Raabe Scores Top Ten Finish in NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Debut
Craig Revelle – Finish Line Web Design
September 13, 2011
Going into last weekend’s NASCAR Canadian Tire Series debut at Barrie Speedway, Chris Raabe and the 01 team didn’t know what to expect. The Canadian Tire Series is filled with long time stars of the sport at the highest level of stock car racing in the Country, and Raabe was fulfilling a dream to be able to compete in the series, after two years of trying to put a program together. With the help of Canadian Tire, MotoMaster and Sylvania, along with a group of local sponsors, Raabe had a very impressive debut.
The first on track action of the day was a one hour practice session, and Raabe was eager to get behind the wheel and get a feel for his car. He turned the 17th fastest time out of the 22 cars entered, and the team made several adjustments to the car before time trials began. In the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, teams are not able to make major adjustments to the car after time trials are complete, so it was important for Raabe and the team to make adjustments that would not only make it better for qualifying, but also taking into consideration of how the car would handle during the course of the race.
“We were very tight in practice, but the guys are making several adjustment to the car to make it better before we go out and run time trials”, says Raabe. “We are the first car out for qualifying, so that should make it interesting”.
By virtue of a draw, Raabe was the first car on the track for time trials. He put down a solid lap, and despite the disadvantage of being the first car on the track, he improved his position from practice and posted the 15th fastest time, which is where he would start in the Wild Wing 300.
“Our goal for the race is to go out and learn as much as we can and run all the laps”, says Raabe. “Barrie is a tough race track, and a lot can happen here, so if we can just finish the race with the car in one piece it will give everyone something to build on for the next race”.
As the race began to unfold, Raabe became more and more comfortable in the car. “The car is pretty good”, he says to his crew over the radio. “It is just really hard to pass”.
By lap 80, Raabe made his way into the top ten for the first time, and advised the crew that the car was still really good, but just a little loose off the exit of the corner. Just a few laps later Raabe made his first NASCAR pit stop under yellow as the team added some fuel to the car to get them through the remainder of the race. He continued to move forward, and by lap 100 he was in eighth position. For the next 20 laps Raabe did a great job maintaining eighth place, but contact from another car pushed him up out of the preferred bottom groove and he lost several spots. The caution came out shortly after, and the 01 crew went to work, changing left side tires. After a solid pit stop, Raabe returned to the track, on the lead lap in 13th. For the next several laps, and through several caution periods Raabe maintained his position, and made what they had hoped to be their final pit stop on lap 172. They entered the pits running in 13th and after a lightning quick stop by the 01 crew, Raabe was back on the track running in ninth place. Shortly after, Raabe was involved in a minor incident after contract from another car, and had to restart the race from 13th as the last car on the lead lap.
Raabe began to move up once again though, and at lap 204 he described how the car was handling to the crew. “We are just a little to tight on the top”, but other then that, the car is pretty good”.
Just two laps later Raabe was caught up in a wreck on the backstretch and came out with a left rear flat tire. After a lengthy delay to clean up the wreck, Raabe made a pit stop under caution and lost a lap on pit road as they tried to get the tire changed. At lap 232 the caution was out again, and Raabe was able to get back on the lead lap as the “Lucky Dog”, which goes to the first car on every caution that is a lap down to the leaders. Raabe was now back on the lead lap and restarted the race from the tail of the field in 13th place. Raabe had a fast car though, and began to move up, and when the next caution was displayed on lap 245, Raabe was back into the top ten.
"We get better the more laps we go”, says Raabe. “We need a long green run here and we will be in real good shape".
The long green flag run didn’t happen though, but Raabe still began to move up, and when the next yellow came out on lap 263, Raabe was closing in on the top five. Through the next several laps Chris was battling for seventh, and with just two laps to go, contact from behind sent his car spinning, bringing out the final caution of the race. Raabe lost a lap to the leaders in the process, but still was running in tenth place at the finish.
“It was a little disappointing that the last couple laps went the way it did, but overall we are really happy with our performance”, says Raabe, who was named top rookie of the event. “I am really looking forward to the next race now that we have the first one under our belt”.
The next race that Raabe is referring to is this coming weekend at Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The following weekend is the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series finale on September 24th at Kawartha Speedway, located in Fraserville, Ontario.
Chris Raabe and the 01 team would like to thank Canadian Tire, MotoMaster, Sylvania and our local sponsors that include Hughson Barriers, Len Corcoran Excavating, Krown Undercoatings, McColman Media Inc., Kingston Landscaping Depot, Canadian Tire Cataraqui, Scott Industrial Services, Kids for Kids and Kingston RV Centre.
For more information on Chris Raabe and the 01 team, and for up to date news and schedule information, please visit our website,
www.chrisraabe.com.
Linkback: https://www.canadianracingonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=14268.msg97349#msg97349
