UAW-GM Quality 500, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina, October 12th, 2003:
Pre-Race Festivities:
**Invocation**
**National Anthem** sung by recording artist Monica.
**Flyover by 4 jet fighters** Looked pretty awesome at night.
**Winston Victory Lap presentations for Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon**
Gentlemen! Start your engines!
**Engines started**
Steve: Check you're steering wheel good, Kyle.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4.
**Note:** Filling in for Marty again this week in none other than Dale Inman.
Dale: Kyle they're saying the 3rd time by, bud.
Pace Laps:
Dale: They're going to move that truck down there after the first caution.
Kyle: Yeah, that'll be good.
Steve: Alright man. Right here on your left.
Dale: Steve, I'm going to tell him in front of the Home Depot pit, okay?
Steve: Yeah, 10-4.
Kyle: I've got about thirty...somewhere between 3800-4000.
Steve: 10-4. What do you think? You'll just go with 39?
Kyle: Yeah, 10-4.
Steve: 10-4, 3900.
Kyle: Hey...the #15's in front of us and the #19's behind us, right?
Steve: 10-4. You're in Pit Stall 9.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4.
Kyle: Alright man, you guys did good this week. We didn't get a lot of practice, but everything's done. Everything looked good during qualifying. We'll try and make changes and stuff. You guys worked hard. You did a good job, man, getting this thing ready. We'll do like we did last week. We'll start passing people from the beginning and go from there. Have a good day and make a quick prayer.
**Team prayer**
Dale: Kyle, I'm going to tell you you're 5 away in front of Tony Stewart's pit if that helps you. It's just another lap.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4.
Dale: You've got 1 to go, Kyle.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4.
Dale: Green flag. Green flag. Green flag:
Kyle: (Lap 3) Got a little loose there. I've got to get back to the bottom.
Kyle: (Lap 16) Tell the #43 if he goes in high, stay high.
**Note:** (Lap 18) passed Christian.
Kyle: (Lap 20) I'm tight in the middle, tight up off.
Steve: 10-4. That's 20 laps on tires.
Kyle: (Lap 22) I'm tight in on both and it feels loose off Turn 2.
**Note:** (Lap 45) Kyle lapped under green.
Pit Stop (Lap 5_) Jeff pitted.
**Note:** (Lap 59) Christian pitted.
Steve: (Lap 60) Alright KP, next time by. 4 tires.
Dale: Watch that #20, Kyle.
Dale: I believe they want you to pit.
Steve: Go ahead and pit. Next time by, Kyle. Next time by. 4 tires.
Dale: Kyle, did you get a copy on pit?
Steve: Dale, I bet his ear plugs have come loose.
Kyle: Are you up there?
Steve: Yeah, pit this time, Kyle.
Dale: Pit this...PIT, Kyle. PIT. PIT. PIT. PIT, KYLE.
Kyle: Hello! Can anybody hear me?
Steve: 10-4!! We got you man. PIT! PIT!!
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4.
Dale: Okay, Kyle. Pit this time, bud.
Steve: You'll have a clear pit in from the #88.
Dale: 5 away, 5 away.
Pit Stop: (Lap 62) 4 tires, fuel. 16.66 seconds.
Dale: Clear all the way. Clear all the way. 3900.
Dale: Can you hear me, Steve?
Steve: Yeah, I got you.
Dale: Clear, Kyle. Clear. Can you hear us, Kyle?
Kyle: Yeah, I can hear everybody. I couldn't hear you a minute ago, but I can hear you now.
Dale: Okay, 10-4. We missed you there for about 2 laps. You're doing good.
Steve: (Lap 77) 15 laps on tires. Did it help it any?
Kyle: Wait a minute and I'll tell you next lap.
Kyle: (Lap 78) It's a little loose in and to the middle, but you helped it a little bit up off.
Steve: 10-4.
Dale: Caution, Kyle. Caution, caution, caution. Caution Lap 85: #97 spins in Turn 2.
Steve: **interference**
Kyle: Do what? Didn't hear you.
Steve: You said we **interference but repeats to understand Kyle's comment on Lap 78**
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4. 2 things, 2 things. It's a little free getting in...okay let me tell you this: a little free right dead in the center. Not really getting in, right dead in the center. When you get to the gas it's a little free. It's almost like it turns on itself, but it needs a little forward bite, too. It could stand a little grip up off the corner. 10-4?
Steve: 10-4. **interference**
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4. We can try that.
Steve: ...think about that, too, because if it is a little bit free getting in **interference**.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4. I'm with you on that. Just a little bit.
Dale: Kyle, you know we have to run the extra lap, bud.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4.
Dale: What do you think happened to your radio awhile ago?
Kyle: Nothing. All of a sudden I didn't hear ya'll and ya'll didn't hear me. I never could see anything. I just kept screaming for you and all of a sudden it came back.
Dale: Me and Steve were hearing each other, but you couldn't hear us. Then we heard you before you heard us. I don't know what happened.
Steve: Alright guys...**interference**.
Steve: The #18 pitted already so you'll have a clear pit out.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4.
Dale: Okay, he's on pit road.
Dale: 5 away.
Pit Stop: (Lap 88) 4 tires, fuel, rubber in LR, track bar up 1 round.
Dale: Clear, Kyle.
Dale: Can you hear me, Steve?
Steve: I can hear you, but when you were trying to clear him getting out of the pits **intereference**.
Dale: Have you got a copy now, Kyle?
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4. I got a copy.
Steve: On that first stop we ran about 20 laps on that set of tires. What we did was take a pound out of both fronts and put a round of wedge in.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4. That helped it. You mean the first stop under green, right?
Steve: 10-4.
Kyle: Yeah, and that helped it. It helped A LOT of it. It's not terrible getting in because I really scrubbed it off in the corner, so, but right in the middle it will lift sometimes.
Steve: 10-4.
Dale: Kyle there's a truck at the entrance to pit road blowing that wet stuff. You'll go on the outside of it.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4.
Dale: We start behind John. Is that right, Steve?
Steve: 10-4. Behind the #1.
Dale: Kyle, there's a truck up high in Turns 3 and 4 up against the wall.
Kyle: What was that caution for?
Steve: Talk to him Dale. I didn't see it.
Dale: They said the #97 spun coming off of Turn 2, Kyle, but they called and said there was debris somewhere. I don't know. I think it was 2 things at one time, but the #97 spun off of Turn 2 and didn't hit anything.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4.
Steve: KP you okay on water temperature?
Kyle: Seems alright.
Steve: No chance on getting more tape on it before the night's over is it?
Kyle: No, definitely not that direction.
Dale: I guess Sterling was the Lucky Dog that caution.
Dale: Kyle, they're coming up on 1 to go.
Kyle: How many laps is this race?
Steve: 334.
Kyle: 10-4.
Dale: The #1's pitting. Who are we behind now, Steve?
Steve: #23.
Dale: Kyle, you can go with the #23 when he goes.
Dale: Coming to the green, bud.
**Note:** Kyle 34th; Jeff 36th; Christian 37th. All 1 lap down.
Dale: Green flag. Green flag. Restart Lap 94
Kyle: (Lap 104) This thing is looser than **bleep** getting into the corners on this set of tires.
Steve: 10-4.
Kyle: Loose in, loose off right now.
Steve: It should have tightened it up.
Kyle: It's out of control right now.
Steve: That was supposed to be dead in the right direction.
Kyle: Maybe it's air pressure. I don't know.
**Note:** (Lap 128) Christian lapped under green.
**Note:** (Lap 130) Jeff lapped under green.
**Note:** (Lap 133) Lapped under green.
Kyle: (Lap 138) Now it's a little snug up off and snapping loose. 10-4?
Steve: 10-4.
**Note:** (Lap 147) Jeff pitted.
**Note:** (Lap 153) Christian pitted.
Steve: We're going to pit in about 3 laps. 3 laps.
Dale: Did you get the 3 laps, Kyle?
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4.
Steve: Go ahead and pit next by. Next time by.
Dale: Okay he's coming in. He's coming in.
Dale: 3900, Kyle.
Steve: They'll be a clear pit in. Right in front of the #20 you can start turning in.
Dale: 5 away.
Pit Stop: (Lap 155) 4 tires, fuel. 15.84 seconds.
Steve: Clear behind the #48. All clear.
Dale: Caution, caution, Kyle. Turn 4. Caution, Turn 4. Caution Lap 160: #38, #01 get together out of Turn 4 almost towards the end of green flag pit stops.
Kyle: Did you make an adjustment this time?
Steve: 10-4. All I did was put the 1/2 pound back in.
Kyle: We've got to go back with the track bar or do something because this thing is NOT stable getting into the corners on new tires.
Steve: 10-4. What about putting some wedge in, will that help you?
Kyle: To get in the corner it will, but I'm afraid it won't help me getting off.
Steve: 10-4. We'll put the track bar back. I'm just trying to think what is going to help you getting in there. We've got to get you something, like you said, to hold the platform getting in.
Steve: We could put the RF shock up. Will that help?
Kyle: Let's think about where we were at. Before you lowered the track bar I was okay in, twitching in the middle, and loose up off, right?
Steve: 10-4.
Kyle: Okay, now, it's twitchy loose getting in. It's really, really pretty loose getting in; it's still got that little bit of twitch in the middle, but now it's snap and push coming off because I got so much wheel in it, it's back to being tight/loose coming off. It pushes out and it's snapping itself loose.
Steve: We could either put some wedge in and raise the track bar up OR we could put the RF shock up to help keep it from going **interference**. One of those 2 changes.
Kyle: I think what I'd do is put the track bar back where it was and put 1 round of wedge in it, 10-4? Just put 1 round of wedge in it. Don't go too much.
Steve: 10-4.
Dale: From what I've seen Steve and Kyle the best place on that run on the race track was coming off of Turn 2; from the center of Turn 1 and 2 off because he could cut under 'em coming off of Turn 2.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4, but when I cut under 'em coming off of Turn 4 it pushes loose. It will snap loose.
Dale: That's what I'm trying to say. Your best corner....your best place on the race track was from the center of Turn 1 down the backstretch.
Kyle: What was that caution for?
Dale: The #01 done something. I don't know. He done something up here in Turn 1 and 2.
Dale: He tore the back bumper off. I don't know where he's at.
Steve: Alright guys, here we come. We'll put 4 tires on it, 1 round of wedge in it and 1 up on the track bar. #15 has already pitted so you'll have a clear pit out.
Dale: He's on pit road. 3900, Kyle.
Steve: Turn in. In front of the #37.
Pit Stop: (Lap 162) 4 tires, fuel, 1 round wedge in, 1 round up on the track bar.
Dale: All the way out, Kyle.
Dale: The #40 car caught it again, Kyle.
Dale: The #40 is on the outside, Kyle.
Kyle: A minute ago when I racing the #16 it was loose getting in so I couldn't get in like I wanted to and then I had the wheel cut and it would snap loose coming up off the corner.
Dale: I seen that several times, Kyle, coming off of Turn 4. More so than off of Turn 2, wasn't it?
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4. There's enough banking in Turn 2 to hold you.
Dale: Okay, bud, there giving 1 to go. I guess we're behind the #7, Steve, is that right?
Steve: 10-4.
**Note:** Jeff 33rd; Kyle 35th, Christian 40th all 2 laps down.
Dale: Coming to the flag, Kyle. Coming to the flag, bud.
Dale: Green flag. Green flag. Restart Lap 164
Dale: Watch it, Kyle. Watch it, watch it, watch it, Kyle. Watch it, watch it, watch it, watch it. Caution Lap 167: #31 bangs along the Turn 4 wall.
Dale: I guess you seen him, didn't you, Kyle?
Kyle: 10-4.
Steve: Do you think it went in the right direction?
Kyle: Hard to say, man. Hard to say. Probably, we're going to have to run it 1 time and let it see what it does, 10-4?
Steve: **interference**
Kyle: Alright, 2 people talking. TWO people talking. I want 1 person on the radio at a time. What did you say?
Steve: As far back as we are now, let's go ahead, stop and put tires on it when they open pit road.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4.
Dale: You want him in, right, Steve?
Steve: 10-4.
Dale: Okay, Steve, he's on pit road.
Steve: 10-4.
Dale: 5 away, Kyle.
Pit Stop: (Lap 170) 4 tires, fuel.
Dale: Clear wall the way to the wall, Kyle.
Dale: Who do we get behind, Steve?
Steve: The #77.
Kyle: How about the #5? How many laps down is he?
Steve: The #5's only 1 lap down.
Dale: Coming to the green now, Kyle.
Dale: Green flag. Green flag. Restart Lap 172
Kyle: (Lap 187) This is the wrong adjustment. We'll talk about it later.
Steve: 10-4.
Kyle: (Lap 188) It pushes in the middle and snaps loose.
Steve: 10-4.
Kyle: (Lap 192) Did we just put wedge in it? This thing is loose getting in and I'm fighting it.
Steve: 10-4. We did put wedge in.
Dale: Car under you. Car looking low.
Kyle: 10-4, Dale. 10-4. I got that. Let me just focus here a minute. This thing just turns in. It just turns out from under itself getting in the corner. It's like ####. I don't know.
Kyle: (Lap 196) All I'm doing is hanging on at this point.
Dale: Caution, caution, caution, caution, caution. Caution Lap 205: #54 spins; tags the #38 and it hits the wall on the frontstretch head on.
Dale: It's on the frontstretch, Kyle.
Kyle: 10-4.
Kyle: I don't know what the f-bomb is wrong with this thing. You can't get in the corner, you can't get through the middle, you can't get off. I don't know if it's a mismatched set of tires or if I've got one going down or what.
Steve: 10-4. Sitting on top of the box it's like we either have to close the RF shock to help you getting in the corner or put some wedge in it.
Kyle: You put wedge in it and the ***** backs in the corner. That wedge doesn't do ANYTHING. It's like you put 2 rounds OUT.
Steve: Maybe I need to take the wedge back out of it.
Kyle: F-bomb yeah we need to take the wedge back out. That's wrong. That's wrong. There is no friggin' way the car should have done what it did. Lower the track bar back where the track bar was a minute ago, take the wedge out and then let's figure out...what else do you think?
Steve: Into the corner, like I said, I can close that RF shock off OR put a little air pressure in the RF. One of those two.
Kyle: Just do one of the two, then. Do one of the two.
Steve: We'll close off the RF shock. If that helps it, but we need a lot more we'll try to get a piece of rubber in the RF.
Kyle: Do what?
Steve: If it's bad enough we'll need to put a piece of rubber in the RF.
Kyle: It was bad enough that run we need to stop and change 4 springs. I don't know why it got so bad because you put 1 round of wedge in it. 1 round of wedge took this car completely out of the ball park. Completely.
Steve: 10-4. Let's just put the wedge and track bar where it was.
Dale: Okay, he's on pit road.
Dale: It's going to be tight getting in, Kyle.
Pit Stop: (Lap 207) 4 tires, fuel, 1 round of wedge out, down 1 round on track bar, closed off RF shock.
Kyle: Were those tires looking like build up or anything?
Steve: Hang on a second.
Crew: The build up on this set is 11.3, 10.5, 6.1, 8.4 LF.
Kyle: They felt like Talladega tires.
Dale: Steve, they're getting pretty close to re-starting. Do want to top him off or anything? They're going to get 1 to go. Coming up on 1 to go.
Steve: No. It ain't going to help us.
**Note:** Jeff 27th; Christian 33rd; Kyle 37th all 2 laps down.
Dale: Coming to the green, Kyle.
Dale: Green flag. Green flag. Restart Lap 213
Dale: Caution, Kyle. Caution. Caution. Caution Lap 231: #97 blows RF on the frontstretch after riding the Turn 3/4 wall 2 laps before and hits the wall at the end of the frontstretch into Turn 1.
Kyle: It's back to where it was a little bit, but it's still loose getting in and it rotates too quick in the middle. It's like a friggin' shock is broke or something. I just give up on this thing. It ain't working like it was.
Steve: 10-4. You want to try putting a rubber in the RF?
Kyle: I'm scared ****less to put a rubber in this thing and trying to get it in the corner just from the fact that the thing will go in the corner and it's going to push and be f-bomb sideways coming up off. I don't know which way to go with it.
Steve: 10-4.
Kyle: It needs to go in smoother. What did you do that last time on it?
Steve: Took wedge back out of it, back up on the track bar, closed the RF shock off....
Kyle: You want to just try and put a pound of air in the RF one time and try that?
Steve: We can try that.
Dale: Pit road is going to be closed for awhile.
Steve: Has closing off that RF shock helped it a little bit?
Kyle: I can't say anything we've done has helped it much at all...period. We've done the track bar, you've done the shock, you've done the wedge; the only thing with the track bar down, and where I am right now, I can run up off of Turn 2 and try to get a decent run off of Turn 4, but getting in and to the center, you're just friggin' tip-toeing.
Kyle: We started the night and the car was tight. Then it kind of came to us in that middle part. When we went back and put that one single round of wedge in it with that set of tires this thing went all to crap and it ain't come back yet. It ain't come back close to what it was before.
Steve: 10-4.
Dale: They're going to open pit road this time for the lead lap cars.
Steve: Alright we'll pit this time, guys. 4 tires.
Dale: He's on pit road.
Steve: 10-4. Clear pit in, Kyle.
Dale: 5 away.
Pit Stop: (Lap 233) 4 tires, fuel, 1 pound in RF.
Dale: Clear outside. Clear outside, Kyle.
Dale: Coming up on 1 to go, Kyle.
Kyle: 10-4.
Dale: They're not going to go, Kyle. Not going to go. They're going to give 1 to go when you get here. They're not going to go.
Dale: They didn't get the #32 caught up.
Dale: Coming to the flag, Kyle.
**Note:** Jeff 25th; Christian 32nd; Kyle 35th all 2 laps down.
Dale: Green flag. Green flag. Green flag. Restart Lap 238
Kyle: (Lap 243) That #37 outruns me down the straightaway.
Kyle: I've got to run like that up off the corner and I can't even run like that down the straightaway.
Kyle: (Lap 254) I'm telling you, man. I'm just hanging on to this thing.
Steve: 10-4.
Kyle: I don't know what it's going to do from one corner to the next.
**Note:** (Lap 257) Lapped under green.
**Note:** (Lap 260) Engine sounds bad and is visibly running slower.
Kyle: I've got an idea on the next caution. When there's a caution, remind me.
Steve: 10-4. We're thinking the chain on the bar has come loose.
Steve: Kyle if you've got an idea we might as well go ahead and stop and do it because we're not even running the minimum speed now.
Kyle: Do it. Either the f-bomb ratchet is out of this b##### or it aint' got no chain.
Steve: 10-4. We're running like 35.40. They're posting us right now because we're not even meeting the minimum speed. Let's just put a gear in it if you think that's what it is.
Kyle: I don't have a f-bomb clue what it is. That's what I'm trying to tell you. I have not got a f-bomb clue. It's either the chain thing or whatever.
Steve: From what I'm telling you they're making us pit so we're going to have to pit.
Kyle: I'm pitting. I'm pitting. I'm just telling you I ain't got a f-bomb clue what it is.
Dale: He's on pit road. 3900, Kyle.
Steve: Stop and raise the hood and see if that f-bomb chain's come loose.
Steve: Is the chain loose on it?
Steve: Shut the hood on it, put 4 tires on it and stick a big rubber in the LR.
Kyle: Jack it up and see if you can tell if whether it's the ratchet or anything.
Steve: 10-4. Jack it up under the back of the fuel cell, Tim.
Steve: Ernie, check that rear end. See if it's got a ratchet broke.
Steve: Seems like the ratchet's alright. Put 4 tires on it and give him a rubber in the LR. Give him a BIG rubber in the LR.
Pit Stop: (Lap 268) 1:41:16 seconds.
Steve: Clear all the way. If that doesn't fix it we'll just take it to the garage and put different springs and shocks on it.
Kyle: (Lap 272) There anything else you want to try?
Steve: We can bring it down and put a sway bar in it or a RF spring in it.
**Note:** (Lap 274) Christian pitted.
Kyle: Can you put a rubber and RF spring in it on pit road?
Steve: 10-4. I can get a rubber in the RF.
Kyle: We may as well try that. Something's broke in this thing. It doesn't go from as being as good as it was back there to being as bad as it f-bomb is right now.
Steve: 10-4 on that.
Steve: Here he comes guys. Put a rubber in the RF.
Pit Stop: (Lap 276)
Steve: Clear all the way out.
Kyle: (Lap 279) Let's just go to the house with this thing.
Steve: 10-4. You want to try and put a gear in it to see if that fixes it?
Kyle: We can try. We can try.
Steve: Let's put one in it just so we know if that's what it is. Even if we make 2 or 3 laps with it.
Kyle: 10-4, 10-4. Take that rubber out of the RF. Out of the RF. That just f-bomb killed it right there. You can't believe how bad that is.
Steve: 10-4. Let's put a rear gear in it guys.
**Note:** (Lap 281) Kyle comes down pit road and takes it to the garage.
**Note:** I never saw Kyle return to the track even for just a few laps.
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