NASCAR Cup
Talladega: Tony Raines race report
Even though Sunday's Aaron's 499 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway lasted 192 laps, only two of them really made a difference in Tony Raines' day. On Lap 181, Raines was in ninth place. On Lap 182, Raines was in ...
Published: Apr 30, 2007, 9:26 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Even though Sunday's Aaron's 499 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway lasted 192 laps, only two of them really made a difference in Tony Raines' day.
On Lap 181, Raines was in ninth place.
On Lap 182, Raines was in 20th-place.
Ladies and Gentlemen, meet "The Draft."
Talladega, as well as Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, are the only two restrictor-plate tracks on the Nextel Cup circuit, where aerodynamics and horsepower reign supreme. But when everyone has a car capable of hitting nearly 200 mph, drivers need drafting partners to push them through the air and ahead of their counterparts.
Raines' No. 96 DLP HDTV Chevrolet was sleek and fast, but a lack of help at a critical juncture left Raines outside a freight train of cars. After being in the top-10 for nearly 20 laps, Raines was going backward as his competitors slipstreamed past him.
"We just didn't get any help at the end," Raines said. were up there and "We got shuffled back."
Raines started 27th in the No. 96 DLP HDTV Chevrolet and stayed mid-pack for the first 75 percent of the race. After a caution came out on Lap 130 for a multi-car accident on the backstretch, crew chief Brandon Thomas called for Raines to pit for four tires and fuel on Lap 131.
Four laps later, Thomas again called for Raines to pit for fuel only, with the strategy being that they could make it to the scheduled 188-lap distance without having to pit again.
Unfortunately, the gamble didn't pay off as the engine blew in rookie David Reutimann's car on Lap 184, meaning the race distance would be extended via a green/white/checkered finish. Raines had to pit for fuel on Lap 187, which dropped him to 26th.
After the restarted on Lap 190, there was a multi-car accident in Turn 2. Raines was able to avoid the accident and move up to his ultimate finishing position of 22nd, as the ensuing caution effectively ended the race.
"It wasn't the finish we wanted, but we didn't lose a whole lot in the points," Raines said. "We'll get ready for Richmond next week."
Raines is 22nd in driver points with 849 points. He is 672 points behind leader Jeff Gordon and seven points back of 21st-place J.J. Yeley. The No. 96 car is 22nd in Nextel Cup owner points, and its 849-point tally puts it 193 points ahead of the No. 10 car, which is in 36th place.
-credit: hofr
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Talladega: Toyota teams race quotes, notes
Next article Talladega: Kurt Busch post race interview
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jeff Gordon
William Byron to run Jeff Gordon throwback Axalta scheme at Phoenix
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Charlotte II
William Byron to run Jeff Gordon throwback Axalta scheme at Phoenix
The wildest fights in modern NASCAR Cup history
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Bristol II
The wildest fights in modern NASCAR Cup history
Jeff Gordon can relate to Denny Hamlin's Kansas disappointment
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Kansas II
Jeff Gordon can relate to Denny Hamlin's Kansas disappointment
Latest news
The ten closest finishes from the 2026 NASCAR season
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 5 h
The ten closest finishes from the 2026 NASCAR season
‘Lewis suspected a conspiracy’ – Nico Rosberg explains how Lewis Hamilton F1 rivalry went awry at Mercedes
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 5 h
‘Lewis suspected a conspiracy’ – Nico Rosberg explains how Lewis Hamilton F1 rivalry went awry at Mercedes
BMW "proud of what we achieved" after securing runner-up in 2026 WEC
WEC
WEC WEC
Monza
7 h
BMW "proud of what we achieved" after securing runner-up in 2026 WEC
The numbers that reveal how sprint races have turned the MotoGP title fight upside down
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
9 h
The numbers that reveal how sprint races have turned the MotoGP title fight upside down
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe