Coca Cola Racing Family 600, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina, May 25th, 2003:
Pre-Race Festivities:
**Note: Prepared to leave the car when MRN came on the radio expecting a delayed start. It wasn't delayed as long as I was expecting.
**a lone Stealth Bomber flyover (twice) as I walked towards the gate**
**missed The Invocation**
**missed any Memorial Day Presentations**
**missed the National Anthem**
Gentlemen! Start your engines! **performed as I was walking down the steps to my seat**
**Engines started**
Pace Laps:
Steve: They've got jet dryers on the high side in the tri-oval. Stay low.
John: Stay low.
John: Looks like it's going to be...40..4300, 2nd gear. 4300, 2nd gear.
Steve: Copy, 4300.
Gary: You've got new brake pads and rotors up front so work them in a little bit. You also have bead blowers on the front if you want to run them.
John: 10-4. What do you want me to do with that?
Gary: It's on your brake fan switch. Your front brake fan switch. Just turn that on.
John: 10-4.
Gary: And you're here.
Gary: And if you look over here to your left you'll see the orange cone; that's where pit road speed begins. We're 3 stalls in. In front of the #31 and behind the #22. And if you look to your right, right there, that's the double red line for restart line.
John: 10-4.
Steve: John, there's going to be 2 to go this time by. There is still a little dampness on the high side of 4. NASCAR requests that you run a little bit high.
John: Yeah, 10-4.
Steve: They still want you to run high coming off of 4 and it's still going to be 2 to go when you come to the line.
John: 10-4.
Steve: They're still holding up on the start.
John: 10-4.
Gary: How does it look over there in Turn 4?
John: I don't think we can drive with the cars. It's seeping through. A jet dryer is going to have to go up there or something. 'Cause we just go by it and there's just not enough of us. If we went single file and then we might be able to get it.
Gary: Looks like they're going to bring a blower out and blow it up near the wall.
John: 10-4.
Steve: Okay, John, they want you to double up.
Steve: John, they have a tractor trying to blow that dry so stay low coming off of 4.
John: 10-4.
Steve: He's on the bottom so I guess he'll be going high this time, I guess. They're a little confused.
John: 10-4.
Steve: John, as of right now, the tractor is on the outside off of 4 and it's going to be green/yellow next time by.
John: 10-4.
Gary: Have you got your radiator fan on through all this?
John: No, 'cause I've only just barely gotten over 200. Then when we started going faster it dropped down to 190.
Gary: Okay, that's cool.
Steve: Still have a tractor on the high side off of 4. Green/Yellow
Steve: Okay, tractor's off the track and they want you to stay on the high side this time.
John: 10-4.
Steve: It will be 1 to go when you get here.
John: 10-4 on the 1 to go.
John: It's pretty wet up by that wall.
Gary: 10-4.
Gary: I relayed the message, but it sounds like we're still going to go.
John: 10-4.
Steve: Pace car's off. Be ready. Ready. Green flag. Start Lap 4:
**Note:** (Lap 5) passed Kyle.
**Note:** (Lap 9) #99 pinched us hard into Turn 1.
**Note:** (Lap 10) #2 pinched us hard into Turn 1.
**Note:** (Lap 11) passed the #2.
**Note:** (Lap 12) Unbelievable pass. Passed the #99, #74, #9 in Turn 4 running the bottom.
Steve: Clear up high if you want it. Nice job. keep digging.
John: (Lap 14) Getting tight, middle, up off.
**Note:** Not noticeable to me. Still looks good. Horsepower is no match for anyone off the corners and down the straights.
John: (Lap 17) It's all off power.
Gary: 10-4.
**Note:** Don't know if I heard right, so I kept watching for smoke.
**Note:** (Lap 18) Aero loose into Turn 1. #88 gets side-by-side. John powers it off of 4, holds position. Pinches the #88 into Turn 1 and dives under the #41 and takes off. Great move.
**Note:** (Lap 20) John 27th; Kyle 43rd.
Gary: (Lap 22) 31.80. Leader is .70.
John: **something about the hill or the middle**
Gary: (Lap 23) 31.70. Leader at .80.
**Note:** (Lap 25) #23 is costing us time in Turn 4. #88 and #2 are gaining on us.
John: (Lap 26) I wish I had more motor or more gear.
Steve: (Lap 28) Looking outside. #88 car outside.
John: Man, you've got to call the "f-bomb" calls.
Steve: #2 looking outside. At your quarter. At your door. Clear behind the #2.
Gary: **interference**, John?
John: You've got to make those calls. I can't have to look for all the "f-bomb" cars.
**Note:** We lost 2 positions and additional track position.
Steve: (Lap 31) #49 against the wall. Keep coming. Keep coming. No caution.
John: (Lap 32) I'm getting loose off. Then I get a little bit tight, then I get loose.
Gary: 10-4.
Gary: (Lap 35) 32.00 flat. Same as the leader.
**Note:** (Lap 38) by the #25, surprisingly with minimal problem.
Gary: (Lap 40) About 10-15 laps before we stop.
John: (Lap 42) Gets looser as the run goes on.
Gary: 10-4.
John: Feels like the outside ________(?) are stiff.
Gary: (Lap 44) We're going to stop in 10 or less.
**Note:** (Lap 47) Passed by the #48.
**Note:** (Lap 49) Kyle way loose in Turn 1. Nice save.
John: (Lap 50) Gary, I'm having trouble understanding you.
Steve: STILL clear all around.
John: I said GARY I'm having trouble understanding you.
Gary: We're going to stop in 5 or less.
John: Tell him, tell him, repeat what he said.
Steve: Going to stop in 5 or less.
**Note:** (Lap 51) Kyle leaving pit road.
Gary: (Lap 54) Pit this time. This time by.
John: Pit this time by.
Steve: You have a little bit of water entering pit road by the 76 ball. 3rd pit in.
Steve: On pit road now.
Gary: Come around the #48. 3rd pit down. Come on.
Pit Stop: (Lap 54) 4 tires, fuel. 15.71** seconds.
**Note:** Bonehead me hit the Stop button to "start" the time. Realized what I did and geniously did it again. LOL Finally hit the Start button and still timed a 15.71 stop. This stop was uncharacteristically slow. More than likely 18.00+
Gary: Get out of here. Out of here. All clear, all clear.
Gary: 4300, 2nd.
Steve: Start your acceleration now. Stay below the blend line.
**Note:** John 29th; Kyle 38th (-1).
Gary: (Lap 63) 31.50. Same as the leader.
**Note:** (Lap 68) Literally flew by the #9.
**Note:** (Lap 70) #1 forced us straight towards the Turn 4 wall. Nice save with no wall contact, but the #99 got by.
Greg: Tell the #1 to pick a lane.
**Note:** (Lap 71) Passed the #1.
**Note:** (Lap 75) Passed the #19.
Gary: (Lap 77) 32.00 flat. Leader at .80.
Gary: (Lap 78) Leader is at the line........now.
Gary: (Lap 79) 32.00 flat. Same as the leader. Watch those guys ahead of you. They're starting to back up to you.
Gary: (Lap 84) You've got 30 laps on your tires and fuel.
John: Car's not bad.
John: Just a little tight in the center of 1 and 2 and then I bounce over the bumps a little bit in the rear in 3 and 4.
John: (Lap 86) I'm really tight when I get behind them.
Gary: 10-4.
Gary: (Lap 88) 32.10. Leader is 32.00 flat. Leader is at the line....now.
**Note:** (Lap 90) John 27th; Kyle 38th (-1).
Gary: (Lap 92) Leader is the next car back.
**Note:** (Lap 93) Lapped under green into Turn 1.
Gary: (Lap 95) Try to stay close to the #20. They're talking about a little sprinkle.
Gary: (Lap 96) Steve try to get with the #20's spotter and ask them if we can have a little help if there happens to be a caution.
John: (Lap 97) Now I'm getting really tight.
Gary: 10-4.
Steve: Caution out for rain. Leader in the middle of 3 and 4.
Gary: He's not going to let us have it back. Caution Lap 102: Rain.
John: Sorry about that. I just couldn't get it to turn.
Gary: 10-4.
Gary: I'm thinking about putting a round of bite in, rather taking a round of bite out, one round down in the RR; taking a half pound out of the RF and I need to take **interference** put 4 tires on the car and what do you think about taking one of the half-rubbers out of the LR?
John: Yeah, 10-4. We've got to do....because it's just going to get tighter and tighter.
Gary: Yeah, 10-4. **interference**
John: I think when the clouds came over I just got way too tight.
Gary: 10-4.
John: If you think we need to do more, then, do whatever. I mean it's pretty tight. It's nastily loose. I slide through the middle and then when I get on the throttle I get the back loose.
John: Are we getting a windshield guy?
Gary: No.
John: Then we need to pull this strip to get all the rain off and this oil. I can't see anything.
Gary: Archie will put the window strip. He'll have time.
Gary: Pit road has already gotten fairly damp so just be cautious here getting in.
John: 10-4.
Gary: We'll have an open pit in front of us.
Gary: We're making a lot of progress here, guys, so we need a good stop.
Gary: You'll have a clear shot all the way into your pit stall.
Steve: On pit road now.
Gary: Come on in.
Pit Stop: (Lap 104) 4 tires, fuel, bite out and LR half-rubber out. 18.78 seconds.
Gary: All clear, all clear. 1 outside. 1 outside.
Gary: Good job on that LR rubber.
Steve: They're going to bring you down pit road and stop this time.
Gary: If they let us cover the car up, Travis, you and Ernie go over there and bring some tape and a garbage bag for the grille.
John: Why? Is something bigger coming through here?
Gary: I don't know. The sky looks failry decent right now.
John: I don't know why they want us off.
Gary: They're going to put the jet dryers out there and they're going to try and dry the track. Red Flag Lap 106:
Gary: How's your water temperature?
John: I haven't really been looking at it. It's been fairly cool when I'm running. Like 210 is the hottest it's gotten.
Gary: 10-4.
Gary: The tire sheet from the first stop was 3 pounds too tight to the RF and showed 5 degrees loose. This set was 4 pounds tight and it showed 5 degrees tight so it is getting tighter as we go.
Gary: We've got 24 cars left on the lead lap.
Crew: He's got his helmet off. He's gone, Gary.
Gary: 10-4.
Gary: Andy you might want to **interference**
Andy: Already on my way.
Crew: Hey Travis, if you think it's going to be awhile you might want to turn the radios off.
Gary: Hey Andy, get the windshield clean before they start the cars.
John: Test 1,2.
Gary: I gotcha.
Gary: Got me, John?
John: 10-4.
Andy: They won't let me on that right side to clean the right side of that window.
John: That's okay. I'm alright.
**Note:** That was odd. I saw crew members on the right sides of all the other cars cleaning the windows.
John: Gary, I don't know what it is with your radio, but when I'm running it's really hard for me to understand you. It's not so much noise or something, it's like there's a lot of interference.
Gary: Okay. Maybe we need to look at changing our frequency next week.
John: 10-4. We might be running close to somebody.
Gary: 10-4.
Gary: I believe there's only 24 cars left on the lead lap.
John: 10-4.
**Note:** John 33rd (-1), Kyle 38th (-?).
Steve: 1 to go next time by.
John: 10-4 on 1 to go.
Gary: Going green this time by. Make sure your gear fan and your brake fan's back on.
John: 10-4.
Greg: Pace car's off. Get ready. Ready. Green flag. Restart Lap 110
**Note:** (Lap 121) Running damn good. Already passed the #25, #54, #74, #31, #9, #4 and outrunning and pulling away from 10th place. No contest for anyone off the corners and down the straights.
Steve: Caution's out. Clear to the stripe.
Steve: Car against the wall in Turn 2. Stay low. Caution Lap 127: #19 hit and ran along the wall and came to rest in Turn 2.
Gary: Better there, John?
John: Car's pretty good out here, I think.
John: Maybe you could free it up just a little bit more just because the sun is going to go down here.
Gary: Okay. I'll take a pound out of both front tires.
John: Is pit lane open yet?
Gary: It is for the lead lap cars.
Gary: We'll have an open pit it front of us.
John: 10-4.
Gary: It will be 4 tires and gas.
Gary: we're the 3rd pit stall in. You won't have to come around anybody.
Steve: On pit road now.
Gary: Come on.
Pit Stop: (Lap 130) 4 tires, fuel. 14.97 seconds.
Gary: All clear, all clear. All the way out.
Gary: Good pit stop guys.
**Note:** Entered pits 3rd. Went out 7th.
**Note:** John 31st (-1); Kyle 36th (-?).
Steve: 1 to go this time by.
John: 10-4 on 1 to go.
Steve: No start. No start. 1 to go this time by.
Steve: Copy, no start.
John: Oh sorry, yeah. No start. Gotcha.
Steve: Green flag next time by.
John: 10-4. Green flag next time by.
Steve: Pace car's off. Get ready. Ready. Green flag. Restart Lap 134
**Note:** (Lap 139) What an unbelievable move in Turn 4. #40 outside, #01 inside. John forces 3-wide running the bottom and makes it stick and takes off. Awesome, absolutely awesome.
**Note:** (Lap 140) Outrunning and pulling away from 6th place.
**Note:** (Lap 145) Passed the #21.
**Note:** (Lap 149) Passed the #74 and now 3rd car 1 lap down running 27th.
Gary: (Lap 153) 31.50. Leader at .40.
John: (Lap 159) I'm a little bit free up off.
Gary: 10-4.
John: (Lap 161) I'm just getting looser and looser.
Gary: 10-4. 31.80. Leader at .70.
John: (Lap 163) There's no power.
Gary: 10-4. I'll take a pound out of both rear tires.
John: (Lap 165) It's almost like I'm overloading the RR.
John: Yeah, it's almost like it needs to take some bite out; I mean put bite in, sorry.
Gary: 10-4. 31.90. Leader at .85.
John: (Lap 170) How many laps until I pit?.
Gary: In about 30 laps until we stop.
Gary: (Lap 177) 32.10. Same as the leader.
Gary: (Lap 179) 32.20. Leader at .10.
Gary: (Lap 181) 32.10. Same as the leader. The top is definitely better.
**Note:** (Lap 183) Coming out of Turn 4 I couldn't believe it....
Steve: Looking inside. #5 car inside.
**Note:** The #5 pushes and pancakes John and John is forced into the Turn 4 wall.
Gary: No caution.
John: Steering's all bent.
**Note:** Car's handling pretty poorly.
Gary: Pit this time. This time by.
Steve: Looking inside, looking inside, John. Stay high. 1 more. Go low, go low.
**Note:** Very nasty trick trying to get off the track. Steering obviously a problem off. Damn good job holding it off the wall. Car seems only to want to go straighter at the slower speeds.
Steve: On pit road now.
Gary: 3 away.
John: Something just went flat.
Pit Stop: (Lap 185) .
Gary: LR is flat.
**Note:** Explains why it started arcing towards the wall last minute getting off the track.
Gary: Get the fenders off the sides.
Gary: Pull that LF front out Dustin. Pull it some more.
Gary: Okay. Right side good?
Gary: Okay. All clear, all clear.
John: It's that "f-bomb" #5 car. It's his "f-bomb" fault. And you go down there and tell his "f-bomb" guys too. Dumb son-of-a-**bleep**es.
John: "f-bomb" clap their hands at me. A$$**bleep**s.
Steve: Watch your blend line.
Steve: Let's just make the best of this.
John: (Lap 189) In the corners the car just wants to go straight. Something's bent.
**Note:** (Lap 191) Bottoming out hard in Turn 1.
John: Something's wrong. I'm doing all I can.
Gary: Do the best you can with it for a little bit here. Everybody's going to start stopping here. Pit stop cycle is going to start.
**Note:** (Lap 197) The #21 spins entering pit road and continues down the frontstretch grass.
Steve: Got one spinning in the infield. Clear to the stripe. No caution.
Steve: Caution's out. Car is off the track. Track is clear. Caution Lap 199: #21 stalls on the frontstretch infield.
Gary: Get the "toe sticks" ready guys. We'll adjust the toe on the RF first.
John: Gary, it goes straight, but when I get to the corners it goes straight, then it turns. I don't know what's happening underneath there. Feels like I've got something loose more than anything else.
Gary: Pit road is not open.
John: You also might want to look at the back. I hit the wall with the RR. The panard bar may be falling; it may be off.
Gary: Toe first and then we'll come back around and check the panard bar. Archie, you, Root and Tucker stay behind the wall.
Gary: Those who go over, everyone grab a hood pin, raise the hood, get the steering lined up and see how bad the toe out is.
John: Want me to pit the first time?
Gary: Yeah, come the first time.
Steve: Pits are open this time.
John: Yeah, I'm coming this time.
Steve: On pit road now.
Gary: Come around the #31.
Crew: shock to the RF, whisker, whisker. Hold it right there. That's it. That's straight.
Crew: Toed out 3/8.
Gary: Try to bring it in a little bit.
Steve: Pace car in Turn 2.
Gary: Tighten it back up Dustin.
Gary: Okay, Hot Rod. Yank on the fender there, Ken. Get that out more. Ohh that's good.
Pit Stop (Lap 201) Adjust toe in. 42.53 seconds.
Gary: Get caught up and come back in and we'll put 4 tires on it and gas.
Steve: 4300. Pace car into Turn 3 now.
Gary: 4 tires and gas.
John: Gary you might want to tighten me up too, a little bit.
Gary: 10-4. we'll put 2 rounds in the LR. Tucker can you do that?
Gary: Come on in. Right after the tow truck. 3 away.
John: Pull the windshield off.
Gary: Pull the windshield tab.
Pit Stop (Lap 202) 4 tires, fuel. 14.50 seconds. Then held by Gary.
Gary: Okay, hold on, hold on, hold on. Put some tape on the right side door seam.
Steve: Pace car middle of the backstretch.
Gary: Okay. All clear.
Steve: 4300, 2nd gear. Pace car into Turn 3 now.
Gary: Stay out.
Steve: It will be 1 to go this time by.
Gary: Restart at the tail end of the longest line.
John: Yeah, 10-4.
Gary: That should be the inside line.
Steve: Green flag next time by.
Gary: That happened right in the middle of the cycle so there's only 3 cars on the lead lap, but there's a bunch on the tail end of the lead lap. So, this could get exciting. We're 3 laps down and we can get up to 31st.
Steve: Pace car's off. Get ready. Ready. Green flag. Restart Lap 204
**Note:** Someone's right side window flew out on the frontstretch and landed on the track in pieces.
Gary: (Lap 210) We're 10 laps passed halfway and it looks like rain is coming about 10 miles away.
John: (Lap 215) I'm still really loose.
Steve: Caution's out. Spin in Turn 4. Back it down. Caution Lap 222: #8 spins after tagging the Turn 4 wall.
John: I must have pulled the rear out or something. It's unpredictable again. I can't drive it.
Gary: 10-4. You're doing alright. We'll put tires on it **interference**.
Gary: I'll take a pound out of the RR and put a pound in the RF and put more wedge in it.
Gary: Tucker, did you hear that? The LR, down on the LR.
John: It feels like the RF's going...in degrees of camber.
John: I can't tell if it's farther back, so I'm just saying, somthing like that.
Gary: He got into you pretty hard so I'm pretty sure more.
Gary: Stop this time by.
John: 10-4.
Steve: Pit road is open.
Gary: 14 car's coming to your inside.
Pit Stop (Lap 224) 4 tires, fuel, wedge. 24.38 seconds.
Gary: All clear, all clear.
John: Go?
Gary: Yeah, all clear. You can go.
John: There's a little bit of debris here in Turn 1.
Gary: 10-4. We'll have to restart again at the tail end of the longest line.
John: Yeah, 10-4.
Gary: It will be 1 to go when you get here.
John: 10-4.
Gary: Make sure you get back to the tail end.
Steve: Okay, John. Fall in (line).
Steve: Pace car's off. Get ready. Ready. Green flag. Restart Lap 226
Steve: Back it down, back it down, back it down. Come on. Good job.
Steve: We're clean. Come on. Caution Lap 229: #30 spins coming off Turn 2.
Gary: This will be a quickie yellow.
Gary: You still loose, John?
John: No, I'm not bad. I'm only **interference** in Turn 1. I think I'm better though in Turn 3. I have been.
Gary: We might want to top off with gas just to get us back to the tail end of the field.
John: Yeah, just tell me when it's 1 to go.
John: It's not 1 to go right now is it?
Gary: No it's not.
Gary: Want another round of bite in it?
John: In Turn 3 it might not hurt it. I'd rather get plowing and then come late on the other stuff. Because the way it was before it didn't know what it was going to do.
Gary: 10-4. Ernie, put a round in the LR.
Gary: 1 to go this time by. We'll come on in. Top it off with gas and put a round in the LR.
Steve: On pit road now.
Gary: 3 away from here.
Pit Stop (Lap 231) Top off fuel, bite in LR. 4.13 seconds.
Gary: All clear. Go ahead and go.
Steve: 4300.
John: Is it drizzling down in 1 and 2 here?
Gary: It might be.
Steve: Pace car's off. Get ready. Ready. Green flag. Restart Lap 232
Steve: Caution's out. Car against the wall. Caution Lap 240: #29, #31 get together in the backstretch.
John: I'm still not too tight.
Gary: Tucker, take a pound out of the LF and put a pound in the RF.
Gary: Ernie, why don't you pull a rubber out of the RR.
Steve: Pit road is open.
John: Come this time or the next time?
Gary: Ummm....let's come the next time. I don't want to screw the #48 up.
John: 10-4.
Gary: 4 tires and fuel. Pull a half-rubber out of the RR.
Gary: We'll have an open pit behind us.
Steve: On pit road now.
Gary: Come on in. All clear. Come on
Pit Stop (Lap 242) 4 tires, fuel, half-rubber out of RR. 15.53 seconds.
Gary: Good stop. All clear.
Steve: 1 to go this time by.
John: 10-4.
Gary: We're running 34th, 3 laps down. We can get up to 29th.
Steve: Pace car's off. Get ready. Ready. Green flag. Restart Lap 244
**Note:** (Lap 249) #97 tags the Turn 4 wall. No caution.
Steve: Go low.
John: I'm in it. Somebody lost a motor and I got right in the oil.
Steve: We're coming in boys. We're in the wall. Caution Lap 264: #32 loses an engine late in the backstretch and into Turn 3. #38, #43, #14 get into the oil and wreck.
Steve: On pit road now. John you've got a little bit of fire underneath it.
Crew: Brake rotor's broken.
Gary: Get the fire out.
Gary: Can you put a RF tire on it so we can roll it behind the wall?
Crew: Fire!! Fire!!
Crew: Gary I've got **interference**
Gary: Let's lift the right side of the car up.
Crew: The rotor's broke.
Gary: Just put a tire on it and get it behind the wall.
Gary: Start it.
John: You want me to start it up and drive it?
Gary: Bring it behind the wall.
Gary: About 4 or 5 pit stalls away.
Gary: Bring it to our garage stall and see what...how much it's bent.
John: I'm dragging the hell out of it.
Crew: Gary, you want to put it in the 45's?
Gary: Let's just fix it so we can put it on the truck.
Crew: Gary are we done or are we going to fix it?
Gary: We're going to fix it. Front clip is not bad.
Crew: (Lap 268) Hey! Tell the #45 to put back those set of stickers they just took.
Crew: Keep working on that strap, Travis.
Crew: Does somebody got the RF piece? Red Flag Lap 276: Rain.
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