(Las Vegas, Nev.) – After a disappointing 36th place finish at California Speedway two weeks ago, Michael Waltrip and the No. 55 NAPA team hoped their luck would change in Las Vegas. However, for the second NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race in a row, Waltrip found himself in the back of the pack, finishing 35th in the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The weekend never got going for the NAPA team. Friday’s practice was a sign of things to come as Waltrip fought a car that just wouldn’t turn. The tight condition relegated the No. 55 to 40th of 49 cars on the speed chart. In fact, Waltrip’s best lap of 166.795 mph was five miles an hour slower than Kasey Kahne who topped the practice sheet.

In qualifying trim Waltrip was much better, but it still wasn’t where the two-time Daytona 500 winner felt he should be. The NAPA Dodge qualified 25th, tripping the timing lights for a lap of 31.985 seconds and a speed of 168.829 mph. Greg Biffle won the Bud Pole with a lap of 31.322 seconds, at a speed of 172.403 mph. With qualifying completed, the NAPA team returned the car to race trim, with a new setup in mind. But once again, the car pushed in the center of the corners and Waltrip ended “happy hour” 39th on the board. It had seemed like the Waltrip-Jasper team had tried everything, which prompted Waltrip to tell crew chief Derrick Finley, “If it bolts to the car, unbolt it and put something else on it.”

It was apparent at the initial wave of the green flag that unbolting wasn’t the remedy. Waltrip quickly told the NAPA crew that the car was just “plowing” in the corners. It didn’t matter how much wheel Waltrip put into the car, the NAPA Charger just wanted to go straight. A series of pit stop during the event gave the NAPA team chances to make wholesale changes. They made major adjustments to the track bar, going up as many as four rounds to give the rear of the car extra split, in hopes of getting the car to turn better. The NAPA crew never gave up. They actually made the car loose for Waltrip, but unfortunately it was driving into the corner, which didn’t help the tight condition in the center and off. In the end, nothing seemed to work and Waltrip took the checkered flag in 35th. “Well, that’s one spot better than California,” Waltrip said, obviously frustrated with the day.

“That was about as bad a car as I have ever felt,” said Waltrip, who now sits 31st in points. “We eventually got it loose, but never got it to turn. Even when it was pushing, it would slide sideways into the corner, push in the middle and slide sideways off.”

Next week Waltrip heads south to NAPA Country and Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race can been seen next Sunday on FOX and heard on PRN Radio and XM channel 144 at 1 p.m. ET. Check local listings for exact times for your area.