Dave Blaney

CONCORD, N.C. (May 17, 2008) – Dave Blaney qualified the Caterpillar Toyota in the sixth spot for the Sprint Showdown Saturday evening at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and stuck close to the leaders for much of the event. At the end of the 40-lap race, Blaney took the checkered flag in 10th place.

With a field consisting of previous race winners, the Sprint All-Star Challenge awards no points, but teams look forward to the chance to compete for the $1 million winner’s payout. The No. 22 Bill Davis Racing team had to make its way into the All-Star event by racing to a first or second-place finish in the Sprint Showdown, which precedes the main event.

The starting lineup for the Sprint Showdown was determined by a normal two-lap qualifying run. Blaney was the eighth of 27 competitors to take to the track for qualifying Friday evening. His speed of 183.955 mph around the track was quick enough to earn the sixth spot on the starting grid for the 40-lap sprint.

Blaney took the green flag for the start of the event and moved into the fifth spot on lap 12. The veteran driver communicated to his Bill Davis Racing crew that the handling of the Caterpillar Camry was tight through the center of the corners and loose off. Crew chief Tommy Baldwin planned to make air pressure adjustments during the first pit stop, which came during the break between the event’s two 20-lap segments. Baldwin also called for four fresh tires and a track bar adjustment during the stop.

The green flag waved for the start of the final 20-lap sprint with the Caterpillar Toyota lined up in the seventh position. Blaney almost immediately reported to the crew that, though the car turned better in the center of the corners, it was really loose off the corners. Without another chance to make adjustments to the car, Blaney did the best he could to stay near the front, but by the time the checkered flag waved, he held the 10th spot. Though the team did not transfer to the main event, the race was a good opportunity to gather information that will be useful in next weekend’s 600-mile race.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series remains at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600. Qualifying for the event will be held Thursday evening, and Sunday evening’s race is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. ET start. The race will be broadcast on FOX, MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.