Driver Profile:

Dave Blaney, the 1995 World of Outlaws champion, first made the move to Nextel Cup racing after two successful seasons in the Busch Series.

Between his World of Outlaws title bids; dual victories in the King's Royal event at Eldora, Ohio; and his victory in 1997 in the prestigious Amoco Knoxville Nationals, Blaney also found time for a 1992 Cup start at Rockingham and six ARCA starts, his only experience in fendered cars prior to the 1998 season.

As with many other drivers, Blaney's hobbies center around racing. He owns a World of Outlaws team for which his brother, Dale, is the driver. He also owns a "Outlaw Driving Experience" driving school for sprint cars, which is based in Hartford, Ohio.

He and his family also own Sharon Speedway in Hartford.

Blaney's young son, Ryan, has a budding career in the junior midget ranks.

"It really is a chance to spend some quality time with him. Anymore, kids today do different things. They're into video games or whatever, a lot of stuff my wife and I aren't really into.

"This (racing) is something we can do together and if he enjoys it, that's great. I enjoy it if he does.

"If he's into it and wants to do it and have fun with it, that's great. So far that seems to be the case. He wasn't really pumped up about it, and bugging me all the time to go do it (race). But when we started he got into it and wanted to succeed, not just have fun."