:::Tony Raines:::

Richmond = Success for Raines

BACE/Raines strive to continue success during Double Duty under the lights

MOORESVILLE, NC (September 3, 2003) - Ask NASCAR driver Tony Raines what his favorite track to run on the circuit is and surprisingly he will not say Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Well, sorry Tony. Straight up - it should be. The numbers don't lie and Raines' are impressive at RIR.

In his only Winston Cup start at RIR, the Indiana native posted his best career finish, 14th. On the Busch Series side he has enjoyed even more success crossing the stripe in the top-5 in three out of his last five races. To top it off he also recorded his career best Busch Series finish there, second, in 2001. As the NASCAR Winston Cup Series returns to the 0.75-mile oval for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, Raines looks to add another stat to the list--his first Winston Cup top-10.

"It's a lot of fun to watch Tony get around Richmond," said BACE Cup crew chief Larry Carter. "We believe this track is one of our best chances to score our first top-10 finish of the season. We had a good car here in the Spring but the biggest advantage for BACE at Richmond is our driver."

Raines will also have the opportunity to improve his numbers in the Busch Series this weekend when he pilots the No. 33 Outdoor Channel Chevrolet in the Funai 250. There is only one number that counts on this side of the garage though for BACE and it is one that has eluded Raines during his tenure in the Busch Series.

"Our only goal for the Busch car is to win--plain and simple," said Raines. "We believe that every time that we take the track in The Outdoor Channel Chevrolet that we capable of winning and we've come close a couple times this year. Mark (Tutor, crew chief) has done a great job with this team and I can't think of a better place than Richmond to visit Victory Lane for the first time."

If a win is in the cards for Friday night followed by a top-10 on Saturday this weekend, Raines admits that it would be tough not to call Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, his sacred ground of racing.

"Yeah, if that's what is in store for this weekend," continues Raines, "there is no doubt that this track will jump to the top of my list."

Tony Raines, driver of the No. 74 BACE Motorsports Chevrolet on RIR . "Richmond has been very good to me for the most part. It is one of those places that I wished we raced at four times a year instead of just twice. You can really feel the momentum in the shop when Richmond is the next race on the schedule because of the past success we have had here. The expectations are high so I know bringing home anything outside of the top-15 is a disappointment."

"Everyone seems shocked when I name Phoenix as my favorite after my success here but this place definitely ranks near the top. Our race here in the Spring in the Winston Cup car ranks as one of top three moments of the season so far. The race was rain shortened by just a handful of laps but we were closing in on the top-10 so I think with the progress we have made as a team since then that a top-10 is a very realistic goal for this team."

BACE FAST FACTS

BACE Moves to Hendrick. BACE announced it will run Hendrick Engines for the remainder of the 2003 season at all Winston Cup events in the No. 74 BACE Motorsports Chevrolet. Entering this weekend, The No. 74 Chevy has been powered by Hendrick motors at six events so far during the 2003 season. Out of those six races, The No. 74 has finished outside of the top-25 only once, coming last week at Darlington after Raines was caught in a multi-car accident on lap six.

Singing the Blues.This weekend's race may be titled the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 but BACE Motorsports will be singing the blues as they bring Chassis No. 7405, better known as Old Blue, to Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. This is the same chassis that was under Raines in the spring at RIR when he scored his career best Cup finish, 14th. Old Blue was the first 2003 body hung at BACE and received its name for the baby blue primer that covered its exterior.

The most recent appearance for Old Blue was at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway two weeks ago where Raines fought from three laps down to finish in the top-20 on the lead lap and also where he recorded his career best starting spot, 12th.

Another Double Duty weekend for BACE.The Funai 250 is scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 5th with TV coverage is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. EDT on the TNT Television Network with radio coverage scheduled for MRN affiliates.

The Chevy Rock & Roll 400 is scheduled for Saturday, September 6 at 7:30 p.m. EDT with TV coverage on the TNT Television Network and MRN affiliates scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. EDT start.