- The Monster’s Machine…The Caterpillar Racing team plans to utilize chassis No. 47 for the Best Buy 400 this weekend at The Monster Mile. This is the same car the team utilized last week in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, where Dave Blaney drove to a ninth-place finish.
- Lowe’s Rewind…The No. 22 Bill Davis Racing team qualified for the Coca-Cola 600 in the 11th spot and spent the majority of the evening running in the top 10. Blaney led the race for two laps with less than 10 circuits remaining, but a late race splash of fuel relegated the team to a 17th-place finish.
- Moving on up…The Caterpillar Racing team gained two positions in the fight to remain in the top 35 in owners’ points. The team was in 39th place just three weeks ago, but three consecutive finishes of 18th or better have moved the team into a tie for 33rd place. The BDR team stands just 39 points outside of 30th and a mere 178 markers outside of the top 25.
- Blaney’s Career Stats… Blaney will make his 280th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start when the green flag waves for the 400-mile event Sunday afternoon. He made his first career Cup Series start in October 1992 at [Rockingham] North Carolina Speedway and finished 25th (qualified 27th) for his first Cup Series start in Dover in 2000. Like this weekend, Blaney was aboard a Bill Davis Racing-owned machine.
- Blaney at Dover… Blaney has made 13 Cup Series starts at one-mile track during his career. The veteran driver has started as high as 14th (2002) and has finished as high as 11th (2002). Blaney has scored two top-15 finishes at the Delaware track in his Cup Series career.
- BDR at The Monster Mile… Competitors driving Bill Davis Racing-owned cars have been racing at Dover International Speedway since 1993 and have made 38 starts. BDR drivers have four top-10 finishes at the track.
- Bring Your Sharpie… Look for Blaney to stop by the Caterpillar/Toyota Racing merchandise hauler to sign autographs this weekend. Please check with the trailer for exact times.
- Practice Makes Perfect… The No. 22 Caterpillar team will spend Tuesday and Wednesday testing at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in preparation for the upcoming event there.
- Playing in the Dirt… Blaney is scheduled to compete in several dirt track races this spring, the first of which is Thursday at [Delmar] Delaware International Speedway. The 1995 World of Outlaws Champion will test the dirt late model car he will run in June’s Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
- Best Buy 400 Broadcast Schedule… Qualifying for the event is scheduled to start at 3:10 p.m. ET Friday, May 30. The 400-lap event is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, June 1, and will broadcast LIVE on FOX (TV), MRN (radio) and Sirius Satellite Radio.
Race: Best Buy 400
Location: Dover International Speedway
Date: June 1st, 2008
Blaney’s Thoughts on Dover…
“We struggled in Dover last year, so it’s a big relief to be inside the top 35 in points and know that we’re going to race. I really believe we’ve turned a corner with this Bill Davis Racing team in the past couple of weeks, and I’m really proud of this team. We were frustrated and we were baffled, but instead of getting down and giving up, everybody went to work even harder. This is a really strong team and the guys are an experienced bunch who have, for the most part, been together for a long time. When the chips are down, it’s good to have a bunch of veterans on your side. Tommy [Baldwin, crew chief] has done a good job motivating the troops. There’s a lot of racing left in this season. Our Caterpillar Racing team has got some more work to do, but I think from here on out we’re going to be able to run up there in the front of the field much more consistently.”