Blaney: “We’ll have to try to make up some of the ground we’ve lost this week in Texas”

Dave Blaney on Texas…“We’ve lost some ground to the No. 21 team in the past couple of weeks so we need to get a handle on things before it’s too late. Last week we had issues that were beyond our control so that’s a bit disconcerting of course. I don’t know that we had a car capable of finishing in the top 10, but it was certainly worthy of more than what we got. I don’t know what happened last week with the fuel, but I feel certain that because there were several teams involved NASCAR will do its best to get to the bottom of it. We’ll have to try to make up some of the ground we’ve lost this week in Texas. “

“Tommy and the guys have built a new Caterpillar Camry for this event so we’ll have to see what we’ve got once we get out there. We’re still hanging on to 35th place in the points, and we’ll be able to work on race runs both Friday and Saturday so we should be in good shape. We certainly hope we can finish out the season running where we think we are capable.”

. Texas’ Toyota…The No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota Dave Blaney is scheduled to drive in the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway is chassis No. 69. The team has built a brand new car for this event.

· What Happened Last week…The Caterpillar Camry broke a front sway bar during qualifying for the event at Atlanta Motor Speedway forcing the team to line up 42nd on the starting grid. Just after the start of Sunday’s event, Blaney was forced to the garage with motor problems. After discovering problems with the fuel in the car, Blaney eventually returned to the track and finished the event in 38th place.

· Blaney’s Career Stats…Blaney will make his 266th career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start when the green flag waves Sunday afternoon. He made his first career Cup Series start in October 1992 at [Rockingham] North Carolina Speedway and drove his Bill Davis Racing-owned entry to a 22nd-place finish (qualified 24th) in his first Cup Series start in Texas in 2000.

· Something New This Week…The No. 22 Camry will sport new decals this week featuring The Cat AccessAccount. The Cat® AccessAccount, an easy and convenient way to pay for parts, service and rentals, is accepted at all Cat® Dealers and Cat® Rental Stores in the United States. Enjoy the convenience of one account and one statement, no matter which Cat® Dealer or Cat® Rental Store you do business with, along with the ability to manage your account 24/7 on our secured website.

· Blaney at Texas…Blaney has made 10 starts on the 1.5-mile oval during his Cup Series career, starting as high as 12th (2005) and finishing as high as 6th (2001). He has scored three top-15 finishes in Cup Series competition at Texas Motor Speedway and has qualified in the top 15 twice.

· BDR at TMS…Competitors driving Bill Davis Racing-owned cars have been racing at Texas Motor Speedway since 1997 and have made 18 starts. Those drivers have posted two top-10 finishes and have completed 5,488 of 6,017 possible laps (91.2 percent).

· Teammate Skinner’s Back for More…BDR’s Mike Skinner, who sits just four points outside of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points lead, will once again be behind the wheel of the No. 36 Toyota Camry in the Cup Series event this weekend.

· Points Position…The No. 22 BDR entry remains in 35th place in the owners’ point standings 86 markers behind Kyle Petty (34th) in the No. 45 and 82 points ahead of the No. 21 car (36th).

· Bring Your Sharpie…Blaney is scheduled to sign autographs at the Caterpillar souvenir trailer Sunday morning. Stop by the Cat souvenir trailer or visit www.daveblaney.com for updates and additional information.

· Listen and Watch…Qualifying for the Dickies 500 is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 2. The 334-lap event is scheduled to start at 3 p. m. ET Sunday, Nov. 4, and will broadcast LIVE on ABC (TV), PRN (radio) and Sirius Satellite Radio.