Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team lined up 29th for the Centurion Boats at the Glen Sunday afternoon, the second and final road course event of the 2008 season. After driving a careful and patient race, Blaney stood poised for a top-25 finish before a multi-car accident with eight laps to go destroyed the No. 22 Camry and relegated the team to a 41st-place finish.
The No. 22 Bill Davis Racing team was scheduled to be the fifth of 45 teams to take to the track for qualifying Friday afternoon, but Mother Nature had other plans. Intermittent rain showers throughout the day forced the cancellation of both practice and qualifying, and NASCAR officials were forced to line up the field for Sunday’s race based on current owners’ points.
Blaney lined up in the 29th spot for the start of the 90-lap race and communicated to crew chief Tommy Baldwin that the Cat Camry handled much too loose in the early laps of the race. A scheduled pit stop on lap 29 enabled the Bill Davis Racing crew to make a wedge adjustment in an effort to tighten the car, as well as bolt four fresh Goodyear tires on the car and fill the gas tank with fuel.
The first full-course caution of the day occurred just past the halfway point of the event. Blaney indicated to Baldwin that the car’s handling wasn’t bad, but it needed more rear grip. During the ensuing caution period, Baldwin called for air pressure adjustments to all four fresh tires and an additional wedge adjustment to help the handling of the car. Blaney returned to the track just inside the top 30.
The Caterpillar Camry was running in the 26th position when a multi-car incident occurred with eight laps to go. The No. 38 and No. 00 cars got together in the final turn of the 2.45-mile course, and the No. 38 machine bounced back across the track. The No. 43 car had no place to go and T-boned the No. 38. Blaney was running behind the No. 43 and was an innocent bystander in the nine-car pileup. Luckily, the Caterpillar driver escaped uninjured, but the car was not as fortunate. With extensive front end damage, the car was unable to continue, and the Bill Davis Racing team was credited with a 41st-place finish.
The Caterpillar Racing team returns to Michigan International Speedway next weekend for the second event of the season there.
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