Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team lined up in the 26th spot for Sunday’s UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After a day of working through tight handling conditions and making adjustments to the car during every pit stop, Blaney took the checkered flag in 26th place, the team’s best performance of the season.
Blaney was the 29th of 47 competitors to take to the track for his qualifying run Friday afternoon. His speed of 179.354 mph around the 1.5-mile oval was quick enough to earn the 26th spot on the starting grid. The team’s qualifying effort was the best of the season thus far.
The green flag waved for the start of the UAW-Dodge 400, and Blaney communicated to crew chief Tommy Baldwin almost immediately that the handling of his Caterpillar Toyota was free in turns three and four. The first caution flag of the day waved on lap 10, and Baldwin used that opportunity to call Blaney into the pits for adjustments to the car, which included wedge and air pressure changes. Unfortunately, those changes made the car much too tight, and Blaney lost several positions before the next round of pit stops occurred.
Baldwin made additional adjustments to the machine on lap 63, and the No. 22 lined up in front of the leader on the restart. Hoping for a quick caution that would enable him to remain on the lead lap, Blaney worked hard to hold off leader Jeff Burton. He was unable to keep Burton at bay and fell one lap down on lap 78 of the 367-lap race. The Cat Camry continued to suffer from a tight handling condition, and Baldwin made changes to it during every stop. Blaney held the 33rd position at the halfway point of the race.
The adjustments to the car helped periodically throughout the day, and at the lap 200-mark, Blaney let the team know that the car was the best it had been all day. The veteran driver broke into the top 25 on lap 221 before the Caterpillar Camry once again became extremely tight. Blaney held the 26th spot with three laps to go when NASCAR officials were forced to display the red flag following a multi-car accident. Blaney earned the 26th finishing position after the green/white/checkered finish. The 26th-place finish moved the No. 22 Bill Davis Racing team into the top 35 in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Owners’ points.
The Sprint Cup Series will travel to the 1.54-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend for the Kobalt Tools 500 Sunday, March 9. Qualifying for the event is scheduled for Friday, March 8. Coverage of the 325-lap race is scheduled for a 2 p.m. ET start, and will broadcast on FOX (television), PRN (radio) and Sirius Satellite Radio.