Race 2 Win: NEXTEL Cup Series Race Notes

Nextel Cup Series

Jeremy Mayfield started the race 20th in the No. 36 360 OTC Camry and ended up 26th.

Michael Waltrip finished 30th after qualifying 28th in the No. 55 NAPA Camry.

Dave Blaney started 15th in the No. 22 Caterpillar Camry and crossed the finish line 40th.

David Reutimann finished 43rd in the No. 00 Burger King Camry after beginning the race 21st.

AJ Allmendinger, Dale Jarrett and Brian Vickers did not qualify for the race.

The best finish by a Camry in NNCS competition was when Vickers finished fifth at Lowe's Motor Speedway (May 27).

The best start for a Camry in NNCS competition was when Blaney started from the pole at New Hampshire International Raceway (June 30).

Camrys have led a total of 124 laps in NNCS competition this season. Vickers has led 84 laps and Blaney has led 35 laps. Jeremy Mayfield (four) and Michael Waltrip (one) have also been in front of the field this year.

JEREMY MAYFIELD, No. 36 360 OTC Toyota Camry, Bill Davis Racing
Finishing position: 26th
How was your car today?
"I started off real loose. We just kept working on it and working on it. We finished 26th -- but we could run with any of them at the end of the day. We were probably a 10th or 12th-place car at the end. When we started out, we were a 43rd-place car -- and at the end that's probably the best car I've had. Whatever the car was doing, I would come in and we would get better and better every stop. If we started the race the way we ended it -- we could have been in contention. That car was fast. My motor was awesome. That's the best motor I've had in four or five years."

Is this a step in the right direction for the team?
"We have to keep building on it -- not think that we're good enough yet. You have to continue on getting better and better. Our goal needs to be to get where the 48 (Jimmie Johnson) and the 24 (Jeff Gordon) are -- and we have to keep working towards that. Just take it one step at a time. We're so far back, we just have to take baby steps to get back up there."

MICHAEL WALTRIP, No. 55 NAPA Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing
Finishing position: 30th

DAVE BLANEY, No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota Camry, Bill Davis Racing
Finishing position: 40th
What happened?
"I don't know. After that last pit stop we had a vibration and one of the tires went down. I'm not even sure if it was the left rear or the right rear. It vibrated there for about 10 laps. I really didn't think it was a big problem, but it ended up being one."

How was your car?
"We struggled. I made a mistake on pit road and it got us a lap down. We maybe could run 20th with the car we had. After that last run we slowed way down and were just hoping for a caution."

How were the track conditions?
"They were fine, just like always. The track was really wide. You could run wherever you wanted if your car was handling good."

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Burger King Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing
Finishing position: 43rd
What happened?
"It looks like it maybe broke a piston or something like that. It was running fine, then all of a sudden it dropped a cylinder and started smoking. It was just blowing smoke out of the exhaust, so it's sucking oil from somewhere. Things were going okay. We had a good day going. We were moving forward and the car was driving good. The car was much, much better that what it was when we practiced, and then we just had a failure there. It's extremely disappointing. We were running well, so if you can take anything good away from it I think we learned a lot"

DNQ, AJ ALLMENDINGER, No. 84 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Team Red Bull

DNQ, DALE JARRETT, No. 44 UPS Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing

DNQ, BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Team Red Bull