Dave Blaney
No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: Dodge Charger 500 – May 7, 2005
Venue: Darlington Raceway – Darlington, S.C.
NOTES:
This Week’s Race Car at Darlington Raceway … Dave Blaney will pilot chassis No. 140 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. This is the same car Blaney sat on the outside pole with at Bristol.
Stats Fact … Blaney’s career best NEXTEL Cup Series finish came at Darlington Raceway, where the Hartford, Ohio native finished third in the Carolina Dodge Dealer’s 400, March 16, 2003.
Derby Day … Prior to the Dodge Charger 500, team owner Richard Childress and his wife Judy will attend the Kentucky Derby as guests of Jack Daniel’s. Immediately following the event, Childress will fly to Darlington for the race.
Hi Mom … In celebration of Mother’s Day, Blaney’s mother, Katie, will be on hand to serve as an honorary grand marshal and also be one of several drivers’ moms to give the starting command.
Meet the Driver … Blaney will sign autographs at the Jack Daniel’s souvenir trailer Saturday, May 7 from 3:30 p.m.–4:15 p.m.
Up to Speed … The Dodge Charger 500 will be televised live Saturday, May 7 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on FOX and be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 10th of 36 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events will air live on Speed Friday, May 6 at 5 p.m. EDT and will also be broadcast live on MRN and XM Satellite Radio.
DAVE BLANEY QUOTES:
Do you enjoy racing at Darlington?
“I really do. Racing at Darlington reminds me a lot of my days racing sprint cars on dirt. The track is so rough and eats tires so fast that it’s a lot like racing on an old dirt track that’s gotten all rutted up. You have to spend a lot of time just trying to figure out where your car will run and then make the adjustments. It’s a lot of fun. You slip-slide around a lot and you really have to muscle the car around the race track.”
Does Darlington still have a place in the sport or would you rather race at a newer, more forgiving type of race track?
“Darlington definitely has a place on the schedule as far as I’m concerned. There is such an amazing sense of history at Darlington. If you look at who’s won there it’s pretty much a who’s who of the sport. What’s even cooler is that if you look back in the record books, Dale Earnhardt won nine races at Darlington and eight of them were driving for Richard (Childress), so RCR has a pretty rich tradition of success at Darlington. I don’t ever want to see a place like that come off the schedule.”
