.
"31.90."
"Still outside, still there. Clear up now, clear up. He's all the way down at the bottom, you see him. Back to clear. Still down on your quarter. Clear, clear."
On lap 48, Mikey was up to 35th. He had passed Reagan Smith.
"31.12."
"Three back to the 18, three back."
"31.13."
"Inside, 18, all by himself. Some of these guys who didn't pit earlier are going to be peeling off soon. I'll let you know what the leader does."
"32.40."
On lap 53, David pit from 3rd, along with Marcos and others.
"32.12. How much do I need to tighten you up, bud?" Gene asked.
"It's just real loose in, bad," Mikey replied.
Others were making stops.
"32.09.
"32.20."
"That 18's coming," Ty warned. "How many more for us, Gene?"
"We'll run, like, three more laps," Gene replied.
Mikey was 12th on lap 56 as stops continued to cycle.
"Okay, fresh tires four back, fresh tires four back. 71. Leader's going to be pitting this time. Inside. Still down there, inside. Clear three back. You've got one closing, fresh tires. One back. Inside inside. Closing fast, inside inside. 31 two back, just came off pit road."
"All right, we're going to pit next time, pit next time."
Mikey led lap 58 before going to pit road. Ty and Gene guided him to his box. The crew chief reminded the team to be sure to put in wedge. "All the way up, all the way up. Good job, guys."
"All right, 4200, 4200 to the cone," Ty reminded his driver. "All right, bud, let's go. We'll blend you up off of Turn 2."
Kyle Busch led lap 61, after stops has cycled. David was 3rd, Marcos 7th, Mikey one lap down in 34th.
"Three back to the 11. 7 still outside, outside. Clear up there."
"31.06.
"31.50."
"So loose," Mikey said on lap 64.
"31.50."
"Just terrible loose, worse."
"10-4. 31.50. You're faster than the guy in front of you, bud."
"Well, that's funny. I pulled out right behind him. Now, I can't see him."
"31.56. The next car in front of you is running 32.20's."
"I'm going to spin out. I don't want to argue with you about anything, so just be quiet."
"Keep doing the best you can. It's a good wave around opportunity, if you can get it. __'s got a big run outside, big run outside. Three back to the 42. Back to that 42, working the high side, it will be clear behind him, back to that 96. Clear three back. We're fine here."
Gene told Mikey to try putting on alll his blowers.
"They've been on. The fronts have been on. The backs have been on. It's been in every configuration it could be."
"10-4."
"It's just so incredibly loose that it doesn't even touch it."
By lap 82, David and Marcus ran 3rd and 5th. Mikey was still 34th.
"Still there, still there. Clear now clear, clear one back. Clear one back. He's going to have a run, halfback. Clear by two now, clear by two. One back to the 9 now, one back to the 9. Lead lap. Looking outside. Clear up behind him, clear up behind him. Clear three back to the 77."
The second caution was on lap 87 when Sam Hornish Jr spun out again.
"A spin behind you, the 77. No caution yet. Caution's out, caution's out," Ty said.
"I cannot drive it. All I do is coast around." Mikey said anyone could go frontways into the corner, but nobody could back into the corners, and he was having to save his own ass repeatedly.
"All right, let's put the rubber back in the right rear," Gene determined.
"Gene, what are you about twenty laps from pitting anyway?" asked the spotter.
"Yeah, let's stop and get our car better."
"Yeah, 10-4. It will be second time by, Michael. Second time by."
"Make sure we take them rounds we put in the rear back out. That didn't help any anyway."
"Now I have no rear grip on entry. It's just sideways. Is there a shock we need to sweep on the right rear?" Mikey told his crew to really consider this, and that he appreciated their work.
"I don't want to close the right rear. If we close the right rear, it's going to get it worse."
"These things work both ways."
"That's what we're working on."
Ty and Gene guided Mikey to his box.
"Take your time, guys," Gene told the crew. "Make sure we get this right. Open the right rear, open the right rear. Don't close it up. All the way out, bud. You got both rubbers in, right?"
"42, 42," Ty added. "All right, bud, we're on one to go, one to go. We'll be lining up behind that 43, blue car."
Mikey was 35th and lapped after his stop. David and Marcos were 3rd and 5th.
"82 is dropping to the back. Penalty car. All right, let's watch this 34's wavearound deal. Coming to the green."
Kyle Busch led the restart on lap 92.
"All right, pace car's off, be ready. Ready? Green green green. Everybody's rolling, still inside, 78. Still down there, still there. 71 looking low, half back, half back. All clear all clear. Still there, 21, clear him. Clear half back 71. One back."
David dropped to 4th and Marcos 6th one lap into the run. Mikey remained 35th.
"Looking low. Inside, he's there. Inside. Clear clear. Still outside, outside. The 6. Outside. Both sides both sides. Got one high, inside. 12, 21's on the corner. Clear high."
"Just so crazy," Mikey said. "It's like the shock man's playing a joke on me. Doesn't feel like there are any shocks on the front. A car gets near me, and it basically wipes me out. It's impossible to drive. I wish someone was here to try it, besides me. This is fucked."
"10-4," Gene replied.
"Still out there. Still on your corner, still there. Clear the 7, clear clear. Two back."
By lap 99, Mikey was back to 37th. David was 4th and Marcos 5th.
"Clear one back, clear one back. Have a run, the 7. Outside outside. Clear up right there if you want it."
"It's like I've got no bump steer and no tow."
"10-4."
"It's totally a joke. It's got nothing in the front. It's like we're trying to dump it in a foot."
On lap 101, Marcos passed David for 4th.
"Still out there, still there. He's still going to be on your quarter off the corner. Still there. Two back if you need it."
"There's no way you could have made it any more difficult to drive."
"Still out there. Still out there. Still clear up, clear up."
"Did we help the loose in at all?"
"You haven't done sh..." Mikey cut out. "It's so darty, and it's so loose."
"10-4."
"I'm not exaggerating. It's like we don't have any knowledge of how to make a front end help me. I'm totally steering it every second to the right."
On lap 105, Mikey was 36th. Marcos was 3rd, David 5th.
"The only thing that helps is when I lay up off the flag stand," Mikey said it helped him get into the centre. "That's all."
Gene gave the lap time. "That's about a twelfth place car."
"Please don't tell me that, please. Just tell me you understand what I'm saying about the car."
"I understand it."
"Clear two back to the 7, two back. Working the high side, the high side. Coming outside outside outside."
"There goes the 13th place car then."
"Three back, two back to the 19. One back to the 19. Looking low, 19."
On lap 116, Johnson's #48 returned to the track. He was 43rd.
"Clear clear, clear clear."
"This car is unbelieveable," Mikey complained.
"Slow one on the bottom, slow one on the bottom. Okay, you're good."
Mikey was 35th on lap 118. Meanwhile, the #48 pit with tire rub.
"Way too much right front air now."
"10-4," Gene replied.
"Two back to the 19, and he's got the 18 right on his bumper. Good job. Inside, the 18. Clear behind him."
On lap 124, Mikey went a second lap down. He was 35th, Marcos 3rd, David 5th.
"Two back to the 2 car, second place. Inside inside. Coming inside, 47. Clear behind him. Next lead lap, the 14. Five back."
"32.30.
"32.30."
"Got a look downside. 14. Half back. Still clear. One back. Inside 14, all by himself. Three back to the 00, three back. Inside inside, the 00. Got one on his bumper, the 11, inside. Clear behind him, back to the 19."
"Ty, remind me that it's pretty cool that I have something to do with those two cars up there," Mikey said as David in 5th passed him.
"They wouldn't be there if you didn't want them to be, a couple years ago," Ty replied.
On lap 138, David moved into 4th. Marcos was still 3rd and Mikey 35th.
"The 00 looks like his nose is pinned down with the shocks. Mine is like a Lexus with a bent wheel."
"The 88's right there on your bumper. Looking inside inside."
"It's like I've got a record amount of right front air pressure."
"Yeah, 10-4."
Ty warned Mikey that cars were coming for pit stops. "82's on the bottom. Inside inside. Half back, half back 42. Inside. All clear behind him."
A number of cars hit pit road on lap 145.
"We're going to pit next time by, bud," Gene said.
"4200 at the cone, 4200."
Gene counted Mikey to his box on lap 147.
"4200. Watch the 98. 4200. All right, dig, bud, dig. I'll blend you up. Coming outside, the 5. Eight back to the 19, five back to the 19. You're still all clear all clear."
After stops, Kyle Busch continued to lead. Mikey was 35th two laps down, Marcos 3rd, David 5th.
"Two back to that 17, two back. High side, clear behind him. Watch that 48. He's been laying over to the high side. Still there, still there. Clear."
"31.50."
"Still there. Clear clear."
"31.60."
"Still out there. Still on your quarter. Clear now, clear."
Mikey was 34th on lap 165. He had passed Darnell in the #96.
The third caution was for debris on lap 167.
"31.90."
"Caution's out for debris. Caution's out for debris."
"All right, was that any better there that run?"
"No, you haven't done anything. It's darty and as loose as it's ever been. My arms are as tired as a motherfucker."
"10-4. Let's work on getting this towed out."
"We... nevermind, nevermind. Just work on it. It's a piece of shit."
Ty said he knew they wanted to work on the car, but it might be a good time to take the wavearound.
"Yeah, what the hell, let's do it," Gene replied.
"We've been working on it for three days, so I believe I agree with y'all."
"Yeah, let's just do it."
The leaders pit. Marcos got caught up in his box for a packer and for getting blocked by Ryan Newman. He fell out of the top ten backing up and trying to get back going again. David picked up 4th.
"How many laps before our scheduled pit stop?" Ty asked.
"37. Uh, that would be 39," Gene replied.
"I'm just real darty in, like I said. Loose as shit, and that's it. Really, that's all I've got."
"Is it loose in the middle too?"
"Yes. It's loose major in, but if I don't hit it perfect, I never turn left. I just turn it right. It's just loose as shit in. No way it will go over a bump. It's like it's got casters on its front. It's like a shopping buggy. It's like pushing a shopping buggy backwards is what it feels like."
"All right, one to go, one to go. Start finish, we'll go around him. All right, we're going to line up behind that 21, wherever he goes."
Kyle Busch led the restart on lap 173. Mikey was 30th and one lap down, David 4th, and Marcos 18th.
"All right, here we go. Pace car's off. Ready? Ready? Green green green. Everybody's rolling. You're all clear, all clear."
Kurt Busch pulled in front of his brother to take the top spot.
"19's still out on your door. Still there still there. Clear the 19 now, clear clear."
The fourth caution was on lap 175 for another multi-car wreck. Juan Pablo Montoya got loose and spun out, as did Carl Edwards. Jeff Gordon tried to slow and got loose and spun out too.
"Right in front of you. Back it down. You've got two of them in the fence. Back it down back it down. They're all over the place. Just stop there, wait for them to stop crashing. Come all the way down to the apron, I think you're safe on the apron."
"All right, now, when we do get caught up here, we are going to stop. We'll but tires on this thing, and we'll get this towed out." Gene said they'd make a plan. "Just tow it out a good bit. I know it's going to get too tight. I don't care."
Mikey told his crew not to go too much. "What you all think. I understand."
"We're going to try to get it right here. Why don't you put a helmet on Fuzz and have him do it here."
"I thought you were going to say put a helmet on Fuzz and put him in here."
There was some confusion as to when Mikey should pit.
"No, that's not what you said, and don't GD me," Mikey said when Ty told him he hadn't told Mikey to pit earlier than he should.
"I didn't GD you, brother," Ty replied.
"Well, you said it wrong, and nobody GDed you. It's all right to MF somebody, but don't GD them. Don't CS them either."
"Yes sir."
"Yes sir is a bit of a stretch. When we do the tow, I'll make sure I'll stop with the wheels dead straight, not the way they'd be lined up on the box, just dead straight."
Gene said they'd tow it out with Fuzz. "Just make sure we don't get this wrong."
The #55 pit. He was told to come back in again for more work.
Mikey asked what had happened to Marcos.
"He got backed in in the pits, couldn't get out. Lot of crap happened in the pits," Ty replied.
"Might look at that splitter, Ron, see if there's anything you can do there."
"Entering 3, entering 3. Okay, they're entering 3, and they're giving them one to go. So we need to button it up."
"Tighten it up, guys. Did you get it? Did you get it, Ron? Someone tell me if he got it. What's the splitter look like under there?"
Someone shouted something about the splitter.
"All right, the field's just in 1 and 2." Ty told Mikey to jump in with the #19 and #96 as the #24 had some sort of penalty. "They're not going to go. If you need to come do anything, Gene, they're not going to go."
"We're good. We'll stay out."
"Did anyone look at the splitter?" Mikey asked.
"Yeah, 10-4, we're hitting all the way across."
Ty told Mikey to come in.
"We're staying out," Gene repeated.
"Oh, okay, I thought you were saying we were coming in for the splitter."
Kurt Busch led the lap 182 restart. Mikey was 28th and one lap down. David was 3rd, and Marcos was 14th.
"All right, be ready. Pace car's coming off. Ready? Green green green. Still inside. Everybody's rolling. Still inside. 24's coming inside inside. Clear there, clear. Still outside, the 19. Still there. Still there. Still outside, still there. Clear now, clear. Still all clear. Still out there, still there. Clear the 34, clear clear."
Mikey was 26th on lap 186.
"Clear three back. Still down there. Still down there, still there. Still right on your quarter. Still there inside inside inside. Right here, bud. All clear, clear. 43 still there. Clear of him, clear. Still clear, whatever you need. Still there. Clear clear."
"31.24.
"31.59.
"31.49.
"31.70."
On lap 197, Marcos moved into 10th. Mikey was 26th and lapped, David 3rd.
"31.60.
"32.30.
"31.50."
Lap 199 saw Marcos move into 9th. Mikey and David remained the same.
"Still there. Clear up now, clear clear. One back. Still clear. All right, buddy, work some more."
"31.80.
"31.80.
"31.80. Got 90 in front, 90 behind you.
"32 flat."
The fifth caution was on lap 206 for Reed Sorenson. His #43 lost a right front tire and hit the wall. Ty announced this.
"How's our car there, bud?"
"It's better in, but it's not great. Better. But I can build a tow, make me push, on the exit, but we're better over the bumps, but still just real touchy."
"10-4. We're going to leave it alone, just put four tires on it. Actually, let's do the wavearound here."
"Yeah, 10-4. We've got another thirty, thirty-five laps here," Ty said.
"34."
Mikey agreed with the wavearound.
"I mean, I think we need to try it," Gene replied.
"All right. Leader's this time. Stay out. Keep talking about it, but it seems to be the good thing to do right now."
Gene said they could race from there if they want.
"We could race from there if we get a lap back, so it doesn't make sense."
Gene said he was worried about tires.
"If a caution comes out, we'll be in the same place," Ty pointed out.
Gene decided to go with the wavearound.
"Ty, guys, if I see this directly, we wavearound," Mikey reasoned. "If we get lapped in thirty laps, we pit immediately, come out a lap and a half down, and then if a caution comes out, we wave around,a nd we're all set again. So am I missing something?"
"Yeah, then we'd be two and a half down."
Ty said they'd be right back where they are.
"Yeah, 10-4."
"Okay, 10-4," Mikey added. "The way we've been running, we're going to get lapped in thirty laps anyway. So it's a no brainer to me."
"Well, maybe we'll get lucky again," Gene considered.
Ty warned Mikey about trucks against the wall. "We're coming to one to go, so you'll be going around the pace car here.
"All right, bud. With a little luck, we'll get a caution. Field's right off of 2. You'll line up behind the 83. 6 is going to the back. He should be out there, because he's the lucky dog, but I don't think he understands the rule."
"I don't think a lot of us do, Ty," Mikey replied.
Ty agreed. "All right, not going to go, not going to go, not going to go."
MWR was now all on the lead lap. Mikey was 21st, David 3rd, and Marcos 11th. Kyle Busch was in the lead with Kurt Busch in 2nd again.
Racing resumed on lap 213.
"Pace car's off. Ready? Green green green. Everybody's rolling. You're clear low if you want it, clear low if you want it. Looking outside, 98, outside on your corner, outside. Clear up behind him, clear up behind him one back. Still clear all clear, one back."
On lap 215, Mikey was 20th. David was 3rd, Marcos 10th. Two laps later, Marcos was up to 9th.
"Good job, bud. Clear seven back."
"31.38."
On lap 219, Marcos was 8th. Mikey and David were still 20th and 3rd.
"Two back to the 71, two back. Looking on the inside. He's at your quarter, all by himself."
"31.90.
"31.60."
Marcos moved into 7th on lap 225.
"31.70."
"Two back to the 21."
"31.70.
"Ten laps 'til we have to pit, bud. Ten laps," Gene noted. "Five more, bud.
"Next time by, bud. Four tires, four tires. Next time by."
"This time around, 4200, 4200," Ty added. "4200, 4200."
"Five away, 4, 3, 2, 1. Wheels straight, bud," Gene guided Mikey to his box on lap 243. "Go go go. All the way out, bud."
"4200, 4200. 4200 to the cone. All right, go hard there. Stay below the white line. 19 and 21 coming outside. Clear behind the 21, right there."
By lap 246, Mikey was two laps down in 27th. David was 3rd, Marcos 7th.
"Got the 83 coming off pit road. All clear there, all clear. Still there. You're clear clear."
"Who's the leader, Ty?" Mikey asked.
"The leader's just coming off of 4, off of 4. The 18. If the caution comes out, we'll wave around. If not, we're doing fine. We're making time on those guys.
"Still clear five back. Watch that 48 on the high side. Still there, still there, still there. All clear, clear clear."
"31.80.
"31.95."
"Still out there. Still up top. Still there still there still there. Clear clear."
"31.65."
"The 71's slow on the bottom. Still down there. Still there still there. Clear now, clear."
"31.80."
"Keep getting all you can, bud. These leaders are about five laps away from pitting. He's still out there. Still there still there. Now clear."
With 69 laps to go, cars began pitting. David waved, indicating he would pit one lap later.
"Some of these leaders are peeling off, bud. Keep digging," Ty encouraged.
Marcos pit with 66 laps to go.
"Stay up stay up. There you go."
Kyle Busch pit with 65 to go, and his brother took the lead on the track.
"All right, 18 was the leader. He's on pit road. 2 car still stayed out," Ty told his driver. "Three back to the 00. Coming fast, fresh tires. Inside. Clear. That 18 just went into turn 3. He just came off pit road."
Kurt Busch pit with 63 laps to go.
"Yellow car coming off pit road on the bottom. He'll be rolling. 48's real slow up high. Still outside. Clear there. 17's coming, two back. You'll be racing that 19 up there, maybe for the lucky dog. 17's two back. Clear there. Five, three back. Right there, inside inside."
Mikey was 21st on lap 272, after stops had cycled. He was now one lap down. David was 3rd, Marcos 12th. Kyle Busch was the leader.
"Right now, you're racing that 19 for the lucky dog. Clear clear. Going to be looking inside, the 14 and the 2, the 14 and the 2. The 2's going to be outside. Clear behind him. Good job, brother. You're still racing that 19 and 21. You're five back to the 21. Good job. Looking inside, 98, inside. Clear there. That guy's three down, 98's three down. Still racing that 19."
On lap 276, Mikey was 20th and the first driver one lap down.
"31.90.
"31.80. Good lap times."
"Three back to the 29, fresh tires. Still the lucky dog. Right there one back, 29. Here he comes, inside. Going to be clear behind him."
On lap 281, David was up to 2nd. Marcos was 11th, Mikey 20th and one lap down.
"One back to the 33. Still in the lucky dog position right now. Inside. Clear behind him. Two back to the 47, two back. Inside inside. Clear behind him. Inside inside, 31. Still down there, still there. It will be clear behind him."
"32.12."
"Still clear four, five back."
"32 flat."
"16's looking on the bottom. Inside. It's going to be clear there. Three back to the 9. The 9 is one back and closing. Inside inside. Clear there five back. Blowing up. The 9 car's blowing up. The 44's right behind you. Still one back. Inside inside. He's going to start smoking. Inside inside. How many more, Gene?"
"About six more, bud."
"10-4. Still there, still there, still there. Still down there. Still down there. All clear."
"You need to pit next time by, next time by. 4200."
"You're going to pit this time, 4200. 200, 42, at the cone."
"5 away. 4, 3, 2, 1. Wheels straight, bud," Gene led Mikey to his box on lap 299. "All the way out, all the way."
"42 to the cone, 42."
"Thanks a lot for another stellar pit stop, team," Mikey said.
"Dig dig dig," Ty told his driver. "Outside outside. Clear three back right there to the 2, 2's outside. Clear there. Leader the 18, just now getting into 1. Still out there, still there. Clear clear clear."
"We're good to the end now, bud," Gene said.
"Still on your corner, stillt here. All clear, all clear."
By lap 302, Mikey was three laps down in 28th. David was 2nd, Marcos 9th.
"Still out there. Still there. Clear now, clear."
"31.50.
"31.40."
"The leader's the 18, and he's backing up to conserve fuel, so let's eat him up here," Ty encouraged. "Stillt here, still outside. Clear up, clear up."
Mikey was 27th on lap 307.
"9 car's slow on the bottom, slow on the bottom. 83's still there on the bottom, 9's still slow on the bottom. Still outside, still there, still there. Still there, still there. Clear up. 83's coming outside. 83 just got tires. Still clear two back to the 2. Clear low."
With 23 laps to go, Martin Truex Jr made a stop.
"Still two back to the 2. Got one coming off pit road on the bottom, coming up to speed. Clear there, one back. Still there, clear. Inside, inside. He's there. Cars down there with him. Two cars down there, inside. Clear there."
On lap 314, Mikey was 26th.
"A bunch of these guys are going to start pitting pretty soon, bud," Gene noted. A few did make stops.
"I'm just backwards on this set," Mikey complained.
"10-4. Do all you can do, man.
"31.90."
With 15 to go, Kurt Busch passed David. The #00 was now 3rd. Mikey was 26th and three laps down, and Marcos was 6th.
"31.90."
"All right, 13 to go. That 17's behind you with fresh tires. Got a run on you on the inside, clear behind you. Half back, one back to the 12. Based on where we are, David asked if we could hang out. I think they're trying to nurse her through. I don't know if they're trying to back 'er up to save fuel."
"I'm so loose, I can't do nothing," Mikey replied.
"11 to go, 11 to go." Ty warned Mikey that Mark Martin was coming with new tires. "Two back, two back. Clear now behind him. You're four back to the 88."
"We're racing that 02 there, Ty," Gene said.
"Man, okay."
On lap 325, Mikey was three laps down in 25th. David was 3rd, Marcos 5th.
"9 laps to go, and I just heard one of them ran out. Coming inside inside. The 88. Got another one with him. Right on your bumper, he'll be coming. Looking on your outside outside."
Earnhardt Jr pit but was stalling on pit road. Meanwhile, Marcos was now 4th.
"32 flat."
"AHHHH! 00 just ran out," Ty exclaimed.
David went to pit road for fuel with 5 laps to go. With 3 to go, Kyle Busch ran out of pit road and was wiggling on the track.
"Three to go, three to go."
"Am I racing #6?" Mikey asked.
"Okay."
"19's our next victim," Gene replied.
"The 18's out of gas on the back straightaway. Keep rolling."
Marcos then ran out of fuel with 2 to go. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch was unable to get refired.
"White flag, one more," Ty said.
Kurt Busch was well ahead of the next car as drivers were running out of fuel and crawling across the stripe. He won the race.
"All right, that's it, that's it. Finish her out, bud. Watch that 29 on the bottom."
"You said that was it."
Ty said it was it, that he'd crossed the stripe with the #2.
"Yeah, but so did five cars behind me."
"It's all good, bud. Good job," Gene said.
"Our two cars ran out with two to go, running second and fourth. All right, man," Ty said.
Mikey finished three laps down in 23rd. Marcos was 15th and David 16th, both lapped.
Next weekend's Sprint Cup race is the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Coverage begins at 2:30pm ET on ABC. The Nationwide Series' Able Body Labor 200 airs the day before at 4:00pm on ESPN2.
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© 2009 Kellyanne Lynch, in association with Cyber Speed Design. All rights reserved.
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