Race 2 Win: Emerson Radio 250 - Dave Blaney Notes

Busch Series

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Emerson Radio 250 - Dave Blaney Notes

Dave Blaney
No. 31 Whelen Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Emerson Radio 250 – September 9, 2005
Venue: Richmond (Va.) International Raceway

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Richmond International Raceway … Dave Blaney will pilot chassis No. 022 from the Marsh Racing stable. This is the same Whelen Chevy Blaney raced last spring at Richmond (Started 29th, Finished 21st). Todd Bodine raced the same car last fall to a 32nd-place finish at Darlington. Since then the car has been converted to a Chevrolet and has a new body.

RCR Chips In ... Blaney’s Jack Daniel’s NEXTEL Cup Series pit crew will service to No. 31 Whelen Chevy at Richmond. His NEXTEL Cup Series crew chief Scott Miller and team engineer Brian Bass will assist owner Ted Marsh in calling the race. RCR supplies engines and technical support to Marsh Racing.

David vs. Goliath … In 61 Busch Series starts, Marsh Racing, headquartered in Old Lyme, Conn., has earned three top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. In 2003, Blaney recorded three top 10s for Marsh Racing at Michigan (8/16), Richmond (9/5) and Atlanta (10/25).

Blaney’s Best … Blaney’s best finish for Marsh Racing is a ninth-place effort at Richmond in September 2003. All totaled, the Hartford, Ohio, native owns seven top-five and 22 top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Busch Series with a pair of career-best runner-up efforts coming at Atlanta (3/13) and Darlington (9/4) in 1999.

Not Just NASCAR … In addition to its Busch Series efforts, Marsh Racing fields a C5 Corvette for Whelen Engineering owner Sonny Whelen in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge. Last weekend, the team clinched 2005 Rookie of the Year honors with Whelen’s ninth-place finish at Mosport International Raceway in Ontario.

Whelen’s Way … For more than 50 years, Whelen and its 800 fulltime employees have provided innovative emergency lighting and siren products in the automotive, aviation, industrial, emergency management and traffic management markets. Whelen is also a household name to race fans across America. Whelen is the title sponsor of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the Official Licensed Warning Lights of NASCAR. The company also provides emergency lights for safety vehicles, tracks and pace cars for ASA, ARCA, IRL, CART, IROC, SCCA, and The World of Outlaws. All Whelen products are made in America.

Up to Speed… The Emerson Radio 250 NASCAR Busch Series race will be televised live Friday, September 9 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on TNT and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the Emerson Radio 250 will also air live on SPEED Friday, September 9 at 4:30 p.m. EDT.

DAVE BLANEY QUOTES:

You had a pretty good car at Richmond in the spring until you got wrecked on the back straightaway. Based on the potential of the car in the spring race, what is your outlook for this race?
“We were decent at Richmond in the spring and we’ve run good at Richmond a couple different years in the Whelen car. The guys at Marsh Racing have a pretty good setup over there so we should be in pretty good shape. The thing that hurts us the most is just running a limited schedule and not getting to do much testing. Sometimes it takes a bit to get back going.”

With NASCAR’s limited tire rule for the Busch races, do you have to be very cognizant of preserving tires?
“You have to decide what’s more important at a certain point – track position or tires. It’s been that way in the Busch Series for a couple of years now. NASCAR used to allot a certain number of tires for the race. Now, they allot a certain number for the weekend. What that allows the teams to do is save a set of practice tires for the race. We’re kind of handicapped in that regard because we don’t race every week, so we need all the practice we can get. We need to make a qualifying lap to get in the race. That makes it harder for us to save tires as opposed to some of the teams that are higher up in points.”

Ted Marsh Quotes:

What are your thoughts heading into Richmond?
“I’m looking forward to it but I’m really hoping we have a better car this time. I know the body is better for sure. I know the engine is going to be great. I’m not worried about that at all. We went over our setup with Scott (Miller) and I think we’re pretty much on the same page. He’s interested in working with us which is good so we’ll go from there.”

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