From Ruin to Redemption: Part 2
Gatorade Duel #1. Michael would start at the back of the pack in a car that hadn’t been on the track since January. Many wrote him off – no way would he be competitive enough to make it. Even I had my doubts.
But…he was in the race. And anyone with half a brain knows that Michael can draft.
We decided to try out TrackPass Race View, even though I didn’t expect much because according to that, Denny Hamlin caused the Bud Shootout wreck instead of Dale Jr. It was about a quarter to a half a lap behind real time, but it was interesting to watch and somewhat useful during commercials. Michael became our car to track, visually and through audio.
Scott Eggleston, Michael’s replacement crew chief (and, ironically enough, Michael’s crew chief when he won his first race during the Daytona 500 in 2001), and Michael’s spotter who I believe was named Mark, sounded calm but apprehensive. Michael himself still seemed down and out. Not very encouraging.
When the field took the green, Mikey remained in the back for some time. Then, all of a sudden, he was MOVING! I could not believe how good that car was. With a Camry that did not have to lift in the turns and a driver who knows how the air works, the only direction was forward.
The typical draft dance played out, however. Michael got hung out several times. He’d make up spots only to lose them again. Finally, the first caution came out when Jeremy Mayfield was squeezed by Stanton Barrett and Bobby Labonte. Michael was close to top-10 at that point. There was some discussion on the radio. They stayed out…and everyone else pitted.
From last to first!
And who ended up behind him after pit stops? Dale Jr. Unfortunately, that joy didn’t last too long. Since Michael had older tires, he led for some time before Dale Jr. and Tony Stewart decided it was time to go. They started passing on the outside in Turn 1. Off of Turn 2, the spotter told Michael there was a small hole behind the 8. Apparently, Michael decided to make a squeeze. Halfway up the track, he realized there was no room and tried to turn back down. By that time, he picked up a push and nailed Junior pretty good in the left rear. In what disturbingly looked like the Mikey/Junior incident at Charlotte in 2005, Junior did a 180 and spun into the grass along the backstretch. Numb, I watched him slide along. Amazingly, he hit nothing! The damage was minor but he still had to limp it to pit road to avoid tearing the car apart because of flat tires. By the time he got in and out of pit lane, he was a lap down. He was calm, however.
“He turned me,” he said over the radio afterward the near-wreck. “Huh. That’s weird.”
Michael’s car had some right front damage – not a good place. I was devastated. I figured Junior was screwed, but he was in no matter what. Michael would be done for if the injury to his car was harmful to his race. The crew pulled out his fender and sent him back on the track. Now there was only hope.
Michael rode around at the rear of the field, avoiding the wreck that ensued when Robby Gordon turned down across the #84 of AJ Allmendinger. From then on, it was a march straight to the front. Dale Jr. also got his lap back.
Things began to get tense after David Ragan lost a right rear tire and crashed by himself. Michael was close to the other “star cars” – Boris Said, Johnny Sauter (both locked in) and 72-year-old James Hylton. After the restart, it all looked about over for Mikey. Several cars checked up and got loose, including Casey Mears directly in front of him. Luckily for Michael but sadly for Ward Burton, another driver racing for a spot, the wreck occurred a few cars back and Ward was tapped, crashing hard.
It was clear there would be a green-white-checkered. Two laps for Michael to keep Boris Said, Johnny Sauter and Mike Bliss behind him and to pass James Hylton, several cars ahead. But help was on Michael’s side – his friend Ken Schrader in the #21 somehow got right behind the #55 during the caution and agreed to try and push Michael to the Daytona 500. As long as he didn’t do anything crazy. Good old Schrader!
The green-white-checkered laps were some of the two longest laps I’ve ever watched. I felt light-headed. Hylton got hung out. Michael, with Schrader in tow, drafted by him. I only started screaming with half a lap to go.
“GO MIKEY!! GOOO!!!! YES! YOU DID IT YOU DID IT!!”
In the face of controversy, against all odds, Michael raced his way into the biggest NASCAR event of the year. First car to get in. He finished 8th.
And then I heard it over the radio. Because Boris Said was the second car to race in and was already locked into the 500, David Reutimann was next in line by qualifying speed. He was in.
ALL OF MWR WAS IN THE DAYTONA 500!!
Michael sounded on the verge of tears as he thanked his crew over the radio. According to a NASCAR.com article, Scott was in much of the same state. “I don't know how to put it into words,” he said. “I don't cry hardly at all, and I almost cried today.”
David, hearing the news, held his face in his hands and leaned on his parked car, the pressure melting off his shoulders and emotion clear as day on his face as he stood again, just in time to see Ty Norris congratulating him. Dale Jarrett drove beside Mikey on the cool down lap, waving. As they parked, waves turned to joyous clapping.
Just unbelievable. A miracle.
Michael was somber but thankful in his post-race interview. “I'm just sad and happy at the same time,” he said. “That's what Daytona does to you.”
Dale Jarrett was more outspoken and praised his teammate and owner. “I told Michael before this race that if anybody could drive it in, it would be him. He went out and did it.”
To top it all off, Dale Jr. rallied back and finished 2nd! He later said about Michael, “He is a great drafter, a great racer at the restrictor plate tracks. It is no surprise to me [that he made it in].”
David was fortunate for his locked in position, althought he joked, “They say its official, but I'm hoping there isn't a recount or anything. It is Florida, after all.” In the second Duel, his #00 Domino’s Camry had electrical problems and went to the garage.
When it is all said and done, Dale Jr. starts the Daytona 500 in 5th. Michael is 15th, Reutimann 40th and Dale Jarrett 43rd, using his Champion’s Provisional. Kurt Busch will take the green from 3rd after an impressive Duel (and winner Jeff Gordon’s time being disallowed), Martin Truex Jr. 13th and Casey Mears in 17th. Brandon Whitt, as expected, did not make the race but it was not for lack of effort.
BRING ON DAYTONA! WE ARE READY!!
But…he was in the race. And anyone with half a brain knows that Michael can draft.
We decided to try out TrackPass Race View, even though I didn’t expect much because according to that, Denny Hamlin caused the Bud Shootout wreck instead of Dale Jr. It was about a quarter to a half a lap behind real time, but it was interesting to watch and somewhat useful during commercials. Michael became our car to track, visually and through audio.
Scott Eggleston, Michael’s replacement crew chief (and, ironically enough, Michael’s crew chief when he won his first race during the Daytona 500 in 2001), and Michael’s spotter who I believe was named Mark, sounded calm but apprehensive. Michael himself still seemed down and out. Not very encouraging.
When the field took the green, Mikey remained in the back for some time. Then, all of a sudden, he was MOVING! I could not believe how good that car was. With a Camry that did not have to lift in the turns and a driver who knows how the air works, the only direction was forward.
The typical draft dance played out, however. Michael got hung out several times. He’d make up spots only to lose them again. Finally, the first caution came out when Jeremy Mayfield was squeezed by Stanton Barrett and Bobby Labonte. Michael was close to top-10 at that point. There was some discussion on the radio. They stayed out…and everyone else pitted.
From last to first!
And who ended up behind him after pit stops? Dale Jr. Unfortunately, that joy didn’t last too long. Since Michael had older tires, he led for some time before Dale Jr. and Tony Stewart decided it was time to go. They started passing on the outside in Turn 1. Off of Turn 2, the spotter told Michael there was a small hole behind the 8. Apparently, Michael decided to make a squeeze. Halfway up the track, he realized there was no room and tried to turn back down. By that time, he picked up a push and nailed Junior pretty good in the left rear. In what disturbingly looked like the Mikey/Junior incident at Charlotte in 2005, Junior did a 180 and spun into the grass along the backstretch. Numb, I watched him slide along. Amazingly, he hit nothing! The damage was minor but he still had to limp it to pit road to avoid tearing the car apart because of flat tires. By the time he got in and out of pit lane, he was a lap down. He was calm, however.
“He turned me,” he said over the radio afterward the near-wreck. “Huh. That’s weird.”
Michael’s car had some right front damage – not a good place. I was devastated. I figured Junior was screwed, but he was in no matter what. Michael would be done for if the injury to his car was harmful to his race. The crew pulled out his fender and sent him back on the track. Now there was only hope.
Michael rode around at the rear of the field, avoiding the wreck that ensued when Robby Gordon turned down across the #84 of AJ Allmendinger. From then on, it was a march straight to the front. Dale Jr. also got his lap back.
Things began to get tense after David Ragan lost a right rear tire and crashed by himself. Michael was close to the other “star cars” – Boris Said, Johnny Sauter (both locked in) and 72-year-old James Hylton. After the restart, it all looked about over for Mikey. Several cars checked up and got loose, including Casey Mears directly in front of him. Luckily for Michael but sadly for Ward Burton, another driver racing for a spot, the wreck occurred a few cars back and Ward was tapped, crashing hard.
It was clear there would be a green-white-checkered. Two laps for Michael to keep Boris Said, Johnny Sauter and Mike Bliss behind him and to pass James Hylton, several cars ahead. But help was on Michael’s side – his friend Ken Schrader in the #21 somehow got right behind the #55 during the caution and agreed to try and push Michael to the Daytona 500. As long as he didn’t do anything crazy. Good old Schrader!
The green-white-checkered laps were some of the two longest laps I’ve ever watched. I felt light-headed. Hylton got hung out. Michael, with Schrader in tow, drafted by him. I only started screaming with half a lap to go.
“GO MIKEY!! GOOO!!!! YES! YOU DID IT YOU DID IT!!”
In the face of controversy, against all odds, Michael raced his way into the biggest NASCAR event of the year. First car to get in. He finished 8th.
And then I heard it over the radio. Because Boris Said was the second car to race in and was already locked into the 500, David Reutimann was next in line by qualifying speed. He was in.
ALL OF MWR WAS IN THE DAYTONA 500!!
Michael sounded on the verge of tears as he thanked his crew over the radio. According to a NASCAR.com article, Scott was in much of the same state. “I don't know how to put it into words,” he said. “I don't cry hardly at all, and I almost cried today.”
David, hearing the news, held his face in his hands and leaned on his parked car, the pressure melting off his shoulders and emotion clear as day on his face as he stood again, just in time to see Ty Norris congratulating him. Dale Jarrett drove beside Mikey on the cool down lap, waving. As they parked, waves turned to joyous clapping.
Just unbelievable. A miracle.
Michael was somber but thankful in his post-race interview. “I'm just sad and happy at the same time,” he said. “That's what Daytona does to you.”
Dale Jarrett was more outspoken and praised his teammate and owner. “I told Michael before this race that if anybody could drive it in, it would be him. He went out and did it.”
To top it all off, Dale Jr. rallied back and finished 2nd! He later said about Michael, “He is a great drafter, a great racer at the restrictor plate tracks. It is no surprise to me [that he made it in].”
David was fortunate for his locked in position, althought he joked, “They say its official, but I'm hoping there isn't a recount or anything. It is Florida, after all.” In the second Duel, his #00 Domino’s Camry had electrical problems and went to the garage.
When it is all said and done, Dale Jr. starts the Daytona 500 in 5th. Michael is 15th, Reutimann 40th and Dale Jarrett 43rd, using his Champion’s Provisional. Kurt Busch will take the green from 3rd after an impressive Duel (and winner Jeff Gordon’s time being disallowed), Martin Truex Jr. 13th and Casey Mears in 17th. Brandon Whitt, as expected, did not make the race but it was not for lack of effort.
BRING ON DAYTONA! WE ARE READY!!
