tool name
closeDave Blaney scores pole,
first for Toyota at Cup level
Issue in post-qualifying inspection removes
Vickers' Camry from Sunday's starting lineup
DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Saturday, Jun. 30, 2007
LOUDON, N.H. – NASCAR’s International Week continued Friday at New Hampshire International Speedway, with Dave Blaney giving Toyota its first pole in the Nextel Cup Series.
It was not, however, all good news for the Japan-based manufacturer.
Brian Vickers, driving the No. 83 Toyota for Team Red Bull, had his qualifying lap at 127.338 mph disallowed for failing post-qualifying inspection. The left-front corner of Vickers’ car was found to be too low.
That knocked Vickers out of the race and put Chad Chaffin back into the 43-car field.
Blaney ran a lap at 129.437 mph to become just the second driver in NASCAR history to put a foreign-based manufacturer’s car on the pole for a race in stock-car racing’s top series. According to NASCAR, the only other time it has happened came in 1953 when Lloyd Shaw won the pole for a race at Langhorne, Pa., in a Jaguar.
“Hopefully, that’s just one step in a lot of successful days,” said Blaney, a 44-year-old who drives the No. 22 Camry for Bill Davis Racing. “I think every one of the Toyota teams wanted to be the first to win a pole or a race. This is a big boost for this team.”
Six days ago, Juan Pablo Montoya from Colombia became just the third foreign-born driver – the first since 1974 – to win in NASCAR’s top series with a victory at Infineon Raceway.
In what he said has been “a very trying year,” Blaney failed to qualify at Talladega and Dover because he’s outside the top 35 in owner points and therefore not guaranteed a starting spot. His best finish has been an 11th at Richmond.
“It’s tough to concentrate on these races when you have to concentrate on getting into them,” said Blaney, who won his only other career pole in February 2003 at Rockingham.
“On my first lap I was pretty cautious, but when I knew that was enough to put us in the race I was able to get enough on the second.”
Blaney and his team went to the short track in Thompson, Conn., earlier this week to prepare its car of tomorrow for the race here, and that paid off.
“We’re still learning these cars, and the teams are still coming together, too,” he said.
Jeremy Mayfield, Blaney’s teammate, also made the field. He’ll start 29th after a lap at 127.180 mph. Vickers’ disqualification, however, left David Reutimann’s No. 00 as the only other Toyota in Sunday’s race. Reutimann will start 17th.
Kurt Busch was second fastest at 129.182 mph. Reed Sorenson, a Montoya teammate at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, was third fastest in his Dodge at 128.589 mph. Johnny Sauter, in a Chevrolet, will start a Cup career-best fourth after a lap at 128.502.
Montoya kept his momentum going with a fifth-best lap at 128.411 mph. “I actually told my wife yesterday, ‘It’s back to reality,’” Montoya said, “but we were pretty competitive.”
Montoya will start alongside Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Row 3. Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top 10.
Vickers’ inspection issue put him out of the field along with Team Red Bull teammate A.J. Allmendinger. Reutimann’s Toyota teammates, Michael Waltrip and Dale Jarrett, also failed to qualify as did Kenny Wallace and Scott Riggs.