Chapter 84: Qualifying @ California Raceway
When they were ready they headed to their garage. When Jr got to his garage he saw the crew.
�Hey Tony Jr,� Jr said.
�Hey cuz,� Tony Jr said.
�Are you guys ready for practice and see how the car is running?� Jr asked.
�Far as I know yes,� Tony Jr answered. �Pops are we ready?�
�Yes,� replied Tony Eury.
�Lets see how she is running,� Tony Jr said.
�Ok,� Jr said.
So they got in line for practice. When it was his turn he went on track. Jr called in to Tony Jr after a few laps and let him know how the car was.
�Its loose in 1 and 2,� Jr told them.
�Ok,� Tony Jr said. �What about 3 and 4?�
�Snug but that�s the way I like it,� replied Jr.
�Ok,� Tony Jr said. �Lets take it back in and we can make some adjustments.�
�10-4,� Jr said. Then Jr took his car back to the garage. Jr out got and discussed with Tony Eury and Tony Eury Jr what to do to the car. Then Tony Jr and the other crew members did some adjustments and then Jr got back into his car and went back on to the track. he did a couple laps and then told the crew about the car. �The car is very good in 1 and 2 and the same thing in 3 and 4.�
�Good to hear,� Tony Jr comments.
�Do you guys want me to do some more laps or just come in and just get ready for qualifying?� Jr wondered.
�Bring her in,� Tony Jr told Jr.
�10-4,� Jr said. So Jr brought the car in. When Jr got out of his car he saw Jeff and Jimmie talking about something. Jr overheard what they were talking about and then headed over to Mikey�s garage. When Jr got to Mikey�s garage he told Mike what Jeff and Jimmie said.
�Oh,� Mikey said. �Lets go and let Kevin know about this.�
�Good plan,� Jr agreed.
So they headed to Kevin�s garage but they got stopped by Robby.
�Ok what�s the hurry?� Robby wondered.
�I heard something from Jimmie and Jeff about their plan,� Jr started. �Follow us and we will tell you about it when we get to Kev�s garage.
�Ok,� Robby said.
So they headed to Kevin�s garage area. When they got there they told Kevin and Robby what Jimmie and Jeff said.
�What about we keep this a secret and if we hear anymore then we can all go to Mike ok?� Kevin suggested.
�But what if its too late then?� Robby asked.
�We just have to make a plan up if its too late,� Kevin answered.
�Yep I guess,� Robby said unsure of the idea.
�Ok,� Jr said.
�Well what do you guys wanna do?� Mikey wondered.
�Let me think for a minute Mikey,� replied Jr.
then Jimmie appears behind them as Jr is thinking of what they should do. Then Jr got it and let the guys know what the plan was.
�Uh Jr and Kevin I got news for you,� Mikey started. �How about we change the plan a tic before we get attacked because don�t turn around because someone is there.�
�Ok,� Jr said.
�Why�d you give it away Kev?� Jimmie asked.
Kevin turned around and saw Jimmie standing right there. �I don�t know Jimmie,� Kevin told Jimmie.
�You knew I was here the whole time behind Jr,� Jimmie started. �Why the heck did you give it away? You little brat!�
�What?� Kevin questioned. �I didn�t see you behind Jr. You are the little brat not me.�
�Guys lets stop fighting!� Mikey ordered.
�Yea,� Jr agreed. �Stop fighting!�
�Now why should we?� Jeff asked.
�Because fighting doesn�t get us anywhere but trouble,� Jr answered.
�Ok whatever Jr,� Jeff ignored Jr.�s comment.
�Yeah you only want us to stop cause you know this means trouble for you so whatever,� Jimmie added.
�Ok,� Jr said rolling his eyes.
�Alright can I say something?� Kevin interrupted them. �All you two are doing by bothering the heck out of us every weekend is getting yourself suspended longer and longer. Is that going to help your championship hopes? I don�t think so.�
�I never thought about that,� Jimmie said. �Sorry guys.�
Jr then turns to Kevin and whispers, �Good thinking. That�ll get them off are back.�
�Thanks Jr,� Kevin thanked him.
�Yeah were sorry for everything,� Jeff apologized. �Any way we can make it up to you guys?�
�Well I got a idea,� Kevin started. �They can make it up to us by buying us lunch by hmmm if my friends approve they
�Ok,� Jr said.
Robby and Mikey also approved.
�But where?� Kevin asked Jr, Robby and Mikey.
�Now that I dunno,� Jr answered. �Do you?�
�I was thinking Sonics but maybe Mikey and Robby got a idea,� replied Kevin.
�I like the sounds of that,� Mikey told Robby. �What about you Robby?�
�That sounds fine with me,� Robby answered.
�Ok but you want to do it after practice?� Jeff and Jimmie suggested.
�That sounds good to me,� replied Jr. �How about right after practice before the beginning of qualifying?�
�Ok,� Jeff accepted. �See you in a little bit.�
Everyone said bye and parted different ways. When Jr got back to the garage he told the team what him, Kevin, Mikey, Robby, Jimmie and Jeff talked about.
�Oh ok,� Tony Jr said.
�Wow things change quick,� Tony comments.
So they all talk until practice is over. Then Jr went to his motor coach. He got out of his racing suit and then he came back out of the backroom and saw Ashley.
�Hey Ashley,� Jr said. �Would you like to come with us out to lunch?�
�Sure,� Ashley answered.
�Ok,� Jr said. �Jeff and Jimmie offered that they�d make it up to us by doing whatever we said and we said that they should take us out for lunch at Sonics.�
�Oh ok,� Ashley said.
�You ready to go?� Jr asked.
�Yes I am ready to go,� Ashley answered.
�Alright then lets go,� Jr said.
Then they headed to Mikey�s motor coach and meet up with Mikey, Kevin, Martin and Robby.
�Well lets go find Jeff and Jimmie and go out to lunch,� Jr told them.
when they got to Jeff and Jimmie�s motor coaches they weren�t there.
�Ok I don�t have good thoughts on this boys,� Ashley told them.
Jr then called Jeff on his cell but no answer. So Jr left a message saying that he�s been looking for him for lunch yet has yet to find him. So they waited and then it was almost time to qualify the cars.
�Lets just get ready for qualifying and talk to them when we see them in the qualifying line,� Jr suggested.
�Ok,� Kevin, Robby and Mikey accepted.
So they went and got ready for qualifying and then waited in the line. While they were waiting Jr saw Jeff and Jimmie. Jr went over to them and asked where they were.
�Hey Jr,� Jimmie said. �Sorry that we didn�t make it. We had a meeting to go to with our crew chiefs and Rick.�
�Its all good,� Jr assured him. �I�ll tell the other 3 and maybe we could meet at another time.�
�That sounds great,� Jimmie comments. �Ok.�
So Jr went and told the other 3 why Jimmie didn�t meet up with them.
�Oh ok,� Kevin said.
�So when are you thinking we could try this again?� Mikey wondered.
�I don�t really know,� Jr answered. �Why did you ask me?�
�I was curious,� replied Mikey.
�Ok,� Jr said. �Any ideas?�
�Cancel supper ideas cause I promised Dalandra I�d take her out for supper,� Kevin told the others.
�Ok,� Jr said, �What about tomorrow?�
�That�s good on my end,� Kevin and Mikey accepted.
�Its all good for me,� Robby accepted.
�Ok,� Jr said. �Tomorrow will be good for all of us right?� Everyone said yes so Jr then said, �Ok. Let me tell Jimmie and Jeff that tomorrow will be fine for us to go out to lunch together.�
So Jr goes and tells Jimmie and Jeff as Mikey gets strapped into his car for qualifying. Jimmie and Jeff agree about just putting the lunch deal off till tomorrow. So everyone goes and gets in their cars for qualifying. Then cup qualifying begins.
Robby is the first car on track and his lap was really fast yet some thought not fast enough for the pole. Then after a few cars went it was Mikey�s turn and he got the pole for the time being. Mikey then came in all happy about it. He gave the whole team high fives. After 15 cars went Ryan Newman was on the pole and it was Kevin�s turn to qualify. Kevin went out and beat Ryan for the pole with a new track record. Then they all waited for Jr.�s turn. He went last and he ended up 2nd. So the top 5 were Kevin, Jr, Ryan, Mikey and Robby. Jr went back to the garage area and met up with Kevin, Mikey and Robby.
�Congratulations on the pole Kev,� Jr congratulated him.
�Thanks,� Kevin thanked him.
�Yeah,� Mikey said. �I didn�t think anyone could beat Ryan.�
�I know,� Kevin agreed. �I didn�t have a good car at all but I ended up on the pole.�
Then Kevin�s crew chief Todd shows up and says, �Well I think my secret adjustments help then.�
�Yep,� Kevin agreed.
�Is there anyway that teammates would later clue each other in?� Robby suggested.
�Maybe but not right now Robby,� Kevin told him.
�That�s why I said later,� Robby told him.
�Ok maybe later,� Kevin agreed to that.
�Yet Robby you qualified 5th so why is it so big for you to get tips from Kevin?� Jr wondered.
�Please leave this topic alone because I don�t like this at all and I am just having a bad day today,� Robby begged.
�Fair,� Jr accepted.
�Ok,� Kevin said.
�Would you like to explain why you are having a bad day Robby or shall we leave that alone also?� Mikey asked.
�Its just one of those days,� Robby answered.
�What do you mean by that?� Jr wondered.
�Well Jr,� Robby started. �Some days are good for me and some days are bad for me because some things are not going my way today. Can you guys just leave me alone for awhile and then I will meet with you guys later ok?�
everyone said sure but then Mikey said, �Ya all know that Busch Qualifying is in ten minutes for us Buschwakers.�
�Ok,� Robby said. �I will meet you there to qualify my car Mikey and Kevin.�
�I may be down there talking with Martin,� Jr told them.
�Ok,� Robby said. So Robby left them and headed to his motor coach. When Robby got to his motor coach he went in and just fell asleep.
A couple minutes or so later, his Busch crew chief came in and yelled, �Robby! Busch qualifying is like in 5 minutes!�
Yet Robby didn�t wake up. So his crew chief ran to Richard Childress and explained the situation.
Richard thought for a moment and said, �Robby is taking a nap. I will wake him up.�
�Ok,� Robby�s crew chief said.
So Richard went inside Robby�s motor coach and woke up Robby. �Qualifying is in a couple minutes ok?� Richard told Robby.
�Ok I will be right out there,� Robby assured Richard.
�Ok,� Richard said. �Everything going ok today for ya so far?�
�Not really Richard,� Robby told Richard. �I�m just having one of those days.�
�Ah ok,� Richard said. �Wanna talk about it after?�
�Sure,� Robby answered.
�How about we talk about it after qualifying?� Richard asked.
�Ok,� Robby said.
So the two of them left the trailer and Robby went to qualify. When Robby got to his to qualify he got in and got all hooked up. After he was all hooked up he went on track since he was the first car to qualify. Robby qualified 1st and got the new track record. Robby brought the car back and was really happy about it. Then he went back to his watched the rest of qualifying.
Paul Menard was the 2nd car on the track and he qualified 2nd. After a few cars went by it was Martin�s turn. Martin went out on the track and got the new track record. So the top 4 were Martin, Robby, Paul and Kyle. After a few drivers went it was Mikey�s turn. Mikey went out for his first lap with high hopes but then crashed in turn 2.
Bobby Kennedy comes on the radio right away and says, �Mikey are you ok?�
�I�m ok,� Mikey answered.
�How bad it is damaged?� Bobby wondered.
�The back end is the only part that was hit and I can�t see it because its facing the wall,� Mikey�s spotter Joey Mier answered.
�Ok,� Bobby said. So the tow truck brings it back to the garage and the team has a look. �This looks bad.�
�Should we get out the back-up car?� one of the crew member asked.
�Lets see if we make it into the field,� Bobby answered.
�That doesn�t look too good considering the point rule and we didn�t even complete a lap,� Mikey told them. �Hey has it been 5 minutes after the crash? If not we can get the car out and complete a lap�at least one�cause that lap will probably beat out enough cars.
�Ok,� Bobby said.
�We have like 3 minutes to get that car on the track,� one of the crew members said. �Are you gonna do one quick lap with the back-up or no?�
�No,� Bobby answered.
Amanda then showed up and says, �Mikey are you ok? Are you gonna make the field or not?
�I am alright,� Mikey told her. �I am not sure yet. We might make it in.�
�Well hopefully you do,� Amanda told him.
�Thanks,� Mikey thanked her.
�Your welcome,� replied Amanda.
Then Mikey went back over to the where the line was. He went over to where Martin, Paul and Jr were talking.
�Hi guys,� Mikey said.
�Hey,� everyone said.
�So what have you guys been up to?� Mikey asked.
�We have been just talking about Busch Qualifying,� Jr answered. �How are you after the wreck?�
�I am doing alright after my crash,� replied Mikey.
�Yeah sorry to hear about that,� Jr said. �I mean you were so fast in practice.�
�Thanks Jr,� Mikey thanked him. �I know that I was so fast in practice but now I just need to wait and see if I am going to be in the show for Saturday or not.�
�Have faith�.I�m sure you will,� Martin told him. �I think there�s only 44 drivers attempting to start this weekend so you have a good chance on making it in the show.�
�Ok,� Mikey said. �Thanks for the advice Martin.�
�Anytime Mikey,� replied Martin,
Then they waited for qualifying to be over. When it was over Mikey was in the show. He would start 39th. The top 5 were Martin, Robby, Paul, Kevin and Kyle.
