Fan for Petty Enterprises® Winston Cup Commentary

Winston Cup Commentary...

Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400, North Carolina Speedway, Rockingham, North Carolina, October 22nd, 2000:

Pre-race Festivities:
John: *I never heard him*
Greg: 10-4. Gotcha, John. Gotcha, Chris.
Chris: 10-4.
Chris: 3 minutes.
John: 10-4. Gotcha both. *John's volume sounded really low compared to Greg and Chris*
John: *interference*
Greg: That any better?
*I think they were trying to get volumes adjusted even though the signals were clear*
*Engines started*
Greg: Ok Big Chris, I can get the flag from down here. I'm right here looking at it.
Chris: 10-4, Greg.
Greg: Pit road speed starts behind the #31 and there is another line behind the Tide.
*I was not sure what Greg was referring to as both of those teams were pitted ahead of us*
John: Ok, 10-4.
Pace Laps:
Chris: Ok buddy. They're beginning to roll up there. It will be the 3rd time by.
John: 10-4, 3rd time by.
Chris: Ok John, whenever you get caught up with the field they're running at pit road speed.
Chris: Watch the #7 up high. He's stopped there in front of you.
John: Looks like 4000/2nd gear. 4000/2nd gear. Well, I don't know. I'll have to repeat that.
John: I would say now 4300/2nd gear. 4300/2nd gear.
Chris: 10-4, buddy. 4300/2nd gear. It will be 1 to go.
Greg: Make sure all your fans are on, John.
John: 10-4. All fans are on.
Chris: Be ready, buddy. Be ready.
Green flag:
Greg: Green flag, John. Green flag. Green flag.
Note: There was no discussion of pit location on pit road during pace laps because when John rolled off pit road our pits were immediately to the left the second the car started to roll. For those interested we were behind the #71 and in front of the #11.
Note: (Lap 5) Loose off Turn 2. Almost hit the wall. #8 did a nice job checking up.
John: (Lap 12) Little loose off.
Chris: (Lap 15) Clear high. Clear all around. 10-4 on the loose off.
Note: (Lap 27) Running 30th
John: (Lap 39) Really loose.
Chris: (Lap 46) Watch the #36 slow on the bottom. **entering Turn 3** Careful, John. Come on, come on. **#36 slid up the track. Looked like a flat tire**
John: We need a caution because of all the **bleep** he threw down on the back stretch.
Chris: 10-4.
Note: (Lap 65) **Front runners start making green flag stops**
Greg: (Lap 66) Pit next time by, John. We'll put some air pressure and wedge in it.
John: 10-4.
Chris: (Lap 67) Pit this time. Come on. Bring it in the best you can. Get it in the box.
Pit Stop: (Lap 67) 4 tires, air pressure, wedge. 15.63 seconds
Chris: **John re-entering the race** Come on buddy, go hard. Coming on the outside. Clear right there.
Chris: That #1 car right up in front of you is the leader. He has not pitted yet.
Note: **Actually the #77 was the leader who pitted after Chris said the #1 was at the point. Now it was. LOL**
Note: (Lap 85) Lapped under green by the #12.
Greg: The #7 is blowing up on the front stretch. Let's try to get the #12 car.
Chris: Caution is out. Go hard. He's going to wait up for you. Come on. Come on. Careful.
John: Too much damn oil on the track.
Caution Lap 99: #7 looses an oil line fitting.
Greg: Did that help any, John?
John: Naw. It's terrible. Loose in. Really...*thought unfinished*. It gets loose, but then it gets tight.
Greg: We'll put some more wedge in it. That will make it do something and react.
John: ..and the brakes suck. I have to pump them all the time.
John: Don't you have tape to pull off the front?
Greg: 10-4. Tape off the front. How are the temps?
John: 210, 230.
John: Are you taking tape off to help the brakes?
Greg: 10-4. I'll take some tape off.
Greg: 4 tires, guys. You got the wedge, Mark.
Pit Stop (Lap 102) 4 tires, wedge, tape off front end. 15.47 seconds.
Note: **28 cars on the lead lap**
John: It feels like we don't have enough spring in the right front.
Greg: 10-4. I'm taking a look at tire temps and tire wear now for either air pressure or a rubber the next time in.
John: 10-4.
Greg: A lot of them will do that when it gets loose when you come up off.
Chris: 1 to go this time, buddy.
John: 10-4.
Chris: They went through the groove in Turns 1 and 2 to go through the oil dry. Watch yourself down there.
John: Do what?
Chris: Be ready. Be ready.
Greg: Green flag, John. Green flag. Green flag.
Restart Lap 107
Chris: Wreck in the back stretch. Inside on the bottom.
Caution Lap 156: #13 wrecks on the back stretch
Greg: How's it doing now?
John: Better. Little tight up off.
Note: **John looked real good towards the end of this long run. He was even passing the lead lap cars. Last one passed was the #6**
Greg: Do you need any more traction?
John: I can always use more traction. LOL
John: I'm tight if I'm full throttle, but I'm okay if I'm not and I'm careful.
Greg: Right front spring feel ok?
John: **bad interference**
Chris: Pull the windshield cover off if you can, Roger.
Pit Stop: (Lap 159) 4 tires. 14.69 seconds.
Chris: They've got the blower going starting up in Turn 4, bud.
Greg: You were pretty decent on the bottom. How does it run up high?
John: I have to be careful getting in because it will get real loose in 1 and 2. 3 and 4 I can throttle through and full throttle off.
John: The only reason I'm up top is because I'm afraid of abusing the tires. Guess I should stay down there, then.
Greg: Yeah, 10-4. You were 2 tenths better at the bottom vs. on top.
Chris: Ok, John. 1 to go when you get here, buddy.
John: 10-4.
Greg: Green flag, John. Green flag. Green flag.
Restart Lap 167
Chris: Caution is out. Wreck on the back stretch.
Caution Lap 175: #26, #6, #31 wreck on the back stretch
John: I'm too tight now. I don't know if it's the tires, or what.
John: **bleep**, I was hoping they weren't going to pit.
Greg: Ok guys, we'll do 4 tires again.
John: Only 4 tires? Not taking some bite out?
Greg: Yeah, 10-4. Did some air pressure to go back the other way.
John: Yeah, it doesn't need to be a lot.
Pit Stop (Lap 177) 4 tires. 14.38 seconds.
Greg: Good job, guys.
Chris: 1 to go, John.
Greg: You'll line up beside the #2 car and he didn't pit. Neither did the #12.
Chris: Coming to the green, bud.
Greg: Green flag, John. Green flag. Green flag.
Restart Lap 181
Note: **John got his lap back, but then was put back a lap down**
John: (Lap 185) Damn, she's plowing.
Chris: Caution is out.
Caution Lap 192: #5 wrecks coming out of Turn 2 and on the back stretch
John: Still tight....just a little.
Greg: Take out 1.5 rounds of wedge, Scott.
John: Don't take out too much because it starts to come in after awhile.
Greg: 10-4. Only 1 round out of right rear.
John: I wish these damn guys would quit pitting.
Note: **ROFLMAOPIP**
Greg: Need another drink in there, John?
John: No, I'm ok. I've got my hose here. I'm alright.
Pit Stop (Lap 194) 4 tires, wedge out. 14.78 seconds.
John: We need to take a look at the transmission. It's real notchy. Someone needs to look at it at the end of the race.
Greg: 10-4. Work on those front tires and they may come in sooner.
John: Yeah, I can work them in only as fast as they want to go. LOL
Greg: I remember yesterday you said it took a lap or so before it started turning for you.
Chris: 1 to go, buddy.
John: 10-4.
Chris: That #85 there, John, we need to get around him.
Greg: Green flag, John. Green flag. Green flag.
Restart Lap 197
Chris: Caution is out.
Caution Lap 210: #7 wrecks in Turns 3/4
John: Did the leader take the yellow?
Chris: No. Come on real hard, buddy.
Note: **We were too far back, but the #16 got his lap back**
Greg: Did that free it up any?
John: A little bit. Tight in and then it stays tight. Make the adjustments. If we go loose then we go loose.
Greg: 10-4. 1 more round out, right rear.
Greg: 4 tires, guys. 1 round out right rear, Scott.
Pit Stop (Lap 213) 4 tires, wedge out. 15.38 seconds.
Note: **I got a little trigger happy and hit it before John stopped in the box. I believe it was another fantastic 14 second stop**
Chris: 1 to go, John.
John: 10-4.
Greg: Green flag, John. Green flag. Green flag.
Restart Lap 216
Note: **We got pinned behind the #96 for the longest time**
Chris: Spin behind you. Caution is out.
Caution Lap 234: #8 wrecks in the back stretch
John: I think it's still too tight.
Greg: How is the traction up off?
John: Traction is good.
Greg: Rubber in the left front. There aren't many on our lap where it will hurt us.
John: What?
Greg: **repeated it again to John**
John: 10-4. We've had enough opportunities to get our lap back running like this. We need to get back into a position to GET it back.
John: I've been running with the fans on the whole time. It's 210.
Greg: Okay, 10-4. You cleaning that grill, Rick?
Rick: Yeah, Kevin's been getting it.
Pit Stop (Lap 237) 4 tires, rubber in left front. 23.16 seconds.
Chris: 1 to go, buddy.
Greg: Green flag, John. Green flag. Green flag.
Restart Lap 239
Chris: Caution is out. Wreck in Turn 3.
Caution Lap 254: #40, #16 wreck in Turn 3
John: It helped me, but I'm still a little tight.
Greg: How are you getting in, John? How about raising the track bar?
John: 10-4.
John: When I get pinned on the bottom there's nothing I can do to keep them from coming up to me.
Greg: 10-4.
Chris: They've got the track pretty much blocked. Be careful. They're stopping. They're stopping in front of you.
Chris: Ok, here we go.
John: What's Marcis doing down there? **He drove under John entering pit road**
Pit Stop (Lap 257) 4 tires, up on the track bar. 15.78 seconds.
Note: **I was late stopping the watch as I was bumped**
Chris: 1 to go.
John: This ought to be good with all this stuff on the track.
Greg: 10-4. You'll follow the #27 up there.
Chris: We're not going here, John. We are NOT going.
Chris: They want you to run through there the best you can.
John: It's going to take a couple laps because it's **oil dry** so thick.
Chris: 10-4. 1 to go.
Chris: We're not going, John. Not going.
Chris: Ok, try it one more time. 1 to go.
John: The bottom's still a mess.
Restart Lap 264
John: (Lap 269) Damn. I think it might be tighter. I KNOW it's tighter.
John: (Lap 298) Still tight.
John: (Lap 320) We need to pit for 4 tires soon?
Greg: 10-4, John. Pit this next time by.
Chris: There's a fire on pit road. I don't know if you want to pit this time by or not, Greg. They might throw a caution.
Chris: Caution is out. Stay out there, buddy.
Caution Lap 321: Massive fire in #17 pit
Note: **The caution was necessary because green flag stops had begun and the fire engulfed pit road**
John: I'm still too tight. I feel like I am killing the left front. If I go in hard, it's going to be done.
Chris: Pit road will be closed for awhile.
Greg: We'll take the rubber out and take a couple of rounds out. That should put you back close to where you were.
John: 10-4.
John: Do we have another windshield to tear off or is this it?
Greg: No, we can tear another one off.
Chris: Ok, pit road will be open this time by for lead lap cars only.
John: 10-4.
Greg: Ok, guys. 4 tires and some wedge out.
Someone from pit crew: What about the rubber?
Pit Stop (Lap 329) 4 tires, wedge out, and from the time I would think the rubber was taken out. 20.97 seconds.
John: Should I let the #18 around? He's running for the Championship, here.
Chris: 10-4. He's been running good. He had just pitted under green 4 laps before that deal on pit road.
Greg: 10-4.
John: If it's okay with The King, I'll do it.
John: *laughs* Is The King still here or did he leave?
Greg: No, he's still here. He said 10-4.
Note: **What a class act of an idea for John to let the #18 restart ahead of him one spot instead of the #18 having to pass John under green to gain points for the Championship**
Greg: The #27, #75, #97, #25 are the others ahead of you there on our lap.
Chris: 1 to go when you come back by. I told them (#18).
Greg: Green flag, John. Green flag. Green flag.
Restart Lap 331

At lap 345 I left my seat and headed back to the car and left the scanner on. Not much was said.

Chris: Caution is out. The #7 blew up.
Caution Lap 349: #7 blew up
Greg: How's it now?
John: It's better. It helped me. How many laps left? We're running out of time. You can take a little bit of bite out.
Pit Stop (Lap 351) 4 tires, bite out. 15.84 seconds.
Note: **I was fumbling for the stop watch and getting hit as others were trying to leave while I stopped to lean on the grand stand fence prior to leaving the stands.

The last restart occurred while I was outside the track walking back to the car. I left the scanner on, but there was nothing but "clears" for John spoken by Chris. When the race was over I was too far (5 miles) from the track to pick up anything. If you haven't been to Rockingham it is surrounded by acres and acres of beautiful untouched trees.
Unfortunately, this will be the last one as I have attended my last race for the season. Next race won't be until Rockingham in February. Until then, Petty fans.....

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