Team BACE Motorsports Car/Make No. 74/Chevrolet Sponsor None Crew Chief Buddy Sisco
STATS	2003	CAREER
Rank	33	33*
Wins	0	0
Top 5	0	0
Top 10	1	1
DNFs	5	8
Top Finish	6 (Rockingham)	6
*Indicates best career points finish

2003 recap
The good: After struggling most of the season, Raines finally started putting it all together in the final four races of the 2003 campaign, recording consecutive finishes of 18th, 19th, sixth and 13th. Also of note with that sixth-place finish, the team's best of the year, was its best qualifying effort of the year that same weekend (fourth) at Rockingham, N.C. While the final four finishes may not be great numbers for other teams, they were a phenomenal improvement for the unsponsored No. 74 Chevy, and hopefully bode well for even greater improvement for Raines as he enters his second full-time season in Cup Racing.

The bad: Can be boiled down to two words -- performance and sponsorship (or lack thereof). Without a major sponsor all season, the No. 74 team still managed to do well, finishing 33rd in the final standings. But with the exception of its performance in the final four races of the year, it struggled horribly prior to that, with just one top-15 and three other top-20 finishes in the first 32 starts. Qualifying was even worse: Raines started 25 of the season's 36 races between 30th and 43rd.

Key stat: As much as he struggled during the season, including the five DNFs, Raines can take some pride in saying he never finished last in any race in 2003 (although he did finish 42nd three times and 41st two other times).

2004 outlook
What needs to be done: With Larry Carter leaving as crew chief to handle Rusty Wallace in 2004, Buddy Sisco will take over crew chief duties on the No. 74 car. Whether he can get any better performance out of the car than Carter did remains to be seen. But, the biggest thing this team needs -- just like it did last season -- is a full-time major sponsor and better personnel and equipment to make it competitive. Granted, finishing 33rd was a significant accomplishment for an underperforming and underfinanced team, but for Raines and the No. 74 to make any significant moves, they need more money, parts, cars, equipment … basically, more of everything that only a major sponsor can provide.

Key change: The departure of Larry Carter to the No. 2 team of Rusty Wallace could tremendously impact the gains Raines and the team made late last season. If Sisco can't pick up where Carter left off, it could be an even longer season for Raines in 2004.

Guarantee: Given how Raines and the team finished 33rd last season in an underfunded and underperforming car, it's potential is without bounds if this team can get a major infusion of sponsorship money.

Prediction: With one full season under his belt, Raines should easily be able to match in 2004 what he accomplished as a rookie in 2003, namely a top-35 finish. But if substantial sponsorship money can be found and infused into the team, this could very easily be a team that could crack the top-25, if not the top-20 in 2004.

Did you know: Even though he was a Winston Cup rookie last season, Raines is no spring chicken. He turns 40 on April 14. Also, his real full name isn't simply just Tony Raines, it's Floyd Anthony Raines.

Your take
Will Tony Raines perform even stronger in 2004 after one full season under his belt? Will the team's pursuit of a major sponsor finally bear fruit? Will team owner William Baumgardner Jr. still be able to financially sustain the team out of his own pocket and without additional corporate support? Share your thoughts on Raines' prospects for 2004.