R&J Racing Looks to Keep Momentum Rolling in Kansas

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The Kansas Speedway may be 1.5 miles in length, but Tony Raines feels the most-critical part of the entire track is about 150 yards long.

"Turn 2, that's where you make or break your lap," the driver of the BoSPOKER.net Dodge said. "Do it right and you can cut a tenth or two-tenths (of a second) off your lap. Do it wrong and it will cost you a tenth or two-tenths."
Raines and the R&J Racing team will be at the Kansas Speedway for Sunday's Banquet 400. The team will try to build on its 22nd-place finish last week at Talladega.

The team will be using the same car that started 15th and finished 31st at the Michigan International Speedway in August. It was Raines' first race with the team.

"We had a good race with that car," said crew chief Glenn Darrow. "And there was a lot of room for improvement. We've learned some things about that car since Michigan, and we can't wait to apply it to our package at Kansas. This should be a good race for us."

To be successful, Raines said he has to master the second turn.

"The mile-and-a-half tracks have been pretty decent for us," Raines said. "It's a lot like Chicagoland. It has a little bit more banking than Las Vegas.

"Getting through the center of the corner and being wide open for the straightaway is the key. You want to be hitting the accelerator in the middle of the turn, not the brakes. You want the car to be free and fast so you get a running start down the straightaway."

The R&J Racing team clearly excels at the faster speedways. It averages a 23rd-place finish at the 1.5-mile speedways, including a 12th-place effort at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in May.
"This should be another good one," Darrow said.

Raines suffered burns from his seat during last Sunday's race at Talladega. While he said it remains uncomfortable, it won't keep him from driving in Saturday's Busch Series race or Sunday's main event.
"I will be in the BoSPOKER.net Dodge," he said. "I blistered my backside at Talladega, but it's been nearly a week and it's a lot better."


BoSPOKER.net Fast Facts

. The Banquet 400 at the Kansas Speedway will be Tony Raines' sixth race since joining R&J Racing in August.

. In five starts with R&J Racing this year, Raines has won $358,725.

. Pole qualifying for the Banquet 400 is Saturday at 11:40 a.m. on Speed and MRN radio.

. The Banquet 400 will start at 2:10 p.m. It will air live on NBC at 1:30 p.m. and on MRN radio at 1:15 p.m.