Michael Waltrip and crew chief Slugger Labbe had the right combination at Sonoma on Sunday. Credit: Autostock
By Ryan Smithson, Turner Sports Interactive
June 28, 2004
2:22 PM EDT (1822 GMT)
SONOMA, Calif. -- It is easier to pass cars in the pits as opposed to the track at Sonoma, and Michael Waltrip needed all the help he could get.
 | DODGE/SAVE MART 350 |  | Waltrip and others review their day at Sonoma
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Waltrip started the Dodge/Save Mart 350 in the back due to an engine change, but he gained a handful of spots on pit road.
"The first time under green it was hard to tell (how many we gained), said crew chief Slugger Labbe. "But the second time, we gained four (spots). My pit crew is really good."
The team used a two-stop strategy and wound up fourth, Waltrip's first-ever top five at Sonoma.
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"We had good brakes, good engine, good driver and a hell of a pit crew," said crew chief Slugger Labbe. "They made up a lot of time for us today. Great effort."
"My only concern was starting in the back," Waltrip said. "I had to drive a perfect race, and (it was) a great day for the pit crew on pit road."
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