Raines Scores a Top-20 Finish in Debut Race with The Outdoor Channel

Hampton, GA (October 26, 2002) - As the NASCAR Busch Series headed to Atlanta, four races remained in the current season.  With plans for the upcoming season already well underway, BACE Motorsports allowed a peek behind the curtain of their direction for 2003.  For the first time, Tony Raines climbed behind the wheel of the No. 33 Outdoor Channel Chevrolet.  On Friday, The Outdoor Channel announced their sponsorship of the BACE entry which Raines will pilot in ten races next season beginning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 1.

Rain welcomed the NASCAR community to the Atlanta area on Friday and forced the cancellation of qualifying.  With the field set on Busch Series owner points according to the NASCAR rulebook, Raines scored the 12^th starting spot without ever taking to the track.  A one-hour practice on Friday afternoon was the only on-track time the field received prior to the drop of the green flag.  Raines notched the 25^th quick time during practice with a quick lap time of 30.906 seconds.

For the start of the Aaron's 312 on Saturday, Raines climbed behind the wheel of The Outdoor Channel Chevrolet and took the green flag under cloudy skies.  Drizzle plagued the early laps of the event but did not force the field to stop competition. The No. 33 Outdoor Channel Chevrolet looked strong from the drop of the green flag moving into the top-10 by lap nine.  Under the third caution flag of the event, Raines followed the leaders down pit road for service.  Most teams took on new tires but the No. 33 opted for only fuel and a trackbar adjustment returning to the track in the third position. 

On the restart of the race, Raines moved into the second position.  The cars that pitted for fresh tires quickly moved to the bumper of The Outdoor Channel Chevrolet and Raines dropped into the 12^th position on lap 50.  When the caution flag fell on lap 57, the No. 33 sat in the tenth spot.

Raines radioed to his team that his car was strong needing no changes other than four fresh Goodyear Tires.  On lap 63, the No. 33 came down pit road for service.  Several cars took only two tires or just fuel so Raines returned to the track in the 13^th position.  But the call by crew chief Michael "Dover" Kadlecik for four tires was key as Raines began his attack on the field with the restart on lap 68. By lap 90, Raines had cut his way through the top-10 and held the third position waiting for his opportunity to challenge for the lead.

That opportunity would not be in the cards for Raines because on lap 99 he radioed to his team that something felt loose in the car.  An unscheduled pit stop was needed to correct the problem which turned out to be a loose lug nut.  After a four tire stop and a track bar adjustment, the No. 33 returned to pit road one lap down to the leaders. 

With the caution flag dropping on lap 119, Raines would be unable to cycle around to the lead lap but the No. 33 continued to dominate moving into the tenth position on lap 149.  The Outdoor Channel Chevrolet was the first car a lap down and continued to post lap times consistent or faster than the leader.  By lap 160, Raines had caught and passed the No. 47 and 25 machines who were on the lead lap.

Hoping to play the fuel mileage game and win, Raines conserved gas by easing on and off the throttle.  By making it to the checkered flag without a pit stop, a top-five was not out of the question.  But with 30 laps remaining in the race, engine troubles plagued the No. 33 causing the stellar lap times originally posted to drop almost a second per lap.  To add insult to injury, the No. 33 ran out of fuel with three laps remaining and finished in the 19^th position.

"This was one of the worst days that I have had in a race car in along time," Raines commented after the race. "We had one of the best race cars out there today without a doubt.  Pitting under green hurt us but we were so fast that we could have come out with a solid finish if things had just gone well in the end. We didn't fall too far out of the top-10 so we'll pick up and head to Rockingham to give it another chance."

Raines fell one position in the NASCAR Busch Series driver points (12^th) but remains only 17 points out of the top-10.  The No. 33 BACE Motorsports Team heads to (Rockingham) North Carolina Speedway this weekend for the Sam's Club 200.