Raines Hopes To Be California Dreamin'

Over the past three weeks, Tony Raines and his Bayer Consumer Care crew have seen three potential top-ten finishes fade away due to a little bad luck and untimely misfortune.  A troublesome pit stop while running 13^th before the rain in Texas, a broken transmission fitting while running 11^th in Nashville and a 27-car pileup while showing 5^th in Talladega have cost Raines solid finishes and valuable points in the overall totals for the Busch Series point standings.

However, Raines feels that a trip out west and a visit to one of his more favorite racetracks will render strong results for the No.33 Bayer Consumer Care team.

If last year's Auto Club 300 is any indication, Raines' plan for a good showing in California may include a checkered flag, champagne and a hat dance.  The 2001 Auto Club 300 showcased Raines' driving talent as he qualified second for the event and raced to an eighth place finish. 

"We qualified real well and tightened up a little over the course of the race," stated Raines.  "We are taking the same car back, so hopefully we will have a similar qualifying package and try a little bit of a different race package to see if we can't get the car freed up over the longer runs."

"The track is big and wide which makes for some good racing for the fans.  The turns are banked slightly different with turns one and two being a little flatter than three and four. It is such a big racetrack with such long corners that if you are handling well and can have plenty of power under the hood, then you can haul butt around the place and have yourself a good day."

"The track typically produces long, green flag racing that keeps the focus on gas mileage.  Hank Parker won out there last year by outlasting everyone on fuel strategy while everyone else had to pit.  I think we were running fifth when we pitted for fuel under the green and a couple guys beat us by staying out and being able to make it the distance.  That knocked us back to eighth.  If you get good gas mileage, it is okay, but if you are making good power it is hard to get good gas mileage.  You have to trade off one for the other."

After eight events, Raines sits 16^th in the overall Busch Series point standings by totaling 819 points.  In three previous trips to California Speedway, Raines boasts an average starting position of 19^th while holding an average finishing position of 15^th. 

The Bayer Consumer Care brand of Aleve will be featured as the primary sponsor of the No. 33 car for this weekend's event in California.  This is the first of five races that Aleve will assume the position as the primary sponsor throughout the 2002 season.