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Checkered O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 - 11/15/09


Michael Waltrip's #55 Napa Auto Parts Camry lost its steering a quarter of the way into the Checkered O'Reilly Auto Parts 500, this afternoon's Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. The #55 got caught in a wreck in the middle of the race, and after a long stay in the garage, came home 61 laps down in 36th. David Reutimann finished 10th, and Marcos Ambrose was 11th.

Mikey qualified 11th for today's race. David started 15th and Marcos 21st.

"Got you loud and clear," crew chief Gene Nead said at 3:21pm ET. Nothing aired on TrackPass' scanner before this.

"You guys have a copy down there?" spotter Ty Norris asked a minute later.

"Got you loud and clear there, Ty," Gene replied."

"All right, thanks."

Someone said something amidst staccato static.

Ty said he'd get back to him in a minute.

"10-4."

"Got ya."

John McCain gave the call to start engines at 3:23pm.

After a minute, Ty asked, "All right, bud, you have a copy?"

"Loud and clear," Mikey replied.

"10-4."

"Ty, we're going to go with 5200 and second gear here," Gene informed the crew chief.

"5-2. 5200."

"Michael, that 5200 is going to be four and a half over, so that's where we need to be."

"Yeah," Mikey responded.

"You going to be able to get the green all right, Ty?" Gene asked.

"Yeah, I see it fine, I guess," Ty replied. "All right, I don't know where our pit stall is, and from my position between 1 and 2, I can't see anything. So you'll have to talk him in and talk him out."

"10-4. We're about three pit stalls behind the start / finish line."

"All right, bud, when you come around here, it's going to be one to go, one to go. 312 laps."

"All right, dude, you'll see us to your left here. We're three or four away from the start/finish line. We'll have us a good day. That thing looks good running out front."

"Roger," Mikey replied. He praised the team for the way they'd set up the car. "312 laps. Let's see us have a good finish."

"10-4. Have a good day. By the way, we have the 09 behind us on pit road and the 20 in front of us."

"All right, bud, pace car's off," Ty said. "Ready? Ready? Green green green. Everybody's rolling, still outside."

Martin Truex Jr led the field to the green flag at 3:33pm.

"Still outside. 24's up there too. Outside. Still outside off the corner. 33's right on your corner, 33's outside."

Kurt Busch pulled out front and led lap 1.

"Clear low, clear low. You've got that 07 there. Three-wide, three-wide. You've got one all the way to the top. Clear. Clear up behind you, clear up behind you. One back. Two back. Nice job there. We'll settle in here."

Contact between Casey Mears' #07 and another driver caused the #07 to skid back. Mikey dodged it. He ran 14th.

"Five back."

"27.90," Gene read off lap times.

Mikey was 13th on lap 3. David was 14th, Marcos 27th.

"28.11.

"28.20.

"28.20."

"Still half back to the 00. Looking low. Inside, inside. Clear behind him. Clear two back to the 39. The 39's got a run. He's there. Inside, inside. Two back to the 42 if you need it. Good job, man. Holding your own against that 42. Two back."

"It feels like too much air in the right front tire," Mikey report. He was 15th on lap 10.

"10-4," Gene acknowledged. "28.60. Got 65 in front, 65 behind."

"Looking low. He's inside, inside. Back to clear. Got a run inside, inside at your door. Still there at your door. Clear one back to that 71, trying to tuck in behind you. Inside, inside. Clear there one back. Big run coming inside. Inside, inside he's there. Right to your door, clear behind him."

Mikey was 16th on lap 16; Juan Pablo Montoya's #42 had passed. David was 13th, Marcos 28th.

"29.30."

On lap 17, Mikey was 17th.

"28.90. Good lap.

"29 flat. Leader ran a 70.

"29 flat."

"The 44's sneaking there half back, one back."

"29.12."

"44's down there. Inside, inside, inside. Clear low. One back. Half back. Right down there to your door, to your door. Still there on your quarter, still there. Still there, inside inside inside. Clear the 44. All the way down there. Still there, still there. Right on your quarter, right on your quarter. Clear low, clear if you need it. You'll see him right there on your quarter, right there on your door. Still hanging right there with you. Still right there on your corner. Clear three back."

"29.50."

"All right, four back to the 07, half a lap back to the leader."

"29.30."

Mikey was 18th on lap 29. AJ Allmendinger had passed. David was 16th, Marcos 25th.

"29.30."

"Still outside. Still there, still there. Still outside. Clear up clear up clear up."

"29.16. Leader ran a 12.

"29.15. You are the fastest car in the field, bud."

"Too much right side air," Mikey complained.

"10-4. 29.26."

Mikey was 17th on lap 36. He had passed David.

"29.36.

"29.50.

"29.26. Good lap.

"29.60."

"Still there. Still there. Clear clear."

"29.40.

"29.35.

"29.40. Leader's running a 50.

"29.40.

"29.40. You're about a tenth off of the leader right now.

"29.60.

"29.50.

"29.40.

"29.60.

"29.50."

"Six back, no pressure."

"29.45.

"29.60."

Lap 56 saw Jimmie Johnson take the lead in traffic. Mikey and David were still 17th and 18th. Marcos was 21st.

"29.45."

"Keep working him, buddy. I told his spotter, next time you're on the outside of him, he'd better tell him," Ty said on lap 61. He was likely talking about Bobby Labonte in 16th.

"29.60. About ten laps until we pit there, dude. How's our car?" Gene asked.

"Just what I said," Mikey replied.

"10-4. Eight laps until we pit."

"All right, bud, in your mirror is that 29. You're clear there, clear there. He's lapped, but he's got fresh tired. 96 one back also, fresh tires. Still one back. Looking inside. He's there inside. Got the 29 with him. Inside, inside. Still there inside. 29's going to be with him. It's going to be clear behind him, clear behind him."

"Three more 'til we pit, bud. Three more."

Others were already coming onto pit road, such as Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer.

"All right, bud, that 71's pitting this time, pitting this time. The 71, the 71," Ty warned.

"All right, we're pitting next time. Next time, bud."

"10-4, bud."

"Four tires, four tires."

"All right, double not knows we're pitting this time. Gene, I can't see a thing."

"Ten away. Five away. 4, 3, 2, 1. Wheels straight, put on the brakes."

Mikey had pit on lap 72, along with many others.

"All the way out, bud. 5200."

"5200 to the yellow line. Go now, go now. Clear up on the track, clear up on the track. 88's twenty back."

Johnson relinquised the lead to pit on lap 73.

"I lost my power steering," Mikey reported.

"88's one back," Ty noted. "You say you lost your power steering?"

"I think so."

"10-4," Gene replied.

"Still clear, still clear. Still half back, 88. 88's still right there, half back. Looking low, looking low."

Ryan Newman, who had taken the lead after Johnson, pit on lap 75. Kurt Busch was now in the top spot.

"Clear on your bumper. He'll be there inside, inside. Still clear ten back."

"I definitely lost my power steering. It's getting harder," Mikey stated.

"10-4. You said you lost your power steering, bud?" Gene asked.

"Yeah, I lost my power steering, damn it! If y'all can't hear me, I can't help it. I said I lost my power steering."

"10-4, bud, 10-4."

"It sucks!" Mikey shouted. "First time you give me something I can drive, and I can't drive it."

"10-4, bud. Let's do the best we can until we get a caution."

"10-4. I'm doing the best I fucking can.

Mikey was 15th on lap 80. David was 12th and Marcos 18th. A few laps later, he was 16th.

"28.70."

"Two back to the 47. The 98 is a lapped car. One back to the 47. Outside. The 98's still there. 98's still out there on your corner. Clear up there, clear up. 47's got a run, looking low. You're good, all clear. Back inside. Way to work, man, way to work. One back."

"28.80.

"29 flat.

"29 flat. Leader ran a flat."

Johnson reclaimed the lead on lap 90.

"28.90. The leader's running flat."

"Too much air in the right front tires," Mikey said.

"10-4, bud. 29 flat.

"29 flat.

"29.15.

"29.17."

"Inside, inside. 47 inside, at your door. 31's trying to get down there with him. Still there, still there."

"I can't drive this thing with no power steering!" Mikey shouted.

Ty cleared Mikey behind the 31. "Clear there, clear there. Looking outside. 09's still there. Inside inside, both sides. Clear low. Clear the 09. One back to the 14, stuck in there. Leader now."

On lap 97, Mikey was 17th. He was 18th one lap after that. Marcos and Jeff Burton had passed. David was 11th, Marcos 16th.

"29.30, bud.

"29.40.

"29.30."

"Still outside on your corner. Still trying to look. All right, you're clear clear clear."

"The cleanest little wheel. No power steering. You might want to get someone," it sounded like Mikey said.

Gene said they had a larger wheel to put in there.

"Still out there. Off this corner. Still there. It will be clear there, clear clear." He said something about protecting McDowell.

"We might as well," Gene replied. "29.30. They're good lap times, bud.

"29.28. Great lap, dude."

"Still on your corner. Clear now, clear."

"29.35, same as the leader, bud.

"29.47."

The first caution was on lap 116.

"All right, caution for debris, caution for debris."

"Are you okay, Michael?"

"What do you mean? What kind of question is that?"

"We're going to fix your car. I just want to make sure you're all right."

"I'm not okay. I'm pissed off as hell."

"Well, we've just got to fix it. There ain't nothing we can do about it. The car is running good. So we're going to pit, obviously first time by. We'll put tires on, then we'll come back around and we'll make adjustments. The 20 is going to drive around here. I don't know who this yo-yo is in our pits, so we've got to be careful."

Gene guided Mikey to his box. They planned another stop.

"Give him the steering wheel first," Gene said. "If he wants to change it, he can. Get the hood up."

Mikey said something that was cut off.

"You want to switch that if you can."

A crew member directed the others as far as who would do what.

Gene warned Mikey to go around the #09. "Don't worry about the wheel. Get the power steering fluid in it."

The #55 was in the box.

"Get it full of fluid. Let's go. 5200, bud."

"5200 to the line, 5200," said Ty.

"You've got all your blowers on, right?"

"One to go."

"Michael, you've got all your blowers on, right?"

Mikey didn't respond.

"You've got a couple wavearound cars here. Coming to the green."

"When I said right side air pressure, I meant front and rear," Mikey said.

"10-4."

Racing resumed on lap 119. Somebody spun their tires, causing an accordian effect. Six cars were involved, including the #55.

"Spin in front of you! Outside outside outside. Fuck!"

"All right, drive it on around here. You okay, dude? To the garage. You're going to need a radiator here. Bring the ___ and the generator."

"I couldn't see shit. I couldn't see," Mikey said. He mumbled something after that. "So, that's what you get when you get in the back, I guess, it's what I got."

"10-4, bud."

"I tell you, this really sucks. It sucks on everybody's part. That's all I have to say about it."

"I got you."

"He was picked, Gene. There was no way he could go right there. He was jammed up by the 34."

"10-4."

Mikey had to get out of his car, it was damaged so badly. Safety workers escorted him to the ambulance to the infield care centre.

A crew member said something about hooking up the car first. Someone else argued that, if the radiator was busted, they wouldn't have to hook it up.

"I'm pretty sure it's busted."

"Ty, where's the car at, please?"

"It's on the wrecker," Ty replied. "They're driving it through 1 and 2 right now."

"Okay, 10-4."

"The generator's still on pit road."

A crew member said that someone needed to go get the generator.

"It's radiator and heavy heavy left front. Looks like they're bringing it through the Nationwide garage," Ty observed.

"10-4."

The second caution was on lap 120. When cars bottled starting with Kyle Busch and with David, Brad Keselowski was hit from behind, and David Ragan spun. Mikey and Robby Gordon got the worst damage. The #96 of Erik Darnell had been shot across the track, right into Mikey's nose. The #55 had nowhere to go with John Andretti's #34 to the right.

"All right, we're going to cut the nose off it, the hood. It got into the front of the motor a little bit, but the first thing to do is to cut this shit out," a crew member said.

"Let's get this right rear exhaust," someone said.

"Have the jack stands ready, guys. We'll set the front down on jack stands."

Gene said they would work on the right side, getting it straightened out.

Meanwhile, Mikey had left the infield care centre and was interviewed by Shannon Spake. He was wearing a Napa Racing Ron Capps T-shirt. Shannon commented on how the double file restarts were tricky and asked him what had happened.

"They were tricky," Mikey replied. "A couple of them got together up ahead. I was slowed down. I didn't have any power steering. And two people passed me to get into the wreck, and I tried to turn right, and at a late moment to miss the 96, and I just couldn't. My little arms are tired. Great week for MWR. Toyota extension announcement. Best Western is back. Great run in the Napa car, but it wasn't meant to be today, so thanks for all y'all do, and I'm goin gto watch y'all on TV."

Johnson led the restart on lap 128 with the #55 in the garage. Kyle Busch got into Jeff Gordon, and Gordon nudged his rear.

"Get some oil ready. We're going to need oil to put in this thing. You've got way too many people up front. Let's get some people working on the side of this car. Do you hear me?" Gene asked. "Give me four or five big hose clamps." He asked for something from the safety clean.

On lap 151, Mikey updated his twitter: There. I twittered during the race. He also posted a picture of his crew repairing the car.

"Where's that #20 wrench?" Gene asked.

A crew member asked what kind of adjustments he wanted to do with the chassis.

Gene's answer was hard to understand.

"Want to pull some packer?" the crew member laughed.

"Make sure we have our tools up. We've got shit to run over."

"I'm ready when you're ready."

"Does it have oil in it?"

"Make sure the brakes work before we go any farther," Gene said. "Crank it up. Put it on the ground so we know if we have steering or not."

"Full turns, right to left."

"Let's wait to get approved. Clean all this shit up," Gene mumbled. "Somebody turn the right side wheels."

"I don't think any of them are torqued. Let's get that done."

"10-4."

"Get back to pit road. Anyone who doesn't need to be on pit road, let's stay back and clean up, please," someone said.

Lap 171 saw a huge wreck. Dale Earnhardt Jr had cut down on Marcos and spun out. Many cars were collected, drawing the fourth caution. The third had been for debris.

"Hey, Gene-o, they just wrecked about six cars out here," a crew member said.

"10-4. Who's the 6?"

"Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr, one of the Red Bull cars. Looks like the 83. A few more. The 77, the 17, looks like the 39. There's a pile of them."

"Everyone all right? Got a copy now?"

"Coming at you, spotter. All right, he's coming to you."

"Got a copy, Michael?" Ty asked.

"Yeah," Mikey replied.

"Got a huge wreck off Turn 4. About 8 or 9 got into it here. A car just got sideways, and they had you jammed on the outside. You couldn't have gone up. You would have been wrecked that way too."

"Well, I tried to go up, but I didn't have any steering, so I couldn't."

"All right, 10-4. Come around here, and what's the minimumn speed, Gene?"

"3260 is the minimum speed," Gene replied.

Ty said to ride around here. "They've got about five or six more laps to clean up here."

Mikey was back on track under the caution.

"Any of the heros get in the wreck?" Mikey asked.

"The 88 started it," Ty replied. "The 71 was there. The 39 got into it. The 83 got killed, and then the 12. I'd say of the chase guys, the 39 and the 83 were the only two."

Somebody said something about a drink of water.

"Okay, how many laps to get the 83 and the 71?" Ty asked. "They're going to be out."

"48, 49," Gene replied. "Everything feel all right there, bud?"

"Yeah, 10-4."

"Hit the brakes a couple of times."

Ty noted someone was coming around.

"Max just passed somebody for the first time."

"Here he comes. The 82 around your outside. You're going to be coming around to one to go."

"Make sure the brakes feel good, everything feels good, okay."

"Yeah, I know all that. I know all that. I'll let you know if anything's not working."

"Do I say so? I don't know," it sounded like Ty said. "The 18 is coming around you. The 09, the 82, the 7, 34. All right, be ready. Pace car's off. Ready? Green green green."

Johnson led the restart on the outside lane on lap 179. Mikey was 52 laps down in 39th. David and Marcos were 13th and 14th.

"84's coming inside here. Still there all by himself."

"I don't like how this thing feels. I don't think I'll ever be able to run the speed limit, because you didn't put a nose on it." Mikey asked for lap times.

"31.30.

"30.20.

"29.50.

"29.50.

"29.80.

"30 flat.

"29.82."

"Leader's at the line now."

"29.90."

Ty noted that Johnson was coming and was well ahead of Kurt Busch in 2nd.

"How'd he do that?" Mikey asked.

"Three back. You see him. The 2 car says he'll be looking on the inside. Clear behind him. 2 car said his adjustment hurt his front end, and I think the 33 is just going to ride. The 48 is flying. I think he's just walking the dog."

"It's really fun. I'm glad Mark Martin is never going to quit. Riding around in this..." Static followed.

"One back, inside. Clear four back. Twenty back."

By lap 193, Mikey was now 53 laps down.

"30.30."

"One back, the 1, all by himself. Two back to three of them, inside. He's the next one, coming inside. Clear there. Inside inside. Inside inside. There's going to be a pack of them there. 16 is going to be the next one, and then it's five back to the 00. Coming inside. Three of them. Inside. One back. There's three more. 6 is going to be working on the bottom here, then it's two back to the 43."

"Pit next time, bud. We're going to check it and put some tires on this thing," Gene said.

"Inside, inside. Two back to the 09. Inside. Make another lap or two, and we'll get you down."

Mikey said it would have been nice to have been told ahead of time if they'd pit.

Ty guided his driver down the track.

"Four tires, guys," Gene said.

"Outside behind you there. There you go. 5200."

"Ten away. Five away. 4, 3, 2, 1. Wheels straight, put on the brakes."

Mikey was on pit road on lap 204.

"Go go go. 5200."

"29's going to be coming, then the 77. Four car lengths. Outside outside. Inside. Clear there, about eight back. Be looking outside, outside. Three of them now. Clear behind the 17. Two back, 14. Inside. Clear seven back. Looking inside, inside. All by himself."

"30.60."

"48's next one back, three back. Clear behind him. 84's got a run on the bottom. Got a half straightaway clear behind him.

Mikey was 56 laps down in 39th on lap 214.

"Three back to the 2 and then a string of them. Three more - 33, 11, and 5. 5's in there now. Clear there, five back. Two back, 31. Looking inside."

"30.15."

Somebody walked on somebody else.

"Three back to the 1. Inside inside. The 19's down there, 19's down there with him. 19's there, inside. Clear there. Six back to the 13. Inside, all by himself. Inside. Clear behind him. Clear two back to that 42. Inside inside. 16 and 47 right there, coming inside. Clear behind the 47. Still out there now. Still there. Clear clear. Two back to the 9. Looking low, inside. Two back to the 00, coming inside. Clear behind the 00. Inside. Four back to the 96."

"It's easier to drive without the front end than it was with no power steering and a tiny steering wheel," Mikey said on lap 227.

"10-4," Gene laughed.

"99's going to be there, inside. Three back to the 20. Clear there two back. Outside outside. Clear there two back, two back. 96 is going to have a run. About four of them, outside. One more, outside. Two back to the 48, outside. Clear there."

Mikey went a 57th lap down on lap 231.

"That's amazing he can beat everybody that bad," the driver commented.

"Yeah. The 2 car is just now off of 4. One back, by himself. Inside. All right, you're three back to the 11. You've got the 11 and the 5. Inside inside. The 5 is coming under you, and the 2 is a couple back. One back. Inside. 31's going to be down there as well. Three back to the 1. Inside. Some of these guys should be pitting in five or ten, bud. 43's two back. Inside."

On lap 238, Mikey was up to 36th as he'd passed cars in the garage. Marcos was 10th, David 14th.

"29.20."

"98 inside. One back to the 34. 98 inside inside, fresh tires. You're going to have two of them. Inside inside. 34 still half back, trying to look low. 34's two back. 47's right there in your mirror. Inside inside. Fresh tires right there, inside. Clear there."

With 71 laps to go, cars were beginning to make green flag stops. Johnson pit one lap later.

"Inside inside. Fresh tires, Gene-o."

"Yeah, 10-4," Gene replied.

With 68 laps to go, Matt Kenseth led.

"Set of fresh tires. Three back, three back. Six back to the 24. All these guys have tires. Inside. 88's three back. Inside. Fresh tires 18, right behind you. Inside. 00's three back. Clear. 44's right there, inside. 9's four back. Inside. Inside inside."

Kenseth gave up the lead to make his stop with 64 laps to go.

"99 big run, two back." Ty noted a huge cluster and said they should pit.

"10-4," Gene replied.

"Inside, inside. Five back to that 39. He's got a ton of them with him. Inside. 20's one back, inside. 29 and 77. You're going to have the 12 and one more. I think it's the 26."

"Go ahead and get to the bottom, bud, and then we'll pit. Four tires, guys. Fill it up with fuel," Gene directed.

"Outside outside," Ty warned. "5200 5200, on pit road."

"Ten away. Five away. 4, 3, 2, 1. Wheels straight, put on the brakes."

Mikey pit on lap 253. When stops had cycled, Johnson was in the lead.

"Go go go."

"5200. Going to roll. That's four or five of them coming off this corner here. Three more. 98, 99, and then half a straightaway behind the 99. Inside, inside. Two back to the 39. 20's right there, one back. Inside. Three back. The 77, then clear about three back. 29's got the 48 down there with him, inside."

With 54 laps to go, Mikey went a 59th lap down. He was still 36th. Marcos was 9th, David 12th.

"Half back, inside."

"What happened to his lead?" Mikey asked.

"Two more, 26 and 12. Two back. Two in..." Ty faded out. "Give room to the 1 and the 2, racing there for 5th in your mirror. Three back to the 2, three back to the 2, inside. Clear there. 17 one back. Four back to the 34. Inside. Right there inside, 42. 47's two back, inside. All clear."

"Is he catching the 42 or not?"

"Yeah, he caught him and passed him, was going to pass him before these pit stops. The 42 pit a couple laps before he did. It's going to be clear behind him. Reut's made it back up to 12th." Ty noted how far behind Mikey David was on the track. "Inside, inside, 18. Two back, 00. Clear there."

"That dog on the back of David's car looks scared."

"He ought to be. He's been slapped up against the wall about three times," Ty replied. "Trying the high side there. Three back to the 44. Inside inside. Clear there five back, 19. Inside, inside. 19, and then it's two back to the 16 and 9, racing for position. 9's inside now, then two back to the 16. Inside. Clear behind him. Five back. The 7's going to have a run here. Clear seven back to the 14. Inside, 14. Clear down. Cluster behind you, including the leader and a guy trying to hold him off. Inside. Just lay over to the high side. You've got about five of them. Inside inside. You've got three more of them - the 98, the 47, and maybe the 31 and it's going to be clear for seven car lengths. 32 left."

"What happened to that big ol' lead?"

Ty said the #20 had been holding up Johnson. "Inside. Inside. Three back to the 33. Clear down behind him. Inside. One, inside. Four back to the 26 and 2. Inside, two of them. 26 and 2. Clear there about fifteen back to the 13. I'm sorry, it's the 17, 17. Clear there. Fifteen back to the next one."

By lap 284, Mikey was sixty laps down in 36th. Marcos and David were 9th and 11th. Inside, inside. Two back to the 42. Clear there. Four back to the 96, I think. Inside. How about ol' Todd Berrier? The 31's running down the 48 now."

"I thought Jeff Burton drove that car," Mikey replied.

"He does. It's running a lot better since that change. Inside, inside. Two back to the 24. Inside. The 12 and a blue car will be looking inside. 00 right behind him, 00's inside. Clear there three back to the 07. Inside. Got one inside, the 18, 18. 22 to go. Six back to the white car. Clear seven back."

"Is everybody all set on gas?"

"Yeah, everyone can make it now."

"You've got to keep running there and try not to get beat by that 12. He pit after we did," Gene said.

"Three of them are going to look on the bottom. One back, inside. Eighteen to go, four back to the 99. Inside. 48's about three back, going to be coming through on the bottom. 19's two back. 31's two back."

With about 14 laps to go, Mikey went another lap down. He was now 61 down, running 36th. Marcos and David were 10th and 11th.

"The 11 two back. Inside, and then the 5 is right behind him. The 5 is about three back, two back, inside. Twelve to go, man, twelve. It's two back to the 77. There's a cluster of them there. Inside inside. Got the 7 with him, and the 1. Clear behind the 1, one back. Inside. You have the 20, 20 and then the 2 and the 13 and the 33 right there. Inside. Two back. The 13 is getting passed by the 39. You've got the 39 in your mirror, looking inside. 13 backed off. You're clear. 17 inside. That 13's down there. Clear about ten behind him. Eight to go, eight."

With 7 laps to go, David passed Marcos and picked up 10th. Right there, inside. Two of them, two of them. 6 is with him. __ is right there, inside. Back to the 29. 29's going to be there, inside. 24's going to be inside. Got the 12 down there with him. 12's down there with him, inside. Four back to the 98, five to go. You're going to be inside. The 00 is going to be right behind him, two back. Inside inside. Five back to the 47. 47 inside. Clear there. That's tenth and eleventh. The 24 is 9th, getting into Turn 4 right now. 18 two back with the 44. Inside. Inside, 44. Two to go, two. 16 two back. Inside. Two back to the 88. White flag here, white flag. 88 right here. Inside inside. Right there."

"Good job getting this thing fixed and back out there, guys. Great job all day, Michael," Gene said.

Jimmie Johnson won the race. Mikey finished 36th, 61 laps down. David and Marcos were 10th and 11th.

The NASCAR season ends next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Coverage of the Sprint Cup's Ford 400 begins Sunday at 2:30pm ET on ABC. The Nationwide Series' Ford 300 airs the day before at 4:00pm on ESPN2.





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