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Atlanta, GA - If Tony
Raines and the Bayer Consumer Care Racing team keep running like they
have been the last three races, a win is surely around the corner. It
looked as though Raines had turned that corner in the Aaron's 312 at the
Atlanta Motor Speedway this past weekend, by giving the Bayer Consumer
Care Racing Chevy Monte Carlo all she had.
Once again, the Bayer
Consumer Care Racing team unloaded the car from the hauler with it being
nearly perfect from the word go. The only thing different this weekend
was a crew chief change. NASCAR suspended the Bayer Consumer Care racing
crew chief, Michael Kadlecik, for two weeks due to the lead falling out
of the car while in Daytona, an infraction that could cause an accident
on the track. Terry Wooten, who is the Shop Foreman at BACE Motorsports,
has temporarily replaced Michael Kadlecik, in the interim.
Raines clocked the fastest
time in the morning practice session on Friday. His qualifying run at a
speed of 189.002 mph enabled him to start Saturday's race in the 6th
position, while rookie, Ryan Newman, captured the pole.
In the final practice on
Friday, "Happy Hour", Raines posted the 2nd fastest speed.
After the practice the team was going through the car to make minuet
changes for Saturday's race and found that the car had a burnt piston.
On race day morning, the
Bayer Consumer Care Racing team made a quick motor change due to the
piston problem. The team was allowed by NASCAR to remain in the 6th
starting spot rather than start at the rear of the field, a major coup
to the Bayer Consumer Care team.
The race began shortly after
1:00pm. It didn't take long for the field to start battling for
positions. The first of five cautions flew on lap 2 when Larry Foyt spun
in turn 2. After the restart, Tony started loosing positions. He radioed
into the crew that the car was loose.
Tony pitted under the 2nd
caution on lap 11 so the crew could go to work making air pressure
adjustments and to fix the left rear of the car where Todd Bodine tapped
him. Tony returned to the field to be in 39th.
Raines was pleased with the
handling of the car for the most part, and started making his way
towards the front. By lap 42, Tony was 25th, but it didn't take long for
race leader, Michael Waltrip, to put the Bayer Consumer Care Racing
machine a lap down.
Tony was called in for four
tires, fuel, and some more air pressure adjustments, when Tim Fedawa,
Hank Parker, Jr., and Asheton Lewis got together on the backstretch
bringing out the 4th caution of the day. Tony returned to the race in
the 20th spot.
Tony Raines was very fast
and was quickly moving towards the front when Crew Chief, Terry Wooten,
called Raines in for another pit stop on lap 104. After adding new tires
and refueling, Tony was in the 11th position and still one lap down.
After the cycle of green
flag stops, Tony was called in for his last pit stop on lap 162. He
returned to the race to be in the 15th position. With Joe Nemechek
leading, Tony showed he had a very strong car as he was knocking off
those in front of him heading to the front. With minimal laps remaining,
Tony Raines ran out of time and finished the race in the 10th spot.
"I'm a little
disappointed. We had such an unbeatable car in "Happy Hour,"
Raines commented. "The track conditions changed and we had to make
some adjustments throughout the race, and Todd Bodine hitting us on lap
6 didn't help the situation. I am very happy we finished 10th, but I
think if we did not have those problems we would have had at least a top
5 car. I hope that we can finish tenth or better every race,"
continued Raines. "Overall we had a good day. The team got us the
top ten finish."
Tony Raines has moved up
nine places in the NASCAR point standings to be tied in the 16th spot
with race winner, Joe Nemechek.
The Bayer Consumer Care
Racing crew will be at the Darlington Raceway next Saturday, March 17,
to compete in the SunCom 200. |