Mark Martin and crew chief Pat Tryson look away in disbelief as the team's backup car is prepared. Credit: Autostock

Martin to backup car after Happy Hour crash

Contact with Raines similar to incident with Yeley at Charlotte

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Mark Martin will have to go to a backup after crashing in the closing minutes of Happy Hour for the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Martin hit the fence in Turn 4 after colliding with Tony Raines, who was trying to get to pit road. Raines, who suffered only cosmetic left-side damage, will not have to go to a backup.

Happy Hour Speeds Dickies 500 Pos. Driver Time Speed 1. M. Bliss 28.696 188.180 2. C. Mears 28.725 187.990 3. J. Johnson 28.733 187.937 4. K. Kahne 28.803 187.480 5. J. Burton 28.815 187.402 • Complete speeds, click here

"It wouldn't be so bad if it was just racing, but when somebody is trying to come on pit road and they're not on the bottom and they turn into you, it's pretty sad," said crew chief Pat Tryson.

The crash was eerily similar to one Martin was involved in last month during the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte, when Martin crashed after making contact with J.J. Yeley, who was also trying to get onto pit road.

The crash forces Martin to start at the rear of the field in a backup that has seen no practice time. Martin had qualified 28th but had shown improvement during Saturday's practices, posting the 10th-best time in Happy Hour.

The accident is Martin's third in the past four weeks.

"We haven't had much luck here lately, so most of our newer and good stuff is tore up," Tryson said.

Mike Bliss posted the best lap in Happy Hour with a lap of 188.190 mph in the No. 49 Dodge. Kevin Harvick was quickest in the first practice with a lap of 189.890 mph.

David Stremme, who had qualified 17th, wrecked in Turn 2 during the first practice on Saturday and will also have to go to a backup. He was able to run 32 laps of practice in the backup during Happy Hour.

Speeds were considerably slower than Friday, when Brian Vickers took the Bud Pole with a track-record lap of 196.235 mph.