Blaney finishes 20th at Phoenix, to qualify Friday for Ford 400

Dave Blaney/Bill Davis Racing – Checker Auto Parts 500k

Phoenix International Raceway

AVONDALE, Ariz. (Nov. 9, 2008) – Dave Blaney and the No. 22 Bill Davis Racing team qualified in the 23rd spot for the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway and backed up that qualifying effort with a top-20 finish on the one-mile oval Sunday afternoon.

Blaney was the 11th of 44 competitors to take to the track for qualifying Friday afternoon. His speed of 132.846 mph was quick enough to earn the team the 23rd position for Sunday’s race. It was the best qualifying effort the team has posted since the event at California Speedway in August.

The green flag waved for the start of the event, and Blaney let the team know early on that the Bad Boy Mowers Toyota handled tight in the center of the corners, but was otherwise handling well.  Several cars got together early in the event, which prompted an early round of pit stops.  In an effort to gain track position, Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin called for a two-tire pit stop, and after the lap 22 stop was completed, Blaney returned to the track for the restart in the 13th spot.

The car became even tighter in the corners during the next run, and Blaney was running in the 16th position when an unexpected rain shower moved through the area.  NASCAR officials displayed the red flag while track drying was underway, and the race resumed 24 minutes later.  The No. 22 team got a bit of a break when a caution flag waved on lap 142.  With leader Jimmie Johnson not far behind, the team had been in danger of losing a lap, but after taking four tires and making a track bar adjustment just before the halfway point of the event, Blaney lined up for the lap 149 restart in the 19th spot.

Though the car was pretty good overall, Blaney was still struggling entering turn one and the leader was setting a blistering pace.  On lap 207 of the 313-lap race, Blaney, sitting in the 18th position, was unable to hold off Johnson and went one lap down.  Blaney remained in the top 20 for much of the remainder of the race, and Baldwin and the No. 22 pit crew continued to make adjustments to the handling of the car.  A multi-car incident with 37 laps remaining brought out the second red flag of the day.  When the checkered flag finally waved, Blaney held 20th place.  The top-20 effort was the highest finish for the team since September and it helped move the BDR team up two spots to 31st in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Owners’ points battle.

The Sprint Cup Series heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the final race of the 2008 campaign.  Qualifying for the Ford 400 is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 14.  Coverage of the 267-lap race is scheduled for a 3:45 p.m. ET start, Sunday, Nov. 16 and will broadcast on ABC (television), MRN (radio) and Sirius Satellite Radio.