Early Accident Causes Long Night For Raines

Date:                      Sept. 8, 2007
Event:                     Chevy Rock and Roll 400 (Round 26 of 36)
Series:                   NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
Location:               Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (.75-mile oval)
Start/Finish:        34th/ 35th (Running, completed 345 of 400 laps)
Winner:                Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Tony Raines was involved in an early accident and finished 35th in Saturday night’s Chevy Rock and Roll 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series event at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

Raines started 34th in the No. 96 DLP HDTV Chevrolet and had moved to 33rd by the eighth lap. However, as he entered Turn 4, the right side of his No. 96 DLP HDTV Chevrolet touched Jeff Green’s car. Green’s car hit the outside retaining wall, while Raines’ car hit the cars of Dale Jarrett and Greg Biffle.

The No. 96 DLP HDTV Chevy suffered heavy damage to the right-front splitter and had to be taken to the garage for repairs.

Crew chief Brandon Thomas and the DLP HDTV team worked on the car for more than 20 minutes before Raines returned to the track, 52 laps behind the leaders.

“It was unfortunate,” Raines said. “I got under the 66 (Jeff Green) and I got loose and got into him. We’ve run well in the COT races and it’s too bad we wrecked so early. We’ll go on to New Hampshire.”

Raines’ 35th-place finish dropped the No. 96 car one spot to 26th in Nextel Cup owner points and Raines dropped one spot to 32nd in driver points.  

Jimmie Johnson won the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 to score his 29th career Nextel Cup victory, his sixth this season and his second consecutive as he was victorious last week at California Speedway in Fontana.  Stewart, David Ragan, Jeff Gordon and Johnny Sauter rounded out the top-five.  Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch and Yeley comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were 12 caution periods for 70 laps, with eight drivers failing to finish the 400-lap race.

The next event on the Nextel Cup schedule – the first race of the 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup – is the Sept. 16 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon.  The race begins at 2 p.m. EDT, with live, high-definition coverage provided by ABC beginning with its pre-race show at 1 p.m.