CAT RACING EVENT PREVIEW
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
AMD AT THE GLEN
Track: Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, N.Y. (2.45-mile road course)
Race: AMD at the Glen Date: 08.13.06
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL NEWS AND NOTES
The Glen’s Car…The No. 22 Caterpillar car Dave Blaney is scheduled to drive this weekend in the AMD at the Glen is chassis No. 90. The team tested this car at Virginia International Raceway several times this season.
Blaney’s Career Stats…Blaney will make his 221st career NEXTEL Cup Series start when the green flag waves Sunday afternoon. He made his first career NASCAR Cup Series start in October 1992 at [Rockingham] North Carolina Speedway. He finished 35th after qualifying 33rd in his first start at Watkins Glen. Like this weekend, Blaney was aboard a Bill Davis Racing-owned machine.
Blaney’s Watkins Glen Stats…Blaney has made six Cup Series starts on the 2.45-mile road course, starting as high as 16th and finishing as high as 18th. He has scored three top-25 finishes at the track.
Doing Double Duty…Blaney make his fourth NASCAR Busch Series start of season at Watkins Glen this weekend. Blaney will again pilot the No. 32 Hass Avocado entry for Braun Racing. Blaney has not started or finished outside the top 15 in any of his three starts for that team this season.
BDR at The Glen…Competitors driving Bill Davis Racing-owned cars have been racing at Watkins Glen since 1993 and have made 17 starts. Those drivers have posted one top-five finish, three top-10 finishes and have qualified inside the top 15 on five occasions.
Check out the Merchandise Trailer…Blaney is scheduled to sign autographs at the Caterpillar merchandise trailer beginning at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Check with the merchandise trailer for updates and more information.
Weekend Broadcasts…Qualifying for the NASCAR Nextel Cup event at Watkins Glen International is scheduled to start at 3:10 p.m. ET Friday, Aug. 11. The 90-lap (220.5 miles) event is scheduled to start at 1:35 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 13, and will broadcast LIVE on NBC (TV), MRN Radio and XM Satellite Radio Channel 144.
Dave Blaney on Watkins Glen International…
“We were disappointed with our weekend in Indy. It will be good to get to Watkins Glen to put Indy behind us and move on to the next challenge. What a difference it is to be in Indianapolis one weekend and Watkins Glen the next. Just the difference in the amount of people and the hoopla surrounding the two events is amazing. As great as it is to be at such an historic place as the Brickyard, it will be nice to get to Watkins Glen where it’s a little less crazy and a little more peaceful.
“I’ve learned to like road racing more and more in the past couple of years, and I think we’ve got a pretty good road-course car. Hopefully, we can get back on track this weekend. We had a string of good runs going before Indy, and we’ve tested this car a couple if times, so we’re hoping for a good run. We were pretty good at Infineon until we ran into some mechanical problems, so there’s no reason to think we can’t come out of there with a solid top-15 performance.”
