Tony Raines was able to get past pole-sitter Scott Riggs to lead his first laps for Hall of Fame Racing. Credit: Autostock

96 team hopes LMS run leads to Hall of a career

CONCORD, N.C. -- Attitude in Nextel Cup racing, as it does in the National Football League, can take you to a point -- but at some point you have to produce.

Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Hall of Fame Racing and driver Tony Raines did that in the Bank of America 500.

Raines led the team's first green-flag laps on an oval and scored its first oval top-10 finish, seventh, on a night dominated by Chase for the Nextel Cup contestants.

Tony Raines' previous best finish this season was 11th at Indianapolis. Credit: Autostock

Bank of America 500 Official Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Kasey Kahne Dodge 2. Jimmie Johnson Chevy 3. Jeff Burton Chevy 4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevy 5. Bobby Labonte Dodge 6. Kyle Busch Chevy 7. Tony Raines Chevy 8. Carl Edwards Ford 9. Joe Nemechek Chevy 10. Brian Vickers Chevy • Complete results, click here • Official standings, click here Race ReviewChristine Pullara has all the highlights from Lowe's Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

"It feels really good -- it was just a really, really good night," Raines said. "Like I said, all the crew guys live here, and to run well in your backyard and in front of all your peers -- your friends and family -- makes it extra special.

"We [had] the day off [Sunday], so we [could] enjoy it for a whole day, because Monday it will all be gone and we've got to get back to work. We're testing at Homestead on Tuesday and Wednesday."

New Hall of Fame Racing crew chief Brandon Thomas -- only about 10 days in the position calling the shots for Raines' No. 96 Chevrolet after coming over from ally Joe Gibbs Racing -- possibly provided a view to the team's long-term future.

And attitude's the key, he said.

"I tell the guys, 'If you want to be winners you have to act like one.' You have to not be surprised when you're running well," Thomas said. "I think my experience coming from Gibbs, and winning races there, on the 18 car and being part of the whole organization, it doesn't let you be surprised to run well.

"You know what you've got to work on, you work on it and you go forward."

Raines, whose best result this season was 11th, despite running better than that at a number of venues, led 28 laps at Lowe's in three separate clips, and he was ecstatic at the difference he found in the rarified air at the front of a Cup race.

"We led a couple times and run up front all night," Raines said. "It's a different world up there. I'm used to running back there in 25th. They're a little friendlier up there.

"Our DLP sponsor -- they've been having fun all year and it was a really good night for them and a good night for us and the team. I think we can do some more of this.

"We've had some cars this year that I think we could have finished in the top 10 or the top five with, and things didn't work out -- but everything went right [Saturday night]."

"Yeah, that's dumb luck but it's mental outlook, too," Thomas said. "I'm trying to create a spark here to where everybody expects to run well -- doesn't expect [bad] things to happen.

"You know, you can eliminate a lot of your own mistakes that way -- though other people can certainly cause you a lot of problems -- but if you eliminate your own mistakes, then you can blame your performance on yourself [if you have to]."

Thomas is in a position to affect Hall of Fame's performance due to an ongoing series of events.

The team's competition director, Philippe Lopez, in the last 18 months literally built NFL Hall of Famers' Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman's team from scratch to its current status -- comfortably in the guaranteed-starter top 35 in Nextel Cup owner points -- before opting to step back from the crew chief's role.

Staubach and Aikman have been comfortably measured in their expectations for their team in its first year. But lately they've advocated some aggressive moves as the team looks to expand from its single-team status, widely acknowledged as a tough row to hoe.

Phillippe Lopez has turned the crew chief duties over, but remains an influential voice for Tony Raines. Credit: Autostock

Inside the Numbers Tony Raines in 2006 (took over in sixth race) Race Start Finish Martinsville 12 21 Texas 36 24 Phoenix 36 17 Talladega 29 17 Richmond 27 30 Darlington 42 20 Charlotte 42 40 Dover 32 26 Pocono 31 16 Michigan 39 38 Daytona 21 21 Chicago 39 40 Loudon 15 22 Pocono 19 21 Indianapolis 13 11 Michigan 41 32 Bristol 34 25 Fontana 42 37 Richmond 25 39 Loudon 28 26 Dover 41 23 Kansas 38 28 Talladega 40 20 Charlotte 39 7 Averages 31.7 25.0 • Driver Page | Store | DLP

"About a month ago, I was talking with Troy and [managing partner] Bill [Saunders]," Lopez said. "I said, 'We've got to do something different -- we've got a new team getting ready to get formed here, we've got to find a building -- I've just got too many things going on.'

"I knew Brandon was available and that he was the guy we needed."

With its alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, where Thomas had experienced championship fervor with both Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart, Lopez had his perfect choice both for Thomas' car knowledge and the aforementioned attitude.

"When Brandon became available, that was the one piece that we needed," said Lopez, also a former JGR employee. "He knows these cars, he's built these cars and he's been involved with them from the beginning of their development.

"We just needed someone, other than myself, to try to put the puzzle together, and he's done a pretty amazing job in just a week-and-a-half."

Saturday was proof. Before that, the best Raines had qualified on a 1.5-mile track this season was 36th and his best finish in four starts was 24th.

"Oh yeah," Lopez said. "The way we'd run on our mile-and-a-half program -- I knew we had good equipment, but something just wasn't right.

"We've been happy with our short-track stuff and our speedway stuff, it was just our mile-and-a-halves where we've been struggling. Brandon came in there and showed us a few little things that they do different [at Gibbs Racing] and, my God, what a difference."

"I feel bad for Philippe, because he's done all the hard work, and there have been two or three races where we could have finished top five or top 10, like I said before," Raines said. "But that's no reflection on anybody on this team.

"I'm really happy for the guys. They've worked hard for it and I've beat 'em down too many times [so] I needed to give 'em a boost."

After Raines, Thomas and Lopez have a chance to digest the team's achievement, which Thomas called "a career finish," they're optimistic about more to come.

"We're a new team," Raines said. "And a run like this can do a lot for your composure -- your confidence. It's just a really good deal all the way around, and [the crew] is going to be stepping high."

"Oh yeah -- we built a brand-new car we're taking to Homestead to test this week," Thomas said. "We're intending to run that at Texas and Homestead, when we go back there [in November]."

"Now, we're really looking forward to going back home to Texas," Lopez said. "For the Texas Instruments folks, and Troy and Roger live there, so it's going to be a good one."

Raines knows one thing -- he liked the feel near the front of the pack and who knows, he just might be catching on to this attitude thing.

"It was just fun," Raines said. "Like I said, I know I didn't win the race, but I just felt like doing a burnout. We got a little bit behind on the car in the middle of the race and got a little tight. I thought maybe we could get a top-five, but I'm tickled with seventh.

"We've just had a dry spell these last three or four weeks. It's been a long time coming -- hopefully, we'll do some more of this."