Waltrip, McMurray fine after NBS practice crash

LAS VEGAS -- Jamie McMurray and Michael Waltrip got together minutes before Busch Series practice was set to end Friday evening at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, sending both drivers to backup cars for Saturday's Sam's Town 300.

McMurray was going through Turns 3 and 4 when he saw the faster Waltrip closing rapidly in his rearview mirror. In an effort to let Waltrip speed by underneath, he pulled into the high groove.

But Waltrip, assuming McMurray would go low, went high as well and ran straight into the rear end of McMurray's Dodge.

SAM'S TOWN 300 Jamie McMurray and Michael Waltrip wreck in Busch Series Happy Hour Play video  •  Lineup

"I was running, trying the high line, and Jamie was going to let me go or something," a visually dejected Waltrip said. "Before he was supposed to let off, he let off and I hit him. I'm sure he thought he was getting out of my way, but he was in the high lane. I don't know what he was thinking."

Both cars hit the wall, then McMurray backed into the side of Waltrip's Chevrolet, triggering a fiery explosion in Turn 4.

Waltrip quickly re-fired his machine and pulled down to the apron. McMurray, meanwhile, hopped out of his car and scurried to safety.

"I could see the 99 coming, and I wasn't going to race him," McMurray said. "It's just practice. I rolled out of the gas a little bit, and I was really thinking he would go to the inside, and I guess he elected to go to the outside.

"I don't know. I got run into the back of. That's not intentional. I've been in the right place at the right time a lot, and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time just then. It's too bad."

Too bad for Waltrip, too, though he feels his backup car is plenty capable.

"We won't be set back. We can probably still win," Waltrip said. "We're very comfortable with our backup car. We got the setup from this car and we'll plug it into that one. I hate when crazy stuff happens. I was right there and I don't understand what he did or why he did it."

After a lengthy cleanup period, NASCAR reopened the track to the Busch Series drivers, more in an attempt to prepare the track for Winston Cup qualifying than to give the NBS drivers added practice time.

Kevin Harvick, who starts third in Saturday's race, led the twice-interrupted practice with a fast lap of 166.103 mph. Todd Bodine was second at 166.077, with two-time LVMS Busch Series race winner Jeff Burton third at 166.001.

Stanton Barrett, who starts on the pole, was 17th fastest at 164.574 mph.