Dave Blaney sped his A car around Daytona in 48.978 seconds. Credit: Autostock

Blaney has good feel for 2007, future with Toyota

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- It could have been, in Dave Blaney's mind, the near-perfect way to unofficially start the 20007 season. .

There wasn't a race to be won at Daytona on Monday, but Blaney's first ride in a Toyota was surprisingly quick out of the box (he was third-best in the only session of the day).

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His day took a turn a turn for the worse once he left the track to watch Florida play his beloved Ohio State for the national title.

The Buckeyes were drubbed 41-14.

"The football game ruined my day," Blaney said with a laugh. "That was surprising but that is how it happens. Well, you could tell from the middle of the first quarter that they were in trouble."

The game -- or lack of it -- allowed Blaney to get into bed a few hours early.

"I don't know what went on, but they are not the team they usually are," Blaney said. "[Monday] night is when it counted. I didn't make it past halftime."

Blaney is one of only three Toyota drivers testing this week at Daytona. Most of the Camry's corps is slated to test next week, including Blaney's new teammate, Jeremy Mayfield.

His team, Bill Davis Racing, has competed without major factory support since early in 2003, when it began building Toyotas with the intent to compete in the Craftsman Truck Series. BDR was running the Dodge brand at the time, and the two parties eventually spent three years in litigation. The legalities were resolved in November.

For the first time in three seasons, Bill Davis Racing was able to enjoy extensive wind-tunnel time, as well as standard engineering help from the manufacturer.

Blaney said it was difficult to underestimate the changes.

	Dave Blaney is getting the feel for the Toyota. Credit: AP
	TOYOTA TIME Dave Blaney got off to a fast start in his Toyota, posting the third- and 11th-best speeds during Day 1 of testing.  •   Complete speeds, click here

"Toyota, with all their help and support, let us do more of everything," Blaney said. "Wind-tunnel testing, hiring more people. Engineering support is way up, just everything.

"It just elevated our whole team and it is showing. We are way ahead of the game here in testing compared to where we were last year."

Michael Waltrip experienced well-noted troubles as Blaney's teammate last year -- he finished 38th in owner standings, and missed four races -- but Blaney experienced an unspectacular but consistent season, scoring just two top-10s, but finishing in the bottom 10 just three times.

"Last year we did all we could do," Blaney said. "Now, we did improve a little bit and we found some gains in a few places, but you know, you have got to have all the tools and the resources that the guys are winning do to realistically compete with them week in and week out.

"That is where Toyota has helped us along."

The team received a major shot in the arm late in the summer when Tommy Baldwin returned after a stint at Robert Yates Racing. Baldwin started a major hiring effort, eventually swelling employee ranks by 40 people.

"Everyone made a plan on who we are trying to get, how many we are going to try to throw at it," Blaney said. "We have added lots of guys, and lots of good guys. It just strengthened our whole team [from] top to bottom."

Blaney knows that it is a stretch to expect to make the Chase in Toyota's inaugural year, but he thinks his penchant for finishing races -- he failed to finish just two last year -- can give the team a top-15 points finish.

"Can we jump 10-12 spots in the points? Yes, we can," Blaney contended. "We were 26th last year; can we get in there between 10th and 15th? Yeah, I think so. We have the personnel and the equipment to do it."