Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team lined up in the third spot for Thursday’s running of the second Gatorade Duel 150. Blaney ran strong in the opening laps of the event, but oil line issues sidelined the team early.

The green flag flew for the start of the 150-mile event and Blaney moved into the second position on lap two. Blaney stuck like glue to leader Michael Waltrip and the two competitors quickly broke away from the rest of the pack for several laps. The lead pack shifted positions throughout the first 10 circuits, and Blaney’s Caterpillar Camry remained in the top four before being shuffled into the middle lane. Blaney found himself in 11th place when the first caution flag of the day flew on lap 16 as teammate Jacques Villeneuve lost control of his car and hit the wall.

Crew chief Tommy Baldwin called for four fresh tires during the ensuing pit stop. The team ran into problems as Blaney tried to leave his pit stall and the No. 22 Toyota wouldn’t fire. The Cat team was able to get the car running before going a lap down and Blaney lined up in the 21st spot for the lap 24 restart.

Hopes for a win in the Gatorade Duel literally went up in smoke that same lap as the Caterpillar Camry’s engine expired. Blaney was credited with a 21st-place finish for his efforts and will line up for the 50th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in the 34th spot.

The 200-lap 50th running of the Daytona 500 is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday. The event will be broadcast live on FOX television, MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.