Tony Raines Nazareth Report
It was a long
time coming but Tony Raines, driver of the No. 33 Aleve Chevrolet knew his luck
was due to change. After two months of disappointing finishes to be blamed on
ill fate rather than ill performance, Raines finally caught a break in the form
of a late race caution on Sunday at Nazareth Speedway helping him notch his
first top 10 finish since March.
Raines returned
to Nazareth Speedway with high hopes of putting his 2002 NASCAR Busch Series
season back on track. The one mile facility is home to the only Bud Pole award
that the Indiana native has recorded in the Busch Series which he did in 2001,
finishing the same event in the sixth position. For the third time in four
races, the NASCAR Busch Series field would be set by owner point standings after
rainy weather would cause qualifying to be cancelled. With the chance to defend
his Bud Pole position washed away by the inclement weather, Raines would be
forced to start from the 22nd position.
The weather would
clear just long enough on Saturday for the 43 cars entered in the Stacker 2 200
to take to the track for two practice sessions. Raines recorded a quick lap
time of 28.270 seconds in the first practice placing him 19th fast.
The Bayer Consumer Products Team made a variety of changes to the set-up on the
No. 33 Chevrolet during practice after Raines reported that the car was "wicked
loose" after his first run. With only an hour for the first practice, Raines
believed the car was better by the end of the session but that there was still
work to be done during the final practice.
The sun would
shine over Nazareth Speedway for the final 45 minute practice on Saturday and
this time the condition of the Aleve Chevrolet was tight rather than loose.
"It's tight off of turn two but better off of three and four," Raines radioed to
his team after his first run of the practice.
To try and
correct the tight condition, the team would change shocks and the rear springs
on the Aleve Chevrolet. Raines next run on the track would prove better but he
would return to the garage for further changes including a softer right front
spring and a track bar adjustment. When Raines returned to track for his final
run in the "Happy Hour" session, crew chief Michael Kadlecik liked what he saw.
"That was your
fastest lap," Kadlecik radioed to his driver. "That definitely made an
improvement. You picked up three-tenths (of a second) and looked better in
three and four."
Raines final lap
time would move him to tenth quick during the practice session and feeling
confident about the upcoming race.
"The car seems to
be pretty good," said Raines after the final practice. "We'll have to wait and
see how the conditions are tomorrow for the race. We fought a tight condition
here last year during the race and hopefully we have corrected that with the
set-up that we have for tomorrow."
On Sunday, the
sun would shine over Nazareth Speedway for the start of the Stacker 2 200. As
the green flag dropped, Raines immediately passed the No. 14 of Larry Foyt
moving into the 21st spot. The first yellow flag would fall on lap
three for an accident in turn four involving the No. 96 and 72 machines.
"You were on a
mission to get to the bottom during those first laps," radioed spotter Eddie
Pardue to Raines during the caution.
"10-4," Raines
replied.
"Stay smooth and
be smart out there and we'll be fine," Pardue returned.
The restart came
on lap eight and Raines once again would loose little time in picking up a
position as he passed the No. 46 car of Ashton Lewis to move into the top
twenty. The field would be slowed by the second yellow flag on lap 12 when the
No. 14 machine spun in turn two. Raines radioed to his team that the car, just
as it had been in practice, was tight off of turn two and the condition was
worse in traffic.
"It seems as if
it is rolling over on the right rear when I go through three and four," stated
Raines.
Raines picked up
two positions during the caution, moving him into the 18th spot, when
the No. 54 and 23 machines decided to pit under the yellow. The green flag fell
for the restart on lap 18 but would only stay out for one lap as the caution
fell again on lap 19 when Jack Sprague and Jamie McMurray were involved in a
spin in turn two.
The race would
restart on lap 23 with the No. 33 Aleve Chevrolet in the 15th place
but Raines would slip through the field during the next 40 laps into the 19th
position as he continued to battle a tight race car. Leader, Jason Keller, was
making ground on the No. 33 of Raines just four-tenths of a second back but
luckily for the No. 33 Team the caution fell for the fourth time on lap 63,
wiping out Keller's lead and providing Raines a chance to bring his Chevrolet
down pit road to the attention of this team.
The Bayer
Consumer Products Team gave Raines four fresh tires and a full tank of fuel as
well as making a track bar, wedge and air pressure adjustments to try and loosen
up the No. 33 Chevrolet. Raines returned to the track in the 18th
position and fell into the 19th spot on the restart to the No. 60 of
Greg Biffle.
The caution fell
again on lap 71 for an accident in turn two. Raines radioed to his team that it
felt as if the rear bar was broken or not hooked up. Rather than take a chance,
Raines returned to pit road during the caution for his team to inspect the rear
bar and top off the tank with fuel. With everything in place, Raines returned
to the track to take the restart in the 21st spot, the last car on
the lead lap.
Raines took the
restart on lap 79 and moved through the field passing the No. 5 and No. 66
cars. When the caution fell for the sixth time on lap 90, he was in the 16th
spot but there was possibly a new problem for the No. 33.
"We're spitting a
little bit of water," Raines radioed to his team. "The temps are around 220.
The car seems a little better than it was before the changes."
Instead of taking
a chance, Raines returned to pit road during the caution so that a strip of tape
could be removed from the grill and for fuel. Taking the green flag on lap 93,
Raines was in the 19th spot. On lap 97, he passed the No. 66 for the
18th position and just ten laps later he recorded his fastest lap
time of the race. Within the next seven laps he ate away at a four-tenths
difference catching the No. 5 machine of Ricky Hendrick.
On lap 144,
Raines would be unable to hold off leader Jason Keller and went a lap down
behind the field. The leaders started to make their final pit stops of the race
on lap 160 but Raines decided under the guidance of his crew chief to stay out
on the track.
"We could go the
rest of the way if we had to," radioed Kadlecik.
As the leaders
made their final pit stops, Raines stayed out, moving up the leader board
reaching as high as the seventh spot. When the seventh caution flag of the day
fell on lap 170 for a violent crash involving Jeff Purvis and Greg Biffle,
Raines enjoyed the luck that had eluded him so often over the previous races.
With many of the lead lap cars on pit road, Raines was able to return to the
lead lap. The No. 33 Aleve Chevrolet took over the sixth spot as the last car
on the lead lap.
Raines would pit
during the caution for four tires and fuel. He returned to the track to take
the red flag as NASCAR decided to bring the field to a stop while attending to
the No. 60 and 37 machines and their drivers. After nearly half and hour under
the red flag, the race was restarted and Raines took the green on lap 180 from
the sixth spot.
The final yellow
would fall just one lap after the restart from debris on the track allowing six
other cars to return to the lead lap. When the race restarted for the final
time, Raines radioed to his team that he was starting to loose his breaks.
During the final laps of the race, Raines was passed by four cars, the No. 7,
21, 46 and 18 machines, finally resting in the tenth spot where he would take
the checkers.
"Maybe this is
what we needed to break the cycle of bad luck we've been experiencing and get
back on the right track," Raines stated after the race. "We finally get a break
with that caution near the end of the race and it put us back on the lead lap
but unfortunately the car was tight all day and we were not able to capitalize
on the opportunity we were given. It's a good finish for us though, especially
compared to what we've experienced lately. Hopefully we'll pick a couple spots
in the points and we'll have a good head of steam heading into Charlotte."
Raines did in
fact pick up two positions in the NASCAR Busch Series Drivers Point Standings,
moving him into the 18th position. The No. 33 Team also moved one
spot ahead in Owners Points, elevating team owner Brian Baumgardner into the 21st
spot.
Tony Raines and
The No. 33 Team look to improve on their top 10 finish as they head to Lowe's
Motor Speedway this weekend for the CARQUEST AUTO PARTS 300. The race will be
televised on FOX on Saturday beginning at 1 PM EST.
Next Race: CARQUEST AUTO PARTS 300 - Concord, NC
Date: May 25,
2002 Track: Lowe's Motor Speedway
Time: 1:00 p.m.
EST Television: Live on FOX
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