Countdown to Daytona: Owner Point Style No. 30 (Dave Blaney?)

Today is Day 6 of my 35-day trip around the owner points of NASCAR.

When I set out on this journey, I didn’t think of all the difficulties I would face writing tidbits of information on each team, but for the third time already, I’m faced previewing a car that: a. may not even run in 2009; b. has no definite driver yet; and c. has no sponsor yet.

Today’s feature is about the No. 22 car, that was driven by Dave Blaney in 2008.

During the off-season, this team was purchased by Triad Racing Technologies.

Blaney has been rumored to the new team formed by Tommy Baldwin, which would leave the car that won the 2002 Daytona 500 without a sponsor and/or driver.

Anyway, I will proceed as if Blaney will be behind the No. 22 when the cars roll into Daytona, so here goes:

Today’s Spotlight: No. 22

Team: Triad Racing Technologies

Driver: Dave Blaney (MAYBE)

Sponsor: None yet.

Driver 2008 Stats: Blaney managed two top-10 finishes in 2008, earning over $3.4 million. He finished the season ranked 30th in points, which is about where he has finished every year he has been in competition.

As for his start/finish averages, both sit at 26, meaning he qualifies about where he runs all race.

News: It was a busy off-season for the No. 22 team. During 2008, the team ran under the banner of Bill Davis Racing. When things began to go south and the team lost long-time sponsor Caterpillar to Richard Childress Racing, it was sold.

Former Bill Davis Racing crew chief and Director of Competition Tommy Baldwin recently announced he would open his own team, fielding Toyotas.

It looks like Baldwin’s team could become filled with mostly BDR employees, and possibly even its driver, as rumors arose this week that Blaney could be driving for Baldwin in 2009.

Either way, this team sits just a few weeks away from the Daytona 500 with a car guaranteed a spot, but nobody to sponsor it and nobody (it appears) to drive it.

My Prediction for 2009: ??

Will that do as my prediction, a couple question marks? That’s how I feel about this one, there is no way of knowing, right now, what this team will do in 2009.

Blaney showed promise several times in 2008, and if he returns to this car will probably be another bottom-level mid-pack driver.

At times, he may compete for a top-20 and/or top-10, but most races he will be around 28th.

Will this team remain in the Top 35: If this team gets a driver, possibly. Obviously, if there is nobody to drive it, it will fall out. But this is a team that I could see struggling to stay in the Top 35.

You have to remember, there will be a fourth Richard Childress team and one of Stewart-Haas’ drivers (tomorrow’s preview) pushing their way into the Top 35, this could be one of the teams knocked out after five weekends.

Up Tomorrow: No. 39 Ryan Newman

This story also appears on my blog: Sports 101

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