Michael Waltrip's runner-up finish sent him from 24th to 18th in the points. Credit: Autostock

Waltrip threatens to win; Dale Jr. gets top-five

PIR quickly becoming team's best downforce track

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Michael Waltrip tried to be patient, but with the laps running down in Saturday night's Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, he ran out of patience.

He also ran out of racetrack, which guaranteed that he wouldn't catch Kurt Busch for the victory.

But his second-place effort -- coupled with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s fourth -- gave DEI its best finish of the season.

Waltrip got his first top-10 of the year. Credit: Getty Images/Streeter Lecka

"I was trying to concentrate myself and watch Michael at the same time to see if he was going to get the win," Junior said. "It was a good day for DEI and definitely a good finish for this company and team. We worked really hard to get what we got tonight."

Waltrip was one of the few drivers who ran the high line all evening, which allowed him to move to the front.

However, running just a few car-lengths behind Busch with a handful of laps remaining, Waltrip slid up the track and bounced the right side of his No. 15 Chevrolet off the wall a couple of times.

"Yes, I hit it several times and I don't know if it affected it or not," Waltrip said when asked if he made contact with the barrier. "I continued to catch him and then hit it again. It wasn't pretty."

Race RewindWatch a condensed version of the Subway Fresh 500 from Phoenix Victory LaneKurt Busch celebrates his Subway Fresh 500 victory at Phoenix Top finishersMichael Waltrip, Jeff Burton and Dale Jr. on Phoenix finishes Final lapsWaltrip can't catch Kurt Busch in a chase for the checkers Tough luckBiffle and Kenseth have their luck run out in Phoenix Big wreckJohnson spins Stewart, starts a five-car wreck on Lap 206 Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

Waltrip posted his first top-five finish since last year's road course race at Infineon, but wanted more, like his first Nextel Cup victory in a non-restrictor plate race.

"I just wanted to win really bad," Waltrip said. "I felt that when Kurt caught me from so far back, I knew there wasn't any reason for me to work on messing my car up trying to hold him off, so I let him go.

"When he got out there, I could match his lap times and was eating into his lead, so I was patient until I couldn't hardly be patient anymore.

"I'd rather mess up trying than wonder. I did everything I could do. That's all I can ask of myself."

Busch said he wasn't surprised that Waltrip was willing to run where others couldn't.

"He's a tough competitor and he branches out and does the high line first, and sometimes that'll bite you," Busch said. "Once we got to the lead, I backed it down just a little bit in case there were some late yellows so we'd have tires to pull away.

"When I did that, he started to catch us.

"So I had to pick up the pace a little bit, change my line. He was running strong and he was going to drive as hard as he can to get that W -- bouncing off that wall and trying to keep it straight.

"My hat's off to DEI. They did a phenomenal job today."

	Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored his first top-five finish since Daytona. Credit: Getty Images/Rusty Jarrett
	Results Subway Fresh 500 Pos. Driver Make 1. Kurt Busch Ford 2. Michael Waltrip Chevrolet 3. Jeff Burton Chevrolet 4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 5. Brian Vickers Chevrolet Complete results, click here Standings, click here

Third-place Jeff Burton echoed those thoughts.

"Michael does that a lot. He runs the high line," Burton said. "From what I saw, he was the highest. That's sometimes what you have to do."

Waltrip certainly had history on his side Saturday night. The chassis was the same one Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove to victory in the last two Phoenix races.

"I can't confirm that but I strongly believe that," Waltrip said. "When you say the same car, it's the same chassis, but it's got a new body on it. It definitely has four different springs, a different swaybar and a different gear."

He also had Tony Eury and Tony Eury Jr. in his pits.

"DEI put two groups of people, two cars and two teams that just believe in their drivers," Waltrip said. "And when you have that, you almost feel like you can't be beat. You have a lot of confidence and you know everybody has faith in you."

Waltrip admitted that he did have doubts at the end of last season.

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"Last fall, I don't know that I was going to be happy about if I ran into 2005 like I was doing in 2004," Waltrip said. "Those boys that worked on my car, I just don't think they thought I was their guy. So that's hard and you can't be successful like that.

"But when I got in my car this year, I looked at my crew and said, 'I'm yours. Take me. Mold me. Make me one of you.' I wanted those guys to pour their knowledge on me and let me suck it up and be one of them."

Earnhardt said his car went quicker the easier he drove it.

"I got to running it on in there in the first 50 laps and the car wasn't working," Junior said. "I just stepped back and slowed down a little bit. Man, that's when it started working and that's when I started passing people.

"I'm just really proud of everyone wearing a DEI uniform tonight."