Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team qualified in the 29th spot for the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.  After running well for much of the event last weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, the team had another promising run in Texas and finished 21st in Sunday’s event.

The Caterpillar Racing team was forced to qualify for the race on time because it sat outside the top 35 in owners’ points.  Blaney was the last of 46 competitors to take to the track for qualifying Friday afternoon.  His speed of 186.948 mph around the 1.5-mile oval was enough to place the team solidly in the field.  Blaney was set to line up for Sunday’s event in the 29th position.

The green flag waved for the start of the event, and Blaney let his team know early that the handling of his Toyota Camry was extremely tight.  The first caution flag of the afternoon waved on lap 30, which enabled crew chief Tommy Baldwin to call his driver into the pits for four fresh tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment.  After a quick pit stop, Blaney returned to the track in 30th place.

The adjustments made to the car seemed to help, and Blaney broke into the top 25 on lap 62 of the 334-lap race.  Baldwin called for additional minor adjustments to the balance of the car during a stop on lap 112.  Not long after that stop, the veteran driver communicated to the crew that the Cat car was the best it had been all day.  Blaney held the 27th position at the halfway point of the race and began to experience a loose handling condition in the middle stages of the event.

Another good adjustment by Baldwin and the crew helped Blaney move through traffic with just under 100 laps to go, and Blaney remained inside the top 25 for the remainder of the race.  A caution flag on lap 330 meant the race would finish under the green/white/checkered flag rule, and Baldwin utilized a bit of pit strategy to gain several positions under the caution.  Baldwin opted to leave the Caterpillar Toyota out on the track while several of the teams on the same lap made pit stops.  Blaney took the green flag for the restart and held off those with fresher tires, earning a 21st place finish when the checkered flag waved.

The Caterpillar Racing team picked up two positions in the owners’ point standings and now stands only 23 markers outside the top 35.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will travel to Phoenix International Raceway next weekend.  Qualifying for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 is scheduled for Thursday, April 10.  Coverage of the 312-lap race is scheduled for an 8:30p.m. ET start, April 12 and will broadcast on FOX (television), MRN (radio) and Sirius Satellite Radio.