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Waltrip Jumps to 28th in the Owner Point Standings
LOUDON, N.H. - A fast NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry and good pit strategy enabled Michael Waltrip and the NAPA Racing team to record their best finish of the season by scoring second place in Sunday's LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS). The event had to be shortened due to rain and it washed out Waltrip's chance to race Kurt Busch for the victory. The NAPA team's result was very impressive considering Waltrip had to start from the back of the field due to an engine change on Friday. The top-five finish also boosted the NAPA team to 28th-place in the owner points standings.
"We had to start last because of an engine change on Friday," said Waltrip, who posted the 36th-fastest time during Coors Light qualifying, but had to relinquish the position when the team changed the engine during the first practice because of a valve-spring problem. "I felt like we had a really competitive car Saturday in practice. We haven't been able to find speed with our cars in any practice sessions leading into races. We've been in the 30's or even worse than that on the sheet in practice. But Saturday we were in the 20's and teens in both practices, so I knew I had a competitive car.
"Then during the race, we were able to hold off Harvick early. He caught me, but I out ran him for eight or 10 laps. I was able to stay on the lead lap, and then we got a break at the end with our pitting strategy. We had a really strong car. I passed a bunch of guys to get into position to get to Kurt and race him. I really wished there would have been a few more laps. I wished we could have gone back to green. As bad as I needed those 170 points, I am very cognizant of the difference between first and second. It's huge. To get a win for our team would have been very, very rewarding. But, it also feels good that we can change our fortune a little bit on a Sunday afternoon like we did."
When the green flag waved for the start of the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 under sunny skies, Waltrip raced up into the top 25 by the time the first green-flag pit stop occurred on lap 69. The NAPA Toyota's lap times were competitive with the leaders; however, Waltrip said the car was really tight on throttle. Crew chief Bobby Kennedy called for air pressure adjustments along with bolting on four fresh tires and adding gas. Waltrip returned to the track in 30th position, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the leader.
The first caution of the day came out on lap 86 for Dario Franchitti who spun in Turn 4. Waltrip came over the radio to say he felt the car needed more work and asked for a track bar adjustment. The pit crew went into action on lap 87. Shortly into the next run, the track bar adjustment proved favorable for the NAPA Racing team. In just three laps, Waltrip was back in the top 25.
At the halfway mark, Tony Stewart was pacing the field. Waltrip wasn't too far behind as he liked the feel of his NAPA Toyota. So much so, he drove his car up to 21st by the time A.J. Allmendinger brought out the fourth caution flag on lap 203 for a blown motor. Kennedy used the opportunity to bolt on four fresh Goodyear tires and add fuel. The race resumed on lap 210 with Waltrip in 22nd place, and Stewart in first.
The NAPA team dodged a bullet on the restart on lap 210. Waltrip called over the radio to report that something was not right with his car. He believed there was a problem with the right front tire. The issue caused Waltrip to drive cautiously, losing four positions on the track. The chance to evaluate the situation came quickly when the No. 8 car spun in Turn 2 on lap 217. Waltrip brought his car onto pit road for service and upon further evaluation; the team discovered the right front tire was indeed going down. Before the race went back to green, Kennedy called his driver in to top off for fuel on lap 220.
Once the race went back to green on lap 221, Waltrip wasted no time. His NAPA Camry went from 30th to 23rd in less than 30 miles. Kennedy came over the radio to tell his driver to get all he could as rain was fast approaching. He also asked his driver to conserve as much fuel as possible since early computer tabulations showed the NAPA Toyota was short on fuel by three laps. The driver began to significantly save fuel, and soon after some relief came when Earnhardt Jr. and Jamie McMurray crashed on the frontstretch on lap 272. The caution period allowed Waltrip and Kennedy to work together to devise the best strategy for a well-deserved finish. In the end, the duo decided to go for it by conserving more fuel and staying out on track. When the race restarted on lap 278, Kurt Busch was the leader and Waltrip was right behind him and in contention for the race win.
Unfortunately, as Waltrip was getting ready to challenge Busch for the victory, Clint Bowyer and Sam Hornish Jr. got together in Turn 3 to bring out the caution flag as rain drops began to fall. Moments later, the skies opened up and hard rain began to fall. NASCAR wasted no time to call the race and award the victory to Busch and runner-up spot to Waltrip.
"The rain isn't why I'm sitting here," elaborated Waltrip during the post-race press conference. "The reason why I'm sitting here is because we got an opportune caution late in the race and took advantage of race position. It gave me track position. If the rain doesn't come and we're able to restart, I was faster than Kurt (Busch). I feel like I could have beaten him. But he probably thinks he could have held me off. And J.J. (Yeley) was kind of hoping we'd wreck.
"In the closing laps, I really felt I could win the race. That's a great feeling. I'm real proud of my team. I'm not emotional about this, other than the fact to say it's amazing that NAPA AUTO PARTS is still on my car after what we went through the last couple years. Just to do anything good for them like winning the outside front row at Daytona, and to have a finish like we did today, I just want to say thank you to them by doing well. That's my goal. I want to do well for NAPA."
The top-10 finishers in the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 event were Busch, Waltrip, J.J. Yeley, Martin Truex Jr., Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson, Casey Mears, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Bobby Labonte.
As for Waltrip's teammates, David Reutimann finished 19th. Michael McDowell, driving in his first race at NHMS, settled for 42nd place after his engine expired.
The next stop on the Sprint Cup Series circuit is one of Waltrip's favorite tracks, the Daytona International Speedway. The Coke Zero 400 happens next Saturday night. Broadcast coverage of the 18th event of the season starts at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT cable network and the Motor Racing Network.
LENOX Industrial Tools 301 Results
LENOX Industrial Tools 301 Lap-By-Lap
NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver Standings (Waltrip - 29th)
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