Dave Blaney
No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: Checker Auto Parts 500 – November 13, 2005
Venue: Phoenix International Raceway – Avondale, Ariz.
NOTES:
This Week’s Race Car at Phoenix International Raceway … Dave Blaney will pilot chassis No. 136 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Built new for 2005, this is the same Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Blaney raced at California Speedway in February (started 42nd, finished 34th), the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge Open (started 19th, finished 17th) and Michigan in June (started 36th, finished 29th).
Crew Chief Shuffle … Beginning this weekend at Phoenix, longtime RCR crew chief Kevin Hamlin will take over the crew chief responsibilities for Blaney and the No. 07 Chevy. Gil Martin will assist as the Jack Daniel’s Racing Team begins preparations for next season. Scott Miller moves over to the No. 31 Cingular Wireless entry and driver Jeff Burton to get a head start on 2006.
Stats Facts … In five starts at PIR, Blaney has completed 99.9 percent of the laps contested and boasts a pair of top-10 finishes.
Countdown to 200 … The Checker Auto Parts 500 will mark Blaney’s 198th-career NEXTEL Cup Series start. Over that span, dating back to 1992, Blaney has recorded one top-five and 18 top-10 finishes. The Hartford, Ohio driver also boasts just shy of $14 million in career earnings.
Meet the Driver … Blaney will sign autographs at the Jack Daniel’s souvenir trailer located on souvenir row at PIR, Sunday, November 13 from 9:45 – 10:30 a.m. A limited number of tickets are available and can be obtained at the trailer the morning of the race.
Up to Speed … The Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway will be televised live Sunday, November 13 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on NBC and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 35th of 36 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events will take the green flag at 1 p.m. EST Saturday, November 12 and will be broadcast live on SPEED, MRN and XM Satellite Radio.
DAVE BLANEY QUOTES:
You had a strong run going at Phoenix in the spring. What are your thoughts about going back?
“We had a good car at Phoenix in the spring. We got caught up in a wreck but that was definitely one of our better cars this year. That will be a good race. It’s always fun to race at Phoenix. (Jeff) Burton ran really good in the spring and really, all the RCR cars have been pretty good on the flat-mile tracks so I think we’ll be in good shape. “
Does Phoenix fall into the same category as a short track like Martinsville or Richmond?
“I don’t really see Phoenix as a short track at all. Even though places like Phoenix and New Hampshire are only a mile, they both have lots of room to race. Phoenix is always a fun race track. There are always at least two lanes and sometimes more to race on, so I’m happy as long as it stays that way.”
In five starts at Phoenix, you’ve got a couple of top 10s so it seems like a track that suits you pretty well. Would you agree?
“I’ve always enjoyed racing at Phoenix. That's been a track where I’ve run decent and I like going there. I've been racing at Phoenix for a long time. I’ve run a handful of Silver Crown races out there and I’ve had some degree of success in a Cup Car. The fact that there is so much room is what I really like about it.”
