DAVE BLANEY, Jeremy MayfielD, to Headline
Bill Davis Racing’s Cup Series Efforts in 2007
Mayfield Will Pilot No. 36 Entry; Blaney to Remain in No. 22 Car

TOMMY BALDWIN JR. JOINS BILL DAVIS RACING
AS NASCAR NEXTEL CUP TEAM COMPETITION DIRECTOR
Veteran Racer Achieved Success during Four Previous Years with Team

HIGH POINT, N.C. (July 31, 2006) – Bill Davis Racing (BDR) announced today that Tommy Baldwin Jr. will join the organization serving as Competition Director for its NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series multi-car efforts, effective August 1, 2006. Baldwin returns to the team after having spent four seasons with the organization from 1999-2002.

Included in Baldwin’s responsibilities as competition director will be overseeing Bill Davis Racing’s conversion to Toyota for the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season. Baldwin will work closely with leaders from Toyota Racing Development, Inc. (TRD) and Triad Racing Development, Inc. (a technical partner to TRD) to ensure a smooth transition and will also work with existing Bill Davis Racing crew chiefs to guarantee an efficient and effective transformation to Toyota.

“Tommy has worked successfully with Todd Holbert (General Manager of Triad Racing Development, Inc.) in the past and we see that as a huge asset as we move forward with our program,” commented BDR General Manager Mike Brown. “We look forward to their continued teamwork to play a vital role in the future success of Bill Davis Racing.”

“Tommy brought a lot of success to Bill Davis Racing during his time here and we’re looking forward to his return to our organization,” stated team owner Bill Davis. “Not only will he play a key role in the team’s physical conversion to Toyota, but he will also serve as the BDR representative in that change. Tommy is extremely qualified and driven to succeed and we can’t think of anyone who would do a better job working with the other Toyota team competition directors to make sure the program gets off on the right foot. We feel fortunate that he was available to us and we are looking forward to his return.”

Baldwin, a 39-year-old native of Bellport, N.Y., began his tenure as a leader in NASCAR’s premiere division in 1997 and joined BDR at the end of the 1998 season. Baldwin led the No. 22 Caterpillar Racing team to four victories in four years, including two wins at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and one at New Hampshire International Speedway in addition to a victory in the prestigious Daytona 500 in 2002. Baldwin spent the 2003 season at Ultra Motorsports before heading to Evernham Motorsports to serve as a team director in 2004. In 2005, he guided Kasey Kahne to victory lane at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, scoring Kahne’s first career win and Baldwin’s fifth. Before making the move back to Bill Davis Racing, Baldwin was serving as a crew chief at Robert Yates Racing and grabbed the pole position earlier this year at Talladega Superspeedway.

“This is an exciting time at Bill Davis Racing and I can’t wait to be a part of it,” commented Baldwin on his return to the team. “To have the opportunity to play a key role in the successful introduction of Toyota to the Cup Series is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It would mean a great deal to me to be able to help BDR achieve the success it had several years ago. Bill and Gail Davis have always been like family to me and I’m glad to be back home."

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – On Saturday July 29^th, the Orcutt Youth Recreation Hall in Santa Maria, Calif. will be the sight of a unique and very personal benefit auction. NASCAR Crew Chief Kevin Hamlin and his wife Patti will host a NASCAR/ NHRA collectable auction to benefit Patti’s brother Kevin Miles.

Miles, a 40 year resident of Santa Maria, was diagnosed with Liver Cancer in November of last year. Although he has medical insurance, his coverage does not cover all of his expenses prompting the Hamlin’s to host this benefit event.

Hamlin has served as a crew chief in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series for many years. He has worked with a number of drivers during his career including Kevin Harvick, Robby Gordon, Jeff Burton, Mike Skinner, and most notably the late Dale Earnhardt. Hamlin is currently the crew chief on the number 22 Caterpillar Dodge driven by Dave Blaney.

“When my brother-in-law was diagnosed with Liver Cancer, Patti and I felt helpless,” said Hamlin who lives in Mocksville, NC. “Living on the east coast and so far away from Santa Maria, we felt powerless to help him. With Kevin’s medical bills mounting, and his insurance covering only a fraction of the expense, it occurred to Patti and I that the best way we could help him would be to host a benefit in Santa Maria.

“Patti and I have been together for seven years and during that time Kevin has attended many NEXTEL Cup races. At many races he and his buddy Joey Eames have treated the drivers and crews to Santa Maria style Bar-B-Que, along the way making many friends in the garage area.

“Prior to our marriage my wife Patti worked for many years in NHRA drag racing. First for Santa Maria drag racing legend Alan Johnson, and then as a public relations representative for many NHRA teams. During that time her brother was a fixture at the west coast races, making lots of friends at the drag strip along the way.

“It occurred to Patti and I that in a race crazy town like Santa Maria a NASCAR/ NHRA memorabilia auction would raise a lot of money. We decided to ask our friends for donations. When we started talking to people about the benefit we were amazed to find that everyone we talked had been touched by cancer in one form or another. Everyone we talked to in both NASCAR and NHRA were eager to donate anything that would help Kevin. We are absolutely astonished by the love and generosity of the racing community.”

“In the last couple months my brother-in-law has been going through chemotherapy. Just about everyday he tells us sad stories of other patients at the Marian Hospital Cancer Treatment Clinic who are going through real hardship because their insurance does not meet their needs. Good working class people who are losing their homes while they are fighting for their lives. Because of this we decided to split the proceeds of the auction and set up an endowment for cancer patients at the Marian Hospital Cancer Treatment Clinic who are in need of financial help.

“We are hoping for a good turn-out. We would like to raise enough money to make a difference for the patients at the Marian clinic, and my brother-in-law.

“Cancer is a terrible disease that touches everyone’s life. When you look at the big picture what we are doing is small, but if it helps Kevin and the clinic then it is worth all the hard work.”

The benefit will be on Saturday July 29^th at the Orcutt Youth Recreation Hall on Foster Road in Santa Maria, Calif. The evening will start with a reverse drawing at 6:00 PM which be followed by both a live and silent auction. Doors will open for the general public at 7:00 PM with the live auction to starting at 7:30 followed by the silent auction.

Fast Facts:

 The Kevin Miles NASCAR / NHRA Benefit Auction hosted by Kevin and Patti Hamlin will take place on Saturday July 29^th at the Orcutt Youth Recreation Hall in Santa Maria; Calif.

Event Schedule:
Doors will open at 4:00 PM
No host cocktail hour from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
Santa Maria Style Bar-B-Que Dinner and reverse drawing will start at 6:00 PM.
Doors will be open to the public at 7:00 PM.
The live auction will start at 7:30 and will be followed by the silent auction.

- All proceeds for the Kevin Miles NASCAR/ NHRA Benefit Auction will be divided between the Kevin Miles medical fund and an endowment for patients with needs being treated at the Marian Hospital Cancer Treatment Clinic.

Cash donations may be made to:

Kevin Miles Medical Fund
Community Bank of Santa Maria
1421 South Broadway
Santa Maria, Ca 93454
Account # 01126010

-Ticket for the Santa Maria Style Bar-B-Que and Reverse drawing are available by calling Debbie Jeffers at 805-4314256 or Patti Hamlin at 704-957-3940.

Dave Blaney – UAW-Ford 500
Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega, Ala. (Oct. 8, 2006) – Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar team looked forward to the opportunity to continue their trend of solid finishes last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Though it was disappointed with its qualifying run Saturday morning, the crew knew the car would perform well in the race.  The team lost several laps early in Sunday’s event after a flat left rear tire but was able to rebound from the incident to finish in the 28th place.

Blaney was the 18th of 49 competitors to make his qualifying attempt on the 2.66-mile oval Saturday morning.  He posted his quickest lap time of 51.099 seconds (187.401 mph) on the second lap of his two-lap run, which earned him the 35th position on the starting grid. Every car was impounded after qualifying, and the crews were only allowed to make minor changes to the cars in preparation for Sunday’s race.

The 43-car field took the green flag for the start of the event, which was the last restrictor plate race of the season.  Blaney broke into the top 25 by lap four and spent much of the race’s early stages running three wide in the middle of the large pack of cars. The first pit stop of the day occurred on lap 32, and crew chief Kevin Hamlin called for four fresh tires and fuel when about half the field drove down pit road under green flag conditions. Blaney returned to the track in a two-car draft with the No. 7 car, and the pair worked together to catch a larger pack of cars just ahead. By lap 48 of the 188-lap race, Blaney had reached the lead pack and held the 25th position.  

Blaney made a stop for fuel only on lap 64, and reported to his crew nine laps later that he had a flat left rear tire. By the time he made it back to pit road, the left rear quarter panel had sustained significant damage. The yellow flag waved so clean up crews could clear the track of tire pieces. Meanwhile, Blaney made several stops so the Cat crew could work on repairing the damage to the car. The team went one lap down while in the pits, as the green flag waved for the restart before the repair work was complete.

Because Blaney was running around the track alone with no drafting help, his speed was no match for the 35-car draft. The field sped by him on lap 84, putting the No. 22 a second lap down. Blaney found himself in the midst of a four-car pack when the caution flag waved on lap 131. Blaney restarted 41st on lap 135 after driving down pit road for a routine four tire change.

The biggest incident of the day occurred several laps later. Eight cars were involved in the melee and most were either unable to continue or were forced into the garage for extensive repairs.  Blaney restarted 33rd on lap 146, after cleanup from the accident was completed.  Blaney stayed out of trouble and passed several cars in the closing laps of the UAW-Ford 400.  He took the checkered flag in 28th place.  The Caterpillar team dropped only one spot in the owners’ point standings following the event at Talladega Superspeedway and now stands in 26th place.

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series sticks close to home next weekend as it makes its final stop at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Qualifying for the Bank of America 500 is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 12.  Coverage of Saturday evening’s race, scheduled for a 7:10 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on NBC (television), PRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

Dover, Del. (Sept. 24, 2006) – After back-to-back top-10 finishes in the previous two weeks, Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team hoped to continue their solid performances in this weekend’s event at Dover International Speedway.  After a disappointing qualifying effort that put them near the rear of the field for the start of the race, Blaney and the team rebounded to post a 12th-place finish in the event, their third consecutive finish of 12th or better.

Blaney was the seventh of 47 competitors to make his qualifying attempt on the one-mile oval Friday afternoon.  He posted his quickest lap time of 23.748 seconds (151.592 mph) on the second lap of his two-lap run, which earned him the 38th position on the starting grid.  Though the crew was disappointed in the qualifying run, they were confident the car would perform well during the race.

The sky threatened rain showers for most of the morning, but the start of the Dover 400 went off as planned.  Blaney immediately reported to crew chief Kevin Hamlin that the handling of the Caterpillar car was loose off the corners.  Hamlin planned to make chassis adjustments during the first stop.  The caution flag waved several times in the early laps of the event, but it was during a caution period on lap 25 when Hamlin opted to bring Blaney in for his first pit stop of the day.  After a four tire stop that included track bar and wedge adjustments to tighten the handling of the car, Blaney lined up 25th for the restart.

Blaney continued to battle a loose handling racecar, but worked hard to fight through it.  By lap 100 of the 400-lap race, Blaney stood in 27th place.  The Cat car broke back into the top 25 near the 120-lap mark, and Blaney got lucky when the caution flag waved just after leader Matt Kenseth put the No. 22 machine one lap down.  Blaney returned to the lead lap thanks to the Lucky Dog award.  He drove down pit road under caution for fresh tires and additional chassis adjustments, including the removal of a spring rubber in the right rear and restarted in 25th place.  Slowly but surely, he began to make his way through the field after communicating to the crew that the car was better after that last change.

On lap 185, Hamlin asked Blaney to stay out on the track during a caution period when many cars made pit stops.  Blaney stood ninth when the race resumed.  Unfortunately, he was unable to hold off those cars with fresher tires, and by lap 200, he had slipped to 17th.  Hamlin called for several adjustments during a pit stop on lap 208, and Blaney remained in the top 20 despite a tight handling condition that developed during the next run.  Around the lap 280 mark, Blaney inherited 10th place after several of the cars ahead of him began making scheduled pit stops.  He got lucky again when the caution flag waved when the leader was right behind him.  After completing another stop for fuel and adjustments on lap 300, Blaney left pit road in eighth place with 11 cars remaining on the lead lap. NASCAR officials caught the Cat car speeding coming off pit road, and Blaney was forced to restart at the end of the longest line.

Blaney broke into the top 10 again with less than 90 laps remaining in the race.  Due to the car’s handling issues, he was unable to retain the 10th position and fell to 13th with just over 50 laps to go.  Blaney moved past a car that was encountering engine problems in the closing laps and took the checkered flag in 12th place, his third finish of 12th or better in as many weeks.  Blaney’s Bill Davis Racing team picked up three places in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series owners’ point standings.  The Caterpillar team has gained six spots in the past three weeks and now holds the 25th position.

The NEXTEL Cup Series makes its only trip to Kansas Speedway next weekend for the Banquet 400 Sunday, Oct. 1.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 29.  Coverage of Sunday’s race, scheduled for a 2:10 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on NBC (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – SYLVANIA 300
NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

LOUDON, N.H. (Sept. 17, 2006) – Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team rebounded from a flat left rear tire early in the event to finish in ninth place in the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway Sunday afternoon.  It was the team’s second consecutive top-10 finish.

Blaney was the 46th of 48 competitors to make his qualifying attempt on the 1.058-mile oval Friday afternoon.  Blaney posted his quickest lap time of 29.394 seconds (129.577 mph) on the first lap of his two-lap run, which earned him the 21st position on the starting grid. 

The green flag waved for the start of the race, and Blaney lost several spots in the early laps due in part to a loose handling race car.  Blaney let the crew know at the lap 15 mark that the Caterpillar car was getting better, but by lap 30, he found himself fighting a car that had become loose into the corners and tight through the centers.  Blaney broke into the top 20 on lap 37 of the 300-lap race and continued to climb through the field before making the first pit stop of the day under caution on lap 82.  Like last week, the crew worked fast in the pits, and Blaney returned to the track in the 15th spot.

Disaster nearly struck on lap 97, as Blaney communicated to the crew that he had a flat tire.  While battling for position, Blaney and Matt Kenseth made slight contact, and the flat tire was the result.  Luckily, NASCAR officials put the field under caution flag conditions, and Blaney ducked down pit road to the attention of his crew without losing a lap.  The team was forced to start at the end of the longest line for pitting before the pits were open, and Blaney restarted 28th.

Though he continued to battle the same handling issues through the middle stages of the race, Blaney was able to break back into the top 25 by lap 150.  A pit stop on lap 171 enabled the crew to make a jackbolt adjustment to the car, change all four tires and fill the gas tank with fuel.  On lap 189, Blaney was fighting to stay on the lead lap when the yellow flag waved once again.  Another round of pit stops concluded several laps later, and Blaney lined up 18th for the restart.  The green flag run was short-lived, however, and crew chief Kevin Hamlin decided to keep Blaney on the track during the next round of pit stops while most of the other cars made pit stops.  When NASCAR officials waved the green flag on lap 215, Blaney was leading the race.

Blaney did his best to hold off the cars with fresher tires and led five laps before settling into fourth place.  During a caution period that began on lap 266, the Cat team made a four-tire stop and returned to the same pit sequence as much of the competition.  Several teams did opt not to pit during this caution, and several more chose to take on only two new tires, leaving Blaney in the ninth spot for the restart.  Blaney communicated to Hamlin that the set of tires on the car weren’t as good as the earlier sets, but he was able to hold onto the ninth spot when the checkered flag waved.  The ninth-place finish marked the team’s second consecutive top-10 finish.  The Bill Davis Racing team gained one spot in the owners’ point standings following its fourth-place run in Richmond last week, and it was able to gain even more ground on the 25th spot this weekend.  Unofficially, the team now stands only 41 points outside the top 25. 

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series returns to the Monster Mile next weekend for the Dover 400 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway Sunday, Sept. 24.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 22.  Coverage of Sunday’s race, scheduled for a 1:10 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on TNT (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – CHEVY ROCK & ROLL 400
RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

RICHMOND, Va. (Sept. 9, 2006) – After qualifying in the 15th spot for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway, Dave Blaney drove the Caterpillar ride to a fourth-place finish.  It was the team’s best finish of the season and the second top-five finish of Blaney’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series career, which now encompasses 225 starts.

Blaney was the 20th of 48 competitors to make his qualifying attempt on the .75-mile oval Friday evening.  Blaney posted his quickest lap time of 21.306 seconds (126.725 mph) on the second of his two-lap run, which earned him the 15th position on the starting grid for the event.  The effort marked the third time the team had started inside the top 15 this season.

The green flag waved for the start of the event under the lights, and Blaney immediately began his march toward the front of the field.  In the opening laps of the event, Blaney communicated via team radio to crew chief Kevin Hamlin that the Cat car handled a bit tight in the center of the corners.  By the time the first caution flag of the day waved on lap 36, Blaney had worked his way up to 13th.  A lap 37 pit stop for four tires and fuel started the night off right, as the pit crew knocked off a fast stop and sent Blaney back on the track for the lap 41 restart in that same spot.  Blaney continued to work his way forward and broke into the top 10 on lap 60 of the 400-lap event.

Just past the 100-lap mark, Blaney told the crew that the Cat car was still tight, but the crew had the opportunity to make a wedge adjustment during a pit stop under caution on lap 122.  After another great stop by the crew, Blaney returned to the track in 10th, the same position he held before the stop.  Blaney continued to pick off slower traffic and let his team know that the change made to the Cat machine had helped the handling of the car.  Blaney passed Mark Martin for eighth place on lap 168, and at the halfway point of the event, he remained in the eighth spot.

Blaney showed his competitors no mercy, many of whom were in a tight battle to make the Chase for the Championship.  While he worked to pick off Matt Kenseth for seventh on lap 205, Hamlin let his driver know that his lap times were faster than those of the leader.  A yellow flag on lap 221 allowed Hamlin to make a wedge adjustment to make sure the handling remained where Blaney needed it to be. After the red-hot pit crew performed a four tire and fuel stop with the wedge adjustment, Blaney returned to the track in sixth place.  He broke into the top five on lap 242, then drove his car into the fourth spot on lap 281.

The No. 22 remained one of the fastest cars on the track for the rest of the race, and the pit crew continued to shine, turning in some of the fastest pit stops of the season.  The Cat car’s handling became loose off the corners in the final stages of the race, but that wasn’t enough to stop Blaney from driving to a fourth-place finish.  Not only did the effort mark the team’s best performance of the season, but it also helped the Bill Davis Racing team pick up two places in the owners’ point standings, unofficially moving into 28th, only 123 points outside the top 25.

The NEXTEL Cup Series returns to the Magic Mile next weekend for the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway Sunday, Sept. 17.  Qualifying for the event on the 1.058-mile track is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 15.  Coverage of Sunday’s race, scheduled for a 1:10 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on TNT (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

Calif. (Sept. 3, 2006) – Dave Blaney drove the Caterpillar car to a 28th-place finish in Sunday evening’s Sony HD 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event at California Speedway.

Blaney was the 26th of 47 competitors to make his qualifying attempt around the two-mile oval Friday afternoon, and he posted a speed of 176.978 mph during his one-lap run around the course.  Though that speed wasn’t as fast as the team had anticipated, it was enough to earn the team a spot on the inside of the 21st row, in 41st place.

Temperatures continued to hover around the 100 degree mark at the start of the race.  Once the green flag waved for the start of the Sony HD 500, Blaney began his march toward the front of the field.  Though he started near the rear of the pack, he broke into the top 30 by the fifth lap of the 250-lap race.  Blaney informed crew chief Kevin Hamlin via radio that the Cat car handled a little tight in the center of the corner, but overall it was good.

The first caution flag waved on lap 10, and Blaney pitted on lap 12 for four tires, fuel and a slight air pressure adjustment to the right rear tire.  Blaney continued his forward progress after the restart, and by the time the next caution flag waved, he had made his way into the top 25. He informed the team that the car handled well in the early laps of the run and then quickly became very tight in the center of the corners.  Hamlin planned to make changes to the car during the next pit stop, which occurred on lap 30.  The team made a wedge adjustment during that stop.

The tight condition began to hamper Blaney’s progress, and he fell to 30th before making a scheduled stop under green flag conditions on lap 79.  Unfortunately, before all the competitors could complete their stops, a yellow flag waved, which left the No. 22 team one lap down and in 33rd place.  On lap 100, Blaney told the team the car was a little better.  He asked that Hamlin continue to help him in the center of the corner, as that was what was hurting him the most.  After a left rear jackbolt adjustment under caution on lap 113, Blaney restarted in the 35th spot.

Blaney did his best to get himself in position for the Lucky Dog pass, but it was always just out of reach. The Cat machine held 32nd place by the 150-lap mark, and the crew continued its attempts to free up the car during every pit stop.  With 50 laps remaining in the event, Blaney stood in 29th and had found a groove on the track that helped the car turn in the center.  The team’s final pit stop came on lap 242 - a two-tire and fuel stop – and Blaney took the checkered flag in 28th.  The No. 22 team remained in 30th place in the NEXTEL Cup Owners’ points standings following the event.

The NEXTEL Cup Series returns to Richmond International Raceway for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Sept. 9.  Qualifying for event is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 8.  Coverage of Saturday evening’s race, scheduled for a 7:40 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on TNT (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – SHARPIE 500
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Aug. 26, 2006) – After Bill Davis Racing officials announced Friday that Dave Blaney would return to the No. 22 Caterpillar car for the 2007 season, the Cat crew hoped to prove what it was still capable of in 2006.  Blaney qualified in the 22nd spot for the Sharpie 500 and fought his way through the field for a solid 14th-place finish Saturday night.

Blaney was the 30th of 49 competitors to make his qualifying attempt around the half-mile oval and posted a speed of 123.467 mph on the second lap of his two-lap run around the course.  That speed was quick enough to earn the team the 22nd position on the starting grid for Saturday night’s event.

Blaney took the green flag for the start of the Sharpie 500 and immediately communicated to crew chief Kevin Hamlin that the handling of the Caterpillar car was tight.  Blaney fell to 33rd place and was in danger of losing a lap when the first caution flag of the evening waved on lap 60 of the 500-lap event.  As the field drove down pit road for the first scheduled pit stops of the race, Hamlin and the No. 22 crew changed four tires, fueled the car and made a track bar adjustment in an effort to remedy the tight handling condition.  Blaney returned to the track and restarted the race in the 30th position.

Blaney’s Caterpillar car handled a bit better after the first round of adjustments, and Hamlin continued to make changes throughout the race.  Pit strategy came into play when a caution flag waved on lap 115, and Hamlin decided that Blaney should remain on the track while most of his fellow competitors made pit stops.  The Cat car moved into the fourth spot for the restart, but Blaney continued to struggle with a tight handling machine before the fourth yellow flag of the night waved on lap 203. Blaney pitted for four tires and fuel and returned to the track in 17th.

Blaney again broke into the top 15 on lap 222 and remained around that spot for the next 200 laps.  He reported to the team that the car was better than it had been early in the race, but it still needed a few additional changes to help it turn the way he needed.  Blaney worked hard to hold off the leader but went one lap down on lap 443. Luck went the team’s way two laps later. With the wave of the caution flag, Blaney was awarded the Free Pass, enabling him to drive around the leader and return to the lead lap.  Blaney then made his last trip down pit road.  The crew changed all four tires, filled the car with fuel, made an air pressure adjustment to the left front tire and adjusted the track bar.  The Cat car restarted 16th.  Blaney worked his way past several cars before the end of the race, taking the checkered flag in the 14th spot.  The No. 22 team’s second best finish of the year enabled it to remain in 30th place in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup owners’ point standings.

The NEXTEL Cup Series returns to California Speedway for the Sony HD 500 Sept. 3.  Qualifying for event in Fontana, Calif., is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 1.  Coverage of Sunday evening’s race, scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on TNT (television), PRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

BROOKLYN, Mich. (Aug. 20, 2006) – Dave Blaney started Sunday’s GFS Marketplace 400 at the two-mile Michigan International Speedway in the 19th spot and scored a 24th-place finish at the conclusion of the 200-lap event on the track nestled in the Irish Hills of Michigan.

After struggling a bit in the first practice session of the weekend, the team made changes to the car before Blaney hit the track for his qualifying run Friday afternoon  Blaney was the 29th of 47 competitors to make his qualifying attempt and posted a speed of 184.705 mph during his one-lap run around the course.  That speed was quick enough to earn the team the 19th spot on the starting grid.

Blaney took the green flag for the start of the GFS Marketplace 400 and was in 18th place when the first yellow flag of the afternoon waved on lap five.  Blaney took the opportunity during the caution period to let crew chief Kevin Hamlin know that the Cat car was neutral in the opening laps, and he was pleased with the car’s performance.  Racing at MIS is typically known for its long green-flag runs, but that was not the case Sunday. Several laps after the lap nine restart, two cars made contact on the track, thus slowing the field again.  Blaney now communicated that the car’s handling had become free off the corners.  He headed down pit road for the first pit stop of the day, a routine four-tire change.  Many teams opted not to pit, and Blaney lined up 30th for the restart.

Another on-track incident prompted a third caution flag on lap 23.  The teams that chose not to stop during the last caution made their way down pit road, and Blaney had inherited the fifth position by the time the green flag waved on lap 26.  Unfortunately, Blaney’s older tires couldn’t fend off the cars with fresher rubber, and he began to fall through the field, settling in the 18th position before another yellow flag was displayed.  Hamlin called Blaney to pit road for a four fresh tires and fuel.  The team also made a track bar adjustment in an effort to remedy the loose handling condition Blaney experienced.  The Cat machine restarted just outside the top 20 on lap 49.  Blaney, who was still happy with the overall handling of the car, worked his way into 17th before the next pit stop, which occurred on lap 64.  After a similar stop to the previous one, Blaney lined up 29th for the restart.  The teams that were running a different pit strategy opted not to make pit stops, but starting deep in the field didn’t phase Blaney one bit.  He steadily moved past slower traffic and emerged in the 18th position by the halfway point of the event.

The crew again went to work in the pits during a caution on lap 116.  The handling of Blaney’s ride had become tight in the center of the corners and extremely loose off, so Hamlin was hoping a tire pressure adjustment and the removal of a piece of spring rubber from the right rear would help ease the freeness off the corners.  The changes did not do enough to alleviate the problem during the next run, and Hamlin ordered more changes during a lap 143 stop.  Due to varying pit strategies, Blaney had run as third during the previous green flag run.  But with 50 laps remaining in the event, he stood 30th.

The team’s final pit stop of the day came under caution on lap 162, and Blaney restarted 27th on lap 164.  Blaney was able to catch and pass his competitors, moving into 23rd before communicating to the team that the changes made during the last stop helped him off the corners.  The handling became tight in the closing laps of the event, but Blaney was able to post a 24th-place finish when the checkered flag waved.  The No. 22 team gained one position in the owners’ point standings and now stands in 30th place.

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series returns to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Sharpie 500 Aug. 26.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 25.  Coverage of Saturday night’s race, scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on TNT (television), PRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – AMD AT THE GLEN
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Aug. 13, 2006) – A top-25 qualifying run and a good-handling race car during the final practice sessions Saturday afternoon had the Caterpillar Racing team looking forward to a respectable finish in Sunday’s AMD at the Glen.  Unfortunately, a multi-car incident on lap 62 of the 90-lap event resulted in extensive front-end damage to the Caterpillar car, and the team was eventually credited with a 40th-place finish on the road course in Watkins Glen.

Blaney was the 29th of 50 competitors to make his qualifying attempt on the 2.45-mile track Friday afternoon.  He posted a speed of 119.291 mph during his one-lap run around the course, which was quick enough to earn him the 25th spot on the starting grid.

Blaney took the green flag to begin the AMD at the Glen.  A lap six caution flag gave him the opportunity to let crew chief Kevin Hamlin know that that he was struggling to get his Cat machine to turn in the corners.  It was too early for a pit stop, but Hamlin had already planned air pressure adjustments for when the team did make a pit stop.  The team made those adjustments during a four-tire stop on lap 24. 

Blaney continued to feed the team information regarding the handling of the car.  It was still not turning well enough in the turns.  Blaney continued to work hard to maintain his position, but he ran into trouble on lap 39 while battling with the No. 19 car of Bill Elliott.  Blaney and Elliott collided in the area of the track commonly referred to as the “bus stop,” and the No. 22 car spun around.  Luckily, the car didn’t hit anything else, and Blaney continued without further incident.  The incident did prompt a caution flag, and Blaney reported to the pits for service on lap 41.  The team made a track bar adjustment, changed all four tires, fueled the car and pulled out the fenders that were pushed in during the incident.

It wasn’t long before Blaney communicated to the crew that the changes had not really helped the car.  He was running 36th at the halfway point of the race when the caution flag waved.  Blaney again drove down pit road to the attention of his crew.  The team made a four tire change and a front shock adjustment.

Blaney continued to struggle with the car, and the crew made a wedge adjustment during a gas-only stop under caution on lap 56.  Things went from bad to worse just after the green flag waved for the restart on lap 62. While heading into the esses, Blaney was forced to slow down as several cars ahead of him checked up. Unfortunately, as is often the case on the narrow road courses, the car that was running behind Blaney did not slow down in time and hit the Cat car, sending it careening into the wall.  Blaney drove his badly-damaged car back to the pit area, but the crew quickly assessed that the damage was too great to repair before the end of the event.  The team was credited with a 40th-place finish.  The No. 22 team remains 31st in the owners’ point standings.

DAVE BLANEY – ALLSTATE 400
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 6, 2006) – Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team were looking forward to their trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, after a successful one-day test at the track several weeks ago and a streak of three consecutive top-20 finishes.  Problems in qualifying did not deter the team’s hopes for a good finish, and the silver-and-black Cat Financial car ran well in the middle stages of the event.  When the checkered flag waved at the famed speedway, Blaney held down 29th place.

Blaney was the eighth of 50 competitors to make his qualifying attempt Saturday morning.  He posted a speed of 176.970 mph during his one-lap run around the 2.5-mile speedway. Unfortunately, that speed wasn’t fast enough to make the field on time, and the Caterpillar team was forced to take a provisional starting spot.  Blaney was awarded the 42nd position based on current points.  It wasn’t until after Blaney had made his run that the team realized there had been a miscue with the air pressure in the tires, which resulted in the disappointing qualifying time. Blaney was back up to speed in the practice sessions that afternoon, and the crew was confident its driver would find his way toward the front of the field once the race started.

Blaney took the green flag for the start of the 12th annual NASCAR event at the Brickyard.  Early in the race, he communicated to crew chief Kevin Hamlin that the Cat Financial car handled tight in the center and loose off the corners.  The first of two scheduled competition caution periods occurred on lap 17, and Blaney, like most of the other competitors, ducked down pit road to the attention of his awaiting crew.  Hamlin directed his crew to change right side tires and make a track bar adjustment.  The crew sent Blaney back out on the track, where he restarted 22nd.

Blaney continued to fight an ill-handling car, and when the second competition caution flag waved at the completion of lap 40, Blaney once again drove down pit road.  The crew bolted on four fresh tires and made both wedge and track bar adjustments before Blaney returned to the track.  Another opportunity to make changes to the Cat Financial car came 14 laps later under caution.  Despite the changes made in the pits, Blaney was still unhappy with the handling and immediately let his team know that the car was the worst it had been all day.  Blaney lost 10 spots in five laps, and at the halfway point of the race, he held down the 32nd spot in an extremely loose-handling race car.

A pit stop on lap 88 appeared to be the turning point of the race.  The routine pit stop yielded a set of adjustments that helped the handling of the car.  Blaney began to pick off slower cars one by one and broke into the top 25 on lap 108. He continued his climb toward the front.  With 20 laps to go in the Allstate 400, he stood 23rd, poised for another top-20 finish.  Blaney made his last stop of the day under caution on lap 144 and restarted 28th.  Though he was able to pick up several spots in the closing laps, a set of last lap accidents resulted in the need to let off the gas and Blaney fell several positions before taking the checkered flag in 29^th place. The team now stands in 31st place in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup owner point standings, a mere 153 markers out of the top 25.  .

The NEXTEL Cup Series takes another crack at turning both right and left next weekend at Watkins Glen International for the AMD at the Glen, Aug. 13.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 11.  Coverage of Sunday afternoon’s race, scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on NBC (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio. Blaney is also scheduled to compete in the NASCAR Busch Series event at the track Saturday afternoon.

DAVE BLANEY – PENNSYLVANIA 500
POCONO RACEWAY

LONG POND, Pa. (July 23, 2006) – Fresh off their best finish of the season last weekend in New Hampshire, Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team returned to Pocono Raceway hoping to maintain their streak of top-20 finishes and improve upon their results from the last time the series visited Pocono.  They were successful in achieving their goals: Blaney finished the Pennsylvania 500 with a solid 16th-place performance.

Blaney was the seventh of 47 competitors to make his qualifying attempt Friday afternoon.  He posted a speed of 166.880 mph during his one-lap run around the 2.5-mile speedway, which was fast enough to earn him the 24th spot on the starting grid for Sunday’s event. The team hoped to spend the Saturday morning practice sessions with the car in race trim, but Mother Nature had other plans.  The morning started with heavy fog, which later turned to heavy rain, and NASCAR officials were forced to cancel all NEXTEL Cup Series activities scheduled for the day.

Blaney took the green flag Sunday afternoon and immediately communicated to crew chief Kevin Hamlin that the No. 22 car handled very tight in the center and off the corners.  NASCAR officials had informed the teams that there would be a caution on lap 20 since Saturday’s practices were cancelled.  This first yellow flag period gave Hamlin the opportunity to bring Blaney down pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and wedge and air pressure adjustments in an effort to free up the car in the corners. Blaney returned to the track in 20th place for the lap 25 restart.

The team made additional air pressure adjustments to the Cat car during the next stop, which occurred under caution 10 laps later.  When the green flag waved on lap 38, Blaney held the 23rd spot.  He passed several cars in the following laps and placed himself solidly in the top 20 by lap 60 of the 200-lap event.  Hamlin called for both track bar and wedge adjustments during the pit stop on lap 68, as the team continued to make changes to the car in an effort to remedy the tight handling condition that plagued Blaney for the majority of the day.

Blaney remained in the top 25 at the halfway point of the event and re-entered the top 20 on lap 120.  Many of the leaders began make what should have been their last pit stop of the day with 40 laps to go.  Blaney ran as high as third before ducking down pit road on lap 178 for right side tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment.  He soon reported to his crew that the car was good in the corners.  The caution flag waved two laps later, and several cars opted to make pit stops.  Blaney remained on the track and restarted 12th with 15 laps remaining.  Though he worked hard to maintain his position in the final laps, he was unable to hold off competitors with fresher tires.  Blaney took the checkered flag in 16th place.  It was his third consecutive finish of 17th or higher.  Unofficially, the team remains in 30th in the owners’ point standings and stands 165 markers outside the top 25.  .

The NEXTEL Cup Series takes a well-deserved weekend off before heading to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in two weeks for the Allstate 400 Sunday, Aug. 6.  Blaney will return to Virginia International Raceway Monday for a day of Busch Series testing before spending the off-weekend at Sharon Speedway, the Ohio track owned by his family.

Qualifying for the event at the Brickyard is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 5.  Coverage of the 160-lap race at the 2.5-mile oval, scheduled for a 2:40 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on NBC (television), IMS (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – LENOX INDUSTRIAL TOOLS 300
NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

LOUDON, N.H (July 16, 2006) – The warm front that rolled into New England at the same time the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series arrived for a weekend of racing at New Hampshire International Speedway did nothing but heat up the hopes of the Caterpillar Racing team.  After a bit of a disappointing qualifying run – driver Dave Blaney thought the lap would be much better than it was – the team brought home its best finish of the season Sunday afternoon.

Blaney was the 26th of 47 competitors to make his qualifying attempt Friday afternoon.  He posted a speed of 127.722 mph on the first lap of his two-lap run around the 1.058-mile speedway.  The lap was fast enough to earn him the 28th spot on the starting grid for Sunday’s event.

Almost immediately after the start of the race, Blaney communicated to his crew that the Cat car was good.  An early yellow flag gave the team an opportunity to gain track position by remaining on the track while many of the lead cars drove down pit road.  Blaney restarted the race in sixth place on lap 24, but was unable to hold off the cars that had pitted for fresh tires.  The team made a scheduled pit stop under green on lap 78.  The crew made a slight wedge adjustment to the car while performing a routine four-tire stop.

Blaney was in 41st place when the yellow flag waved on lap 92, but he picked up positions when the teams that had not made pit stops headed for pit road.  When the green flag waved again on lap 96, Blaney was lined up in front of the leader and on the tail end of the lead lap.  Several cars made contact one lap later, which forced NASCAR officials to throw the caution flag.  Heads-up driving by Blaney and a friendly reminder by spotter Chris “Crazy” Osborne to stay ahead of the No. 25, which was leading the race, allowed Blaney to regain the lap he lost when the team made its green flag stop.  When the race restarted at the 100-lap mark, Blaney was 24th.

Blaney ran into a bit of a handling issue at the halfway point of the event, and let crew chief Kevin Hamlin know that the car’s handling was tight in the center and loose off the corners.  Blaney ducked down pit road after another yellow flag waved on lap 187.  In addition to giving the car four tires and fuel, the crew raised the track bar and made a small air pressure adjustment to the right rear tire before returning Blaney to the track in 12th place.

The changes caused the Cat machine’s handling to become much too loose, and Blaney struggled with the car until the caution on lap 234, which gave the team another chance to adjust the handling.  The changes helped, though near the end of the run the car became a tick too tight. The crew made a wedge adjustment during a pit stop in the final 30 laps of the event, and Blaney held 20th place with 15 circuits remaining.

Blaney took evasive action to avoid a multi-car accident with two laps left in the event, which resulted in a green-white-checkered finish.  Blaney restarted in 15th place with three laps to go.  Several cars ran out of fuel on the final lap of the race, which advanced Blaney to the 13th spot when the checkered flag finally waved.  It was the team’s second top-20 finish in a row and Blaney’s best performance of the year.  The finish boosted the Bill Davis Racing team one position in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup owners’ point standings.  The team now unofficially stands in 30th, only 154 points outside of the top 25.

The NEXTEL Cup Series will return to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway next weekend for the Pennsylvania 500 Sunday, July 23.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, July 21.  Coverage of the 200-lap race at the 2.5-mile oval, scheduled for a 2:10 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on TNT (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – USG SHEETROCK 400
CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY

JOLIET, Ill. (July 9, 2006) – Having finished well in the past on the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway, both driver Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team looked forward to spending a weekend in Joliet, Illinois. The team followed up one of its best qualifying efforts of the season with a solid 17^th-place performance on Sunday and gained several spots in the point standings in the process.

Though he was only 32^nd quick in the first practice session of the day Friday, Blaney wasn’t worried heading into qualifying that afternoon. The 36^th of 50 competitors to take to the track for his qualifying run, Blaney posted a speed of 178.636 miles per hour on the first lap of his scheduled two-lap run. After seeing his car number flash up near the top of the scoring pylon in the infield after his first lap, Blaney, like most of his fellow drivers, opted to make only one timed circuit around the track knowing he had made the most of his first lap. Blaney was set to start the event in 15^th place.

Happy Hour practice on Saturday proved his starting spot was no fluke. Blaney was quick right off the bat, and by the end of the 45-minute practice period, had posted the third fastest time of the session.

After qualifying on the front row and backing it up with a 13^th-place finish in the Busch Series race the previous afternoon, Blaney was ready for 400 miles on Sunday. The green flag flew for the start of the USG Sheetrock 400 and almost immediately Blaney radioed to his crew that the Caterpillar machine was tight off the corners at both ends of the track. Long green flag runs were the order of the day and the first scheduled pit stop came under green on lap 61 of the scheduled 267-lap event. Crew chief Kevin Hamlin called for four fresh tires and fuel as well as a track bar adjustment in an effort to free up the car. Blaney restarted the event in 20^th place on lap 64.

Blaney continued to wrestle a tight handling car and fell out of the top 25 for the first time of the day near the lap 100 mark. Another opportunity to adjust on the car came during a scheduled green flag stop at lap 133 and Hamlin called for additional adjustments - this time a wedge adjustment - and the crew sent Blaney back out on the track in 24^th place, one lap down to the leader. A caution flag for debris less than 10 laps later gave Blaney the chance to communicate to his team that the changes had made the car loose, which he thought would benefit them as the car tightened up later in the run. Hamlin made the decision to pit for four tires and fuel while some teams took on only two fresh tires, which dropped Blaney to 29^th when the green flag once again flew at lap 145.

The Caterpillar car again developed a tight condition in the corners in addition to becoming loose out of the turns as the race wore on, but Blaney fought for every position he could get, and when a yellow flag came out on lap 199 he stood in 24^th place, the first car one lap down. Blaney was given the Lucky Dog award and with the blessing of NASCAR officials drove around the pace car to get his car back on the lead lap. Blaney began a patient march to the front of the field in the final 60 laps of the race, and never again fell out of the top 25 despite working with a car that would not turn well through the corners.

While battling for the lead with fewer than five laps to go, the cars of Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon got together, which sent Kenseth spinning through the infield grass. The caution flew for the final time with three laps left, which meant the race would end with a green-white-checkered finish. Blaney made a pit stop for fresh tires and lined up in the 21^st spot for the green flag on lap 268. Several cars ran out of fuel during the final three laps and Blaney fought hard for position during the final lap of the event, finishing in 17^th place, which equaled the team’s best finish of the season. In addition, the top-20 performance boosted the team to 31^st in the owner point standings, a pickup of three spots.

The NEXTEL Cup Series will travel to New Hampshire International Speedway next weekend for the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 Sunday, July 16.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, July 14.  Coverage of the 300-lap race at the 1.058-mile oval, scheduled for a 2:10 p.m. EDT start, will broadcast on TNT (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio. Before heading to Loudon, N.H. though, the team will spend Monday and Tuesday testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for the upcoming race at that venue.

Blaney followed the leader down pit road to the attention of the ABF crew on lap 62 for a great sixteen second green flag pit stop. At the halfway mark the ABF team dodged a bullet when Dave Blaney’s radio went dead and the team was forced to make a pit stop under caution to change out his in-car radio.  Blaney rejoined the field in 19th, but moved the No. 32 back towards the front quickly. On lap 140 while running 13th, Blaney radioed that he felt a header had broken loose and he was inhaling an uncomfortable amount of carbon monoxide, but choose to tough it out and stay on the track. Crew chief, Trent Owens made the call for four tires and fuel for the U-Pack Chevy on the final pit stop at lap 157. Rear tire changer Tommy Hurbert injured his right hand when Blaney’s foot slipped off the clutch and jumped the car. Hubert was meet by the medical team, wrapped up and choose to stay for the remainder of the race with the severely cut hand. 

Dave Blaney and the ABF crew then fought a tight condition for the remaining 40 laps of the race, crossing the checkered flag with a hard fought 13th place finish. “We had a much better car then you can tell by where we finished, but sometimes that’s the way things go,” stated Blaney. “I really feel like Trent and I are starting to gel and I’m looking forward to taking this ABF car to Dover in September.”

Dave Blaney and the ABF U-Pack Moving Chevrolet will rejoin the Busch Series tour once again from the Dover International Speedway on September 23rd for the Dover 200. Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Saturday at 11:40 a.m. with the 200 lap / 200 mile race to follow at 3 p.m. EST.  Coverage of Saturday afternoon’s race will broadcast on TNT (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY - PEPSI 400
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 1, 2006) - As the pace laps ticked off before the start of the Pepsi 400 Saturday night, Caterpillar Racing driver Dave Blaney's voice could be heard over the team radios, telling his crew he had a good feeling about the evening  His plan of working on the car all night to get the handling just right and scratching his way to the front was a good one, especially since Blaney was about to start the event having made only two laps in his No. 22 Cat machine all weekend.  A practice crash forced the team to go to the backup car, but that didn't hinder the team's performance.  When all was said and done, the team was able to do just what it had planned, and Blaney took the checkered flag in 27th place.

After posting quick times in the first practice session Thursday afternoon, problems in Happy Hour resulted in the team unloading the backup car 15 minutes into the 45-minute final practice session.  Blaney had posted the 19th-fastest time after only 10 laps of practice before calamity struck.  A cut tire caused the car driven by Jeff Burton to hit the wall, collecting Casey Mears and laying fluid on the track in the process.  Though he tried to slow down, Blaney hit the fluids and ran into the back of the No. 18 car.  The Caterpillar ride suffered substantial damage to the front end, and the team scrambled to get the back up car out of the truck and onto the track before the end of practice.  Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough time left in the session, and the first laps the back up car would see would be its qualifying laps.

Blaney was the 11th of 48 competitors to make his qualifying attempt Friday afternoon.  He posted a speed of 181.855 mph on the second of his two-lap run around the 2.5-mile superspeedway.  Though that speed wasn't enough to make the field based on time, the team was awarded a provisional starting spot and was set to start the event in 41st place.  Most importantly though, the team knew after the two-lap qualifying run that the backup car was capable of running well Saturday night.

The weather in Daytona Beach had been stifling hot all weekend, and Saturday was no exception.  When the green flag waved for the start of the Pepsi 400, track temperatures were still extremely high, though that didn't affect the spirits of any of the fans or competitors.  A caution on lap nine of the 160-lap race enabled the team tighten the car's handling, which Blaney had said had been a little free from the start.  The crew made a quick track bar adjustment during the pit stop.  In an effort to gain track position, crew chief Kevin Hamlin decided to only fuel the car and not change tires.  It was a good call: Blaney went from 38th before the stop to 23rd when the green flag waved for the restart.

Blaney fought a loose handling car and ducked down pit road again when the caution flag waved on lap 17.  Hamlin called for four fresh tires and an air pressure adjustment in the right rear tire.  Blaney restarted 33rd and after several laps, he relayed to his team that the car was handling well on the bottom of the track.  Blaney cruised to 27th before the car became tight, a condition the team would fight for the remainder of the evening.  Still, Blaney was able to race well in the bottom groove and by lap 43, he had worked his way into the top 20 and hovered around the top 25 for the first half of the event.

A scheduled pit stop on lap 90 nearly led to disaster.  As Blaney was pulling into his pit stall, the car of Matt Kenseth, who was pitted in the stall next to the Cat team, began to pull out of the pit box.  Luckily, the result was only minor sheet metal damage on the left side of the car, and Blaney was able to continue without incident.  After once again taking only fuel, the No. 22 machine restarted ninth.  Blaney slowly began to get shuffled through the lead draft as he continued to fight his tight racecar. The team made its final pit stop of the event on lap 149, and Hamlin made one last adjustment to the car.  A multi-car incident with five laps to go prompted the red flag while workers cleaned up the carnage.  After a three-lap shootout to the end, Blaney took the checkered flag in 27th place.

The NEXTEL Cup Series will travel to Chicagoland Speedway next weekend for the USG Sheetrock 400 Sunday, July 9.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, July 7.  Coverage of the 267-lap race at the 1.5-mile oval, scheduled for a 3:35 p.m. EDT start, will broadcast on TNT (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – DODGE/SAVE MART 350
INFINEON RACEWAY

SONOMA, Calif. (June 25, 2006) – After a successful test at Virginia International Raceway several weeks ago, Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team had high hopes for their weekend of road-course racing in Northern California.  After qualifying in the 36th spot for the event at Infineon Raceway, Blaney was closing on a top-15 finish when problems with the driveshaft cut the team’s race short.

Blaney was the seventh of 48 competitors to make his qualifying attempt Friday afternoon.  Blaney posted a speed of 90.825 mph around the 1.99-mile course and was set to start the race in the 36th spot.

The green flag waved for the start of the 110-lap event, and Blaney narrowly avoided disaster during a first lap, multi-car accident.  Several other cars were not as fortunate, as extensive damage resulted in the cars being taken to the garage without completing a single lap.  The carnage included the machine driven by Tom Hubert, who normally changes rear tires for the No. 22 team.  In order to clean up the debris from the incident, NASCAR officials stopped the race on lap two.  When the race resumed, Blaney stood in 27th place.

On lap 10, Blaney reported to crew chief Kevin Hamlin that the Cat car handled tight heading into the corners and loose off, and that he lost all the momentum he built up coming down the hills because he couldn’t turn the car.  Hamlin planned to make air pressure adjustments and pull out the front fenders during the first pit stop of the day, which occurred on lap 32 while Blaney was running in the 29th spot.  After quick work by the crew, Blaney returned to the track in 32nd place.

Blaney notified the crew that the changes to the car helped shortly after the pit stop, but the car had once again become free off the corners by the time the next caution flag waved.  Hamlin planned to make additional air pressure adjustments during the next scheduled stop.

On lap 62, Blaney was trying to avoid a spinning car, but he made contact with another car, which resulted in damage to the front fenders of the No. 22.  Blaney pitted several laps later, and the team repaired some of the minor front end damage by tugging on the fenders.  The stop also included Hamlin’s suggested air pressure adjustments, and Blaney soon reported that the car drove much better.

Things were looking up for the team, and with his much-improved handling machine, Blaney was set to make his way through the field.  Unfortunately, his march to the front was over before it really started.  As he drove out of turn 11 and got back on the throttle, something went terribly wrong with the car.  Blaney said that it seemed to be a drive shaft or transmission problem, and he took the car to the garage so the crew could assess the damage.  After doing its best to diagnose the problem, the crew determined that the car would not rejoin the race.  When the checkered flag waved, Blaney was credited with a 39th-place finish.

The mechanical problems not only dropped Blaney to 33rd in the owners’ point standings, but also ended Blaney’s streak of 32 consecutive races in which he was running at the end, which was the longest of any NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver currently in competition.

The NEXTEL Cup Series goes heads back to Daytona International Speedway next weekend for the Pepsi 400 Saturday, July 1.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, June 30.  Coverage of Saturday evening’s race under the lights at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, scheduled for a 7:55 p.m. EDT start, will broadcast on FOX (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – 3M PERFORMANCE 400
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 18, 2006) – Persistent rain showers wreaked havoc on Sunday’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Weather delayed the start of the race and continued to plague the 3M Performance 400 for much of the afternoon. A heavy rain shower just past the halfway point in the event forced NASCAR officials to throw the red flag and end the race early and Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team were credited with 30^th place.

Blaney was the 25^th of 47 competitors to make his qualifying attempt Friday afternoon.  He posted his fastest lap time of 39.808 seconds (180.868 mph) on the first lap of his two-lap run around the 2.0-mile oval, which earned him the 33rd position on the starting grid for Sunday’s event. 

Blaney’s car was sporting a new paint scheme for the event and the Cat Ground Engaging Tools (GET) car took the green flag the start of the 3M Performance 400 on the inside of row 17. Crew chief Kevin Hamlin took advantage of an early caution flag to bring the Caterpillar car down pit road to top off the fuel tank. Blaney restarted on lap seven in 36^th place and picked up several positions before NASCAR officials waved the yellow flag due to light rain at the speedway. Blaney radioed to his crew that the car was free going into the corners, but, in an effort to gain track position, the team opted to stay out on the track instead of making a pit stop. Many of the leaders chose to drive down pit road, and when the green flag flew once again on lap 18 of the 200-lap event, the team held down the 18^th spot.

Long green flag runs are generally the rule at Michigan, but that was not the case Sunday afternoon. When the third caution flag of the day flew on lap 23, Hamlin called Blaney into the pits for four fresh tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment to free up the Cat GET K-Series Tooth System machine. The green flag flew again on lap 26 and a three-car accident just six laps later again gave the team the opportunity to make air pressure and track bar adjustments to the car during the ensuing pit stop.

Blaney restarted in 25^th place and slowly began to work through slower traffic. By the time rain showers once again hit the area the Cat GET car was running in the 23^rd spot. The rain shower passed through quickly and when the green came out several laps later, Blaney held down 26^th.

The team continued to make adjustments to the Caterpillar Ground Engaging Tools car and at the midway point of the race Blaney stood in 26th place struggling slightly with a car that had become tight. Rain showers opened up in the Irish Hills area on lap 124 and after pitting for four tires and an air pressure adjustment the team stood ready to take the green for the restart in 30^th place. Unfortunately, those showers turned heavy and NASCAR officials were forced to red flag the event. After a short time spent waiting out the rain, NASCAR opted to call the event early. The Caterpillar team took the checkered flag in 30^th place.

Unofficially, the Caterpillar team gained another spot in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup owners’ point standings and now holds down the 31st position, only 197 points outside the top 25.

The NEXTEL Cup Series goes road-course racing next weekend as they head to Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California for the Dodge/Save Mart 350 Sunday, June 25.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, June 23.  Coverage of Sunday afternoon’s race, scheduled for a 3:40 p.m. EDT start, will broadcast on FOX (television), PRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

GET and Cat Racing—It’s All About Performance

Like the Cat Racing team, GET takes performance seriously. The K Series™ Tooth System features a twist-on design and vertical retainer to ensure reliable retention and easy removal and installation. And a lower-profile shape maintains better sharpness as it wears. This means better penetration, improved productivity, and less strain on the machine.

DAVE BLANEY – POCONO 500
POCONO RACEWAY

LONG POND, Pa. (June 11, 2006) – Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team braved the tricky 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway and finished 27th in the Pocono 500 Sunday afternoon.

Blaney was among the last of 48 competitors to make his qualifying attempt Friday afternoon.  He posted his fastest lap time of 54.313 seconds (165.706 mph) on the first lap of his two-lap run, which earned him the 30th position on the starting grid for Sunday’s event. 

Problems began early for some of Blaney’s competitors, as the first caution period of the day began on lap two of the 200-lap race.  Cleanup from the two-car accident was short, and Blaney sat 25th when racing resumed on lap five.

Early in the event, Blaney notified crew chief Kevin Hamlin that the car wasn’t turning well enough in turns one and two, and Hamlin made plans to make track bar and air pressure adjustments during the first pit stop of the day. The second caution flag waved on lap 21, and Blaney drove down pit road as soon as it opened.  After the adjustments were made and four fresh Goodyear tires had been bolted on his car, Blaney returned to the track in the 24th position as he readied for the restart on lap 2

Blaney remained in or around the top 25 for the first 63 laps, and Hamlin decided to leave Blaney on the track during a caution period that began on lap 63, instead of bringing the car onto pit road for service.  Many of the cars running in front of the No. 22 Cat machine made pit stops, and the strategy paid off as Blaney picked up quite a bit of track position.  He stood 12th when the green flag waved for the restart on lap 67.  Unfortunately, the car handled very tight, and Blaney lost several positions following the restart.  When the No. 45 car of Kyle Petty lost a wheel and hit the wall shortly thereafter, Blaney ducked down pit road for fuel, four tires and changes to the handling of the car.

The car remained tight at the halfway point of the race, and the crew continued to make adjustments during every subsequent pit stop.  Blaney eventually went one lap down to leader Greg Biffle.  With 10 laps remaining in the race, Blaney commented to the team that the car was good in the beginning of the last run, but then became too tight once again.

Jeff Gordon made heavy contact with the outside wall with 10 laps to go in the event, and the No. 22 team took advantage of the caution to make its final four-tire stop of the day.  NASCAR officials then stopped the race for a short time while repair work was made to the SAFER barrier.  Blaney lined up 27th for the final restart with five laps to go and remained in that position when the checkered flag waved.  Unofficially, the Caterpillar team gained another spot in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup owners’ point standings and now holds down the 32nd position, only 161 points outside the top 25.

The NEXTEL Cup Series travels to Michigan International Speedway next weekend for the 3M Performance 400 Sunday, June 18.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, June 16.  Coverage of Sunday afternoon’s race, scheduled for a 1 p.m. EDT start, will broadcast on FOX (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – NEIGHBORHOOD EXCELLENCE 400
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

DOVER, Del. (June 4, 2006) – Though Dover has not always been kind to Dave Blaney, he and the Caterpillar team arrived at the one-mile oval with hopes of turning in a solid performance Sunday afternoon.  Though the crew worked hard to make the car handle to Blaney’s liking throughout the race weekend, the handling of the Cat car was usually tight.  The team took the checkered flag for the Neighborhood Excellence 400 in 30th.

Blaney was the 11th of 47 hopefuls to make his qualifying attempt Friday afternoon.  Blaney posted his quickest lap time of 23.845 seconds (150.975 mph) on the first lap of his two-lap run, which earned him the 31st position on the starting grid. 

Within 10 laps after the green flag waved to start the race, Blaney communicated to crew chief Kevin Hamlin that the car handled extremely tight off the corners.  A yellow flag on lap 37 of the 400-lap event enabled the team to make adjustments to the handling of the car, including a track bar change as well as removing a rubber from the left rear spring.  Blaney took the green flag for the lap 42 restart in 33rd place.

Blaney continued to struggle with a tight-handling racecar and went one lap down to the leader on lap 84. A caution flag 30 laps later meant another opportunity for the team to adjust the chassis. Since the changes made the last time hadn’t helped as much as Blaney and the team would have liked, Hamlin reversed the track bar change and made a wedge adjustment in an effort to free up the car.

Just before the halfway point of the race, Blaney began to run laps more consistent with those of the front runners.  However, he was still unable to avoid going another lap down to leader Jeff Burton.  Blaney was running in 30th when the caution flag waved on lap 275, but he began to maneuver his car around traffic after the restart, picking up several positions in the process.  By lap 300 Blaney held 26th, but fell several spots as the car remained tight.  The Cat crew continued to work on the handling of the machine, but the car stayed tight for the remainder of the race. Blaney narrowly avoided disaster with 55 laps to go in the race when the No. 7 car spun in front of him on the track. Good work by both the team spotter and Blaney got him through it, and the No. 22 car took the checkered flag in 30th place.  Unofficially, Blaney picked up one spot in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup owners’ point standings and now holds down the 33rd position, only 146 points outside the top 25.

The NEXTEL Cup Series travels to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway next weekend for the Pocono 500 Sunday, June 11.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, June 9.  Coverage of Sunday afternoon’s race, scheduled for a 2:10 p.m. EDT start, will broadcast on FOX (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio. The Caterpillar Racing team is also scheduled to test at Virginia International Raceway and Kentucky Speedway this week.

DAVE BLANEY – COCA-COLA 600
LOWE’S MOTOR SPEEDWAY

CONCORD, N.C. (May 28, 2006) –The Caterpillar Racing crew hoped Sunday’s 400-lap Coca-Cola 600 might be just the ticket needed to turn their season around, banking on the reliability of their Bill Davis Racing engines, a successful test session at Lowe’s Motor Speedway several weeks ago and the patience and skill of their veteran driver. Though the Cat car wasn’t handling as well as the team would have liked early in the race, Dave Blaney and the crew never panicked, knowing they had 600 miles to work on it. Unfortunately, Blaney went two laps down to the leaders due to an ill-timed caution flag just past the halfway point, and when all was said and done the team was relegated to a 32^nd-place finish.

Blaney was the 35th of 53 hopefuls to make his qualifying attempt on Thursday evening.  Blaney posted his quickest lap time of 29.421 seconds (183.542 mph) on the first lap of his two-lap run, which earned him the 29^th position on the starting grid. 

The green flag waved for the start of event and after the first caution flag of the day flew on lap two of the 400-lap race, Blaney communicated to crew chief Kevin Hamlin that the Caterpillar car was tight in the middle of the corners and loose off. Hamlin and the team had the opportunity to make changes to the car after Tony Stewart hit the wall on lap 34, which brought out the second yellow flag of the evening. The team made a wedge adjustment to the car and bolted on fresh right side tires before sending Blaney back out on track in 18^th place for the lap 40 restart.

Lowe’s Motor Speedway has been repaved since the last time the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series was at the 1.5-mile oval and Goodyear brought a new, harder tire for the event. On top of that, NASCAR mandated smaller fuel cells for the event, which meant the cars were required to pit for fuel every 35 to 40 laps. The harder tires enabled the teams to make the decision to take on four, two or no new tires every time they came in for scheduled pit stops. Because of this, just about every team had a different strategy for the race and the large amount of stops allowed the teams to make many changes to the handling of the cars throughout the event. The Cat crew was no exception, making 15 pit stops over the course of the evening. Blaney encountered an extremely tight racecar in the early stages of the race and the crew made air pressure, wedge and spring rubber changes in the first 100 laps.

By the halfway point of the race the Cat car had been both loose and tight and Blaney held down the 30^th spot. A pit stop on lap 202 proved disastrous for the team when the caution flag came out as the Caterpillar car sat on pit road being serviced. The team was scored as losing two laps due to the timing of the caution and the location of the leader and after several members of the team voiced their opinions to no avail to NASCAR officials that a timing and scoring error had been made, Blaney restarted on lap 210 in 36^th place, two laps down.

Blaney continued to struggle with a tight-handling car throughout the remainder of the event. The team made changes to the car, which helped, but it was never enough. By lap 293 the team was running on a lap of its own and could only pick up positions through attrition, but Hamlin and the crew continued to work on the car every chance they got. Those changes helped in the closing stages of the race and Blaney radioed to the team that the last adjustments made a big difference in the feel of the car. Blaney eventually took the checkered flag in the 32^nd position. Unfortunately, it was another tough day in the point standings as the No. 22 team fell two spots in owners’ points and now unofficially stands in 34th place.  The team remains only 38 points out of the top 30 and 127 markers outside the top 25.

The NEXTEL Cup Series travels to Dover (Del.) International Speedway next weekend for the running of the Neighborhood Excellence 400 Presented by Bank of America on Sunday, June 4.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, June 2.  Coverage of Sunday afternoon’s race, scheduled for a 2:10 p.m. EDT start, will broadcast on FX (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – NASCAR NEXTEL OPEN
LOWE’S MOTOR SPEEDWAY

CONCORD, N.C. (May 20, 2006) – After a promising test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway several weeks ago Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team were hoping their hard work would translate into a shot at winning the NASCAR NEXTEL Open and a chance to race for a million dollars in the All-Star Challenge Saturday night. A disappointing qualifying run left the team stuck in the back of the pack for the start of the 30-lap sprint and resulted in a 15^th-place finish on the 1.5-mile, recently resurfaced oval.

Blaney was the seventh of 29 competitors to make his qualifying attempt for the Open Friday evening.  Blaney posted his quickest lap time of 30.182 seconds (178.915 mph) on the second circuit of his two-lap run, which earned him the 23rd position on the starting grid. 

Recent race winners and those drivers who have won the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star race in the past make up the field for the non-points event and the remainder of the Cup regulars take part in a 30-lap race prior to the event hoping to earn the last coveted spot in the field by winning the Open. The sky became darker and darker as the afternoon wore on and just as the drivers were busy strapping into their cars for the running of the Open, rain began to fall. NASCAR and track officials went to work to dry the track and about an hour and 15 minutes after its scheduled start, the green flag finally flew.

Blaney worked his way into the 18^th spot before the first caution flag of the evening flew on lap four. Strategy came into play early in the race and crew chief Kevin Hamlin called Blaney into the pits for a quick fuel-only stop two laps later hoping that a pit stop early would ensure the car could go to the end on fuel without having to make any additional stops. By the end of the first 20-lap segment, Blaney had driven into the 16^th spot.

The final segment of the event is a 10-lap sprint to the finish. Starting in 16^th, Blaney radioed to his crew that the Cat car was a little tight in the center and off the corners. With three laps to go in the event the car became extremely tight and Blaney’s shot of moving into the All-Star race went bust as he took the checkered flag in 15^th place. Scott Riggs, who started from the pole and led most of the event, won the race and went on to compete in the 90-lap All-Star show.

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series remains at Lowe’s Motor Speedway next weekend for the running of the Coca-Cola 600, the longest event of the year.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Thursday, May 25.  Coverage of Sunday evening’s race, scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on FOX (television), PRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – NASCAR NEXTEL OPEN
LOWE’S MOTOR SPEEDWAY

CONCORD, N.C. (May 20, 2006) – After a promising test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway several weeks ago Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team were hoping their hard work would translate into a shot at winning the NASCAR NEXTEL Open and a chance to race for a million dollars in the All-Star Challenge Saturday night. A disappointing qualifying run left the team stuck in the back of the pack for the start of the 30-lap sprint and resulted in a 15^th-place finish on the 1.5-mile, recently resurfaced oval.

Blaney was the seventh of 29 competitors to make his qualifying attempt for the Open Friday evening.  Blaney posted his quickest lap time of 30.182 seconds (178.915 mph) on the second circuit of his two-lap run, which earned him the 23rd position on the starting grid. 

Recent race winners and those drivers who have won the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star race in the past make up the field for the non-points event and the remainder of the Cup regulars take part in a 30-lap race prior to the event hoping to earn the last coveted spot in the field by winning the Open. The sky became darker and darker as the afternoon wore on and just as the drivers were busy strapping into their cars for the running of the Open, rain began to fall. NASCAR and track officials went to work to dry the track and about an hour and 15 minutes after its scheduled start, the green flag finally flew.

Blaney worked his way into the 18^th spot before the first caution flag of the evening flew on lap four. Strategy came into play early in the race and crew chief Kevin Hamlin called Blaney into the pits for a quick fuel-only stop two laps later hoping that a pit stop early would ensure the car could go to the end on fuel without having to make any additional stops. By the end of the first 20-lap segment, Blaney had driven into the 16^th spot.

The final segment of the event is a 10-lap sprint to the finish. Starting in 16^th, Blaney radioed to his crew that the Cat car was a little tight in the center and off the corners. With three laps to go in the event the car became extremely tight and Blaney’s shot of moving into the All-Star race went bust as he took the checkered flag in 15^th place. Scott Riggs, who started from the pole and led most of the event, won the race and went on to compete in the 90-lap All-Star show.

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series remains at Lowe’s Motor Speedway next weekend for the running of the Coca-Cola 600, the longest event of the year.  Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Thursday, May 25.  Coverage of Sunday evening’s race, scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on FOX (television), PRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – DODGE CHARGER 500
DARLINGTON RACEWAY

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 13, 2006) – Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team arrived at Darlington Raceway hoping to continue their two-race streak of top 25 finishes.  While Blaney drove a smart race and avoided trouble on the tricky 1.366-mile oval, the team ended up just short of its goal as Blaney took the checkered flag in 27th place.

Blaney was the 39th of 47 competitors to make his qualifying attempt on “The Track Too Tough to Tame” Friday afternoon.  Blaney posted his quickest lap time of 29.760 seconds (165.242 mph) on the first lap of his two-lap run, which earned him the 32nd position on the starting grid. 

The green flag waved for the start of the event, and Blaney immediately communicated to crew chief Kevin Hamlin that the Cat car handled extremely tight despite extensive changes the team made before the race to loosen the car’s handling.  Hamlin planned to make a track bar adjustment and air pressure changes to the left side tires during the first pit stop of the day.  The caution flag waved on lap 28 of the 367-lap race, but Blaney remained on the racetrack for one extra circuit.  He was credited with leading lap 30, and thus received five bonus points for leading a lap, before he drove his car to pit road for service.  The crew made adjustments to the car, and Blaney restarted the event on lap 32 in the 37th spot.

While the adjustments helped in the beginning of the next run, the Cat car continued to be a handful.  Blaney went one lap down to leader and eventual winner Greg Biffle on lap 69.  He was able to get the lap back several laps later when the caution flag waved and he earned the Lucky Dog award.  The crew made more changes during the ensuing pit stop in hopes of easing the handling issues Blaney was encountering.

Blaney went a lap down once again on lap 137 but was able to make progress on the track.  He climbed into the top 30 with under 100 laps left in the race.  Within the last 60 laps of the event, Blaney reported to his crew that the Cat car was better than it had been for most of the evening.  He took the checkered flag in 27th place.  Unfortunately, it was a tough day in the point standings for the team, as the No. 22 team fell three spots in owners’ points and now unofficially stands in 32nd place.  The team remains only 100 points outside the top 25.

The NEXTEL Cup Series travels to Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C., next weekend for the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge on Saturday, May 20.  The Caterpillar team will have to race its way into the affair, which is a non-points event, by winning the NEXTEL Open, a 30-lap event which takes place just before the Challenge.  Blaney scored a runner-up finish in the Open in 2003.

Qualifying for the Open is scheduled for Friday, May 19.  Coverage of Saturday evening’s race, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on FX (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – CROWN ROYAL 400
RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

RICHMOND, Va. (May 6, 2006) – Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team qualified in the top 20 for the Crown Royal 400 Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway and remained within sight of the leader for most of the event.  Though the race played host to 11 caution flags, Blaney stayed out of harm’s way and scored a 20th-place finish, one of the team’s top finishes of the season.

Blaney was the 14th of 47 competitors to make his qualifying attempt on the .75-mile oval Friday evening.  Blaney posted his quickest lap time of 21.447 seconds (125.892 mph) on the second of his two-lap run, which earned him the 19th position on the starting grid for the event.  It was the team’s second-highest starting spot of the season.

The green flag waved for the start of the event, and Blaney let his crew know early on that the Cat car was good in the beginning of the run, but the handling was getting tight through the corners.  A caution flag on lap 68 enabled the team to make a pit stop for four fresh tires and chassis adjustments to help free up the car.  Blaney restarted 22nd and broke into the top 15 just before the 100-lap mark, communicating once again to his crew that the car had become extremely tight.  The team continued to make chassis adjustments throughout the event.  Blaney went one lap down to leader Kevin Harvick on lap 228 of the 400-lap race, while in the midst of a long green flag run.

The changes made to the car helped in the beginning of each run, but as the race wore on, the car’s behavior had Blaney and the team scratching their heads more than once.  Crew chief Kevin Hamlin called for air pressure or wedge adjustments almost every time the Caterpillar car came into the pits, and Blaney reported that the car was behaving differently after almost every restart.  Blaney held the 24th position with 10 laps to go but gained four positions by the end of the race thanks to a late-race incident involving the No. 31 machine and an excellent restart after the final green flag.

Blaney’s top-20 finish in Richmond adds to his streak of races without a Did Not Finish (DNF).  Blaney has been running at the end of 28 consecutive races, the longest current streak in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.  In addition, the team continues to make steady progress and picked up two places in the owners’ point standings, unofficially moving into 29th, only 61 points outside the top 25.

The NEXTEL Cup Series travels to the “Track Too Tough to Tame” next weekend for the Dodge Charger 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on Saturday, May 13.  Qualifying for the event on the 1.366-mile track is scheduled for Friday, May 12.  Coverage of Saturday evening’s race, scheduled for a 6:55 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on FOX (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

AVONDALE, Ariz. (April 23, 2006) – Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team turned lemons into lemonade Saturday evening at Phoenix International Raceway.  A disappointing qualifying run left them deep in the field for the start of the Subway 500, and a blown tire and contact with the turn one wall early in the event left the crew scrambling to make quick repairs.  Not one to give up, Blaney made the most of an extremely fast race car midway through the race and led his first laps of the season before taking the checkered flag in 27th place.

Blaney was the 32nd of 49 competitors to make his qualifying run on the one-mile oval Thursday evening and posted his quickest lap time of 28.035 seconds (128.411 mph) on the first of his two-lap run.  Unfortunately, that speed was not fast enough to get the team into the field based on time, and Blaney and the crew were forced to take a provisional starting spot using 2006 owner points, which lined them 41st on the starting grid for Saturday’s event.

Blaney took the green flag for the start of the Subway 500 and immediately reported to crew chief Kevin Hamlin that the car’s handling was tight.  He fell several spots while wrestling with the handling of the machine, but like most of his competition, he was able to duck down pit road for service during the first caution period of the day on lap 25 of the 312-lap race.  Hamlin called for several adjustments to be made to the Cat car and sent Blaney on his way with four fresh tires and fuel. Though the changes helped in the beginning of the next run, Blaney encountered his next problem when the right front tire blew and sent the car straight into the turn one wall. He lost a lap to the leader while making his way to pit road with his damaged racecar, and the Cat crew worked during several ensuing pit stops under caution to inspect the damage and make repairs.

Things began to look up when the team was awarded the “Lucky Dog” pass after a multi-car accident prompted a caution and a red flag on lap 101.  Blaney returned to the lead lap and restarted 32nd on lap 105.  He told his team that the car was pretty good and marveled that his early encounter with the wall hadn’t caused more than cosmetic damage.  Following the restart, Blaney realized he had a car to beat and began to pick off his competitors one by one.  He moved into the top 15 in 60 laps, occasionally commenting via radio on how much fun he was having.  As scheduled pit stops began, Blaney remained on the track while those ahead of him made pit stops.  On lap 174, he went to the top of the leader board for two laps before he made a stop of his own.

Blaney wasn’t able to return to the front in the closing stages of the race, especially after the car inexplicably became extremely tight in the center of the corners and very loose off the corners.  Blaney had his hands full in the final laps of the event but was still able to take the checkered flag in 27th place.  Unofficially, the team fell one spot in the owners’ point standings to 33rd but still stands only 67 points outside the top 25.                                                                                                                              

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series heads to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway next weekend for the Aaron’s 499 on April 30.  Qualifying for the restrictor plate event on the 2.66-mile track is scheduled for Saturday, April 29.  Coverage of Sunday afternoon’s race, scheduled for a 2:10 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on FOX (television), MRN (radio) and XM Satellite Radio.

DAVE BLANEY – SAMSUNG RADIOSHACK 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

DAVE BLANEY – DIRECTV 500 RECAP

MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
 

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (April 2, 2006) – After an encouraging run last weekend at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway,  the Caterpillar Racing team looked forward to returning to another short track this weekend.  Driver Dave Blaney got things started in the right direction Friday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway by posting the team’s best qualifying effort of the season.  Despite struggling with a tight handling race car early in the DIRECTV 500, Blaney brought home his second consecutive top-25 finish.

Blaney was the 18th of 49 competitors to make his qualifying run around the .526-mile oval Friday afternoon and posted a time of 19.776 seconds (95.752 mph) on the first lap of his two-lap run.  It was the team’s best qualifying effort of the season thus far, and Blaney was set to line up 14th on the starting grid.

For the first time in weeks, weather didn’t play a factor in the racing schedule. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams were finally able to shed winter coats and sweatshirts throughout the weekend, and race day was no exception.  The green flag waved for the start of the DIRECTV 500 under beautiful conditions, but Blaney knew he was in trouble right away.  Blaney quickly communicated to his crew chief, Kevin Hamlin, that the car handled even tighter than it had in practice the day before, despite a myriad of changes the team made Sunday morning.  Blaney began to fall to the rear of the field as he struggled with his car and went one lap down to leader Tony Stewart on lap 55 of the 500-lap event. A much-needed yellow flag waved on lap 90, and Hamlin called Blaney into the pit stall several times during the caution period to change all four tires, fill the tank with fuel and hook up the rear sway bar in an effort to loosen up the car.  Blaney lined up for the ensuing restart in the 35th spot.

The change made to the car began to help, and the crew continued to make changes, including an air pressure adjustment in the right-rear tire during the next pit stop and removal of a spring rubber after that.  With his Caterpillar car handling much more to his liking, Blaney began to work through traffic with relative ease near the halfway point of the event and by lap 300 was running in 23rd place, still only one lap down.  Unfortunately, as is often the case at short-tracks, Blaney was caught up in someone else’s mistake on lap 316 when the cars of Ryan Newman and Dale Earnhardt Jr. collided.  In an effort to avoid the accident, Blaney made slight contact with the car to the right of him.  Luckily, the damage to the right side of the car was mainly cosmetic, and crew members were able to pull out the right-front fender to ensure it wouldn’t rub on the tire several laps later.

Blaney broke into the top 20 with about 100 laps remaining in the event but was hindered by fading brakes.  Attrition began to take its toll on Blaney’s fellow racers, and Blaney moved into the 18th spot with 30 laps to go. Without front brakes in the closing laps, Blaney worked hard to nurse the car  safely to the finish and took the checkered flag in 17th place, the team’s second top-25 finish in as many weeks.  The team again advanced two places in the points standings and now holds down 29th place.

The NEXTEL Cup Series travels west to Texas Motor Speedway next weekend for the Samsung/Radio Shack 500.  Qualifying for the event on the 1.5-mile track is scheduled for Friday afternoon.  Coverage of Sunday’s race, scheduled for a 2 p.m. ET start, will broadcast on FOX television, PRN Radio and XM Satellite Radio.

Atlanta Motor Speedway

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (March 12, 2006) – After two days of testing at the speedway in the off-season, Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team traveled west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend with hopes of getting their season on track.  Blaney and the team ran into trouble early in the event when the handling of the Caterpillar machine made the car a handful for the veteran to drive. Blaney and the team finished 31st in the UAW DaimlerChrysler 400.

Blaney was the fifth of 49 competitors to take to the track for qualifying Friday afternoon, and his speed of 168.776 mph on the second of his two-lap run earned him the 28th starting spot for Sunday’s event.  The Cat car posted the 33rd quickest speed during the final practice session on the 1.5-mile oval Saturday morning, and crew chief Kevin Hamlin and the crew spent race morning making changes to the car in an effort to gain every ounce of speed possible come race time. 

The green flag flew for the start of the event, and almost immediately Blaney reported to his crew that the car’s handling was too tight.  After Blaney tried several different lines around the racetrack in an effort to help the handling of the car, Hamlin called for left-side tire air pressure adjustments during the first pit stop of the day, which came during a caution period on lap 44.  Blaney was running 23rd when he ducked down pit road to the attention of his crew for four fresh tires and fuel.  Quick pit work got Blaney out in that same spot, and the green flag waved once again on lap 47 of the scheduled 267-lap event.

It wasn’t long before Blaney again encountered a tight-handling racecar.  Whereas it took 15 laps to get tight in the first run, it took less than 10 laps this time around, and Blaney went one lap down to the leader on lap 87.  The crew hoped a different set of tires would help the situation, and when the caution flag came out several laps later, Blaney returned to the pits for another set of tires and fuel.

The team continued to make changes to the car throughout the remainder of the event, and Blaney tried everything he could to keep himself in position to be the recipient of the lucky dog award which would have put him back on the lead lap.  Unfortunately, things weren’t going their way, and the team was never able to make up its lost lap. A late-race caution flag forced a green-white-checkered finish, and Blaney crossed the finish line 31st. Blaney and the team now stand tied for 28th place in the Series point standings.

“Kevin and the guys made a lot of changes after final practice because we knew we weren’t where we wanted to be, but I guess we just didn’t make enough,” Blaney said after the event.  “Then we went one lap down pretty early, and it didn’t matter how hard we tried; we couldn’t get that lucky dog pass.  It was a frustrating day for sure because we knew we were better than that, and we were hoping for a lot more.  But the guys had some good pit stops and never gave up trying to make the Caterpillar car handle better, so I’m proud of the way we fought to get as much as we could out of this race.”

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series next heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Golden Corral 500.  Qualifying for the event takes place Friday evening.  Coverage of Sunday’s main event, scheduled for a 1 p.m. start, will be broadcast on FOX television, PRN Radio and XM Satellite Radio.

HIGH POINT, N.C. (Dec. 1, 2005)

TEAM 22 TAKES ON WHOLE NEW LOOK IN 2006

Blaney Rejoins BDR, Hamlin Assumes Crew Chief Duties

Bill Davis Racing confirmed its future plans for the No. 22 team Thursday, announcing Dave Blaney has returned to the racing organization to drive the No. 22 Caterpillar car in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, with Kevin Hamlin joining him as crew chief.

“In the last couple of years, we just haven’t seen the performance we know the No. 22 CAT Racing team is capable of, so change was not a choice—it was a necessity,” said Bill Davis, team owner and president of Bill Davis Racing.  “Dave is not only a talented and consistent driver, but he is someone I respect and have always enjoyed working with in the past.  This will be my first time working with Kevin Hamlin, but I have long admired his work and accomplishments in this sport.” 

Blaney, a Hartford, Ohio, native, first drove for Bill Davis in 1998 and 1999, when he piloted the No. 93 Pontiac in the NASCAR Busch Series.  After running a part-time NASCAR Cup schedule in 1999, the team decided to turn its focus to running full-time in the Cup Series in 2000 and continued the effort through 2001.  Sponsorship changes and the development of other opportunities led to Blaney’s first departure from BDR in 2002. 

“I have always understood Dave’s need to pursue other avenues in this business, but it also was understood there were never any bridges burned between us,” Davis said.

Blaney returned to Davis’ High Point operation in 2004 to drive part-time in the Nextel Cup Series, along with a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Dover International Speedway in early June.  However, the partnership was interrupted once again in late June 2004 when Blaney received an offer to drive full time for Richard Childress Racing, which also marked the first time he drove under the direction of Hamlin.  Later that same year, Blaney was named the driver of Childress’ No. 07 Nextel Cup team for the 2005 season.

“I have been very fortunate to have driven for and with some of the best in this business,” Blaney said.  “I enjoyed racing for the Davis’.  Bill and Gail have not only been business partners, but they’ve been good friends to me.  I’ve spent the majority of my NASCAR career as a BDR driver, so it’s always nice to be able to return to your roots.”   

Blaney, the 1995 World of Outlaws sprint car champion, started racing full-time in the Nextel Cup Series in 2000.  He has totaled 199 career starts in the elite stock car series, along with 86 Busch Series starts. 

Hamlin joins BDR following a long and successful career at Richard Childress Racing, where he served as crew chief for various drivers including Mike Skinner, Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick, Robby Gordon, Jeff Burton, and most recently, Blaney, after RCR revised its crew chief assignments in early November. 

“I’ve known Dave for a long time, and we’ve always worked well together in the past.  So when this opportunity presented itself I couldn’t pass it up,” Hamlin said.  “In just the short time I have spent over at BDR, Bill is making some big changes, and there is definitely great potential for what lies ahead.  I’m excited to get to be a part of it and look forward to what is yet to come.”

Some of Hamlin’s most notable accomplishments during his career as a crew chief include two top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Cup championship standings.  In 2000, he and Earnhardt grabbed second-place honors by season-end, and in 2001, Hamlin and Harvick took ninth overall.  Hamlin also worked alongside Gordon in 2003, when he swept both road course races, claiming victories at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., and Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, N.Y.