(Photo by DB3 Imaging)
Inside Line Promotions – KNOXVILLE, Iowa (Aug. 10, 2016) – Dale Blaney is tuned up heading into the 56th annual 5-Hour ENERGY Knoxville Nationals this Wednesday through Saturday at Knoxville Raceway.
Blaney and the Mainstream Holdings, Inc., sponsored CH Motorsports team competed at the half-mile oval three nights last weekend during the 26th annual Arnold Motor Supply 360 Knoxville Nationals and the Capitani Classic.
“It was really good to get laps in that 360,” he said. “I felt like we ran really good on Friday night.”
Blaney kicked off his preliminary night by qualifying 14th quickest. He then won a heat race after starting fourth and raced most of the main event in a podium position before settling for a fifth-place result.
“We qualified really good for when we went out and ran good in the heat,” he said. “We ran good in the main until the last seven or eight laps. The engine had run really warm until that point and it didn’t take off on a restart. Overall I was pleased. We put ourselves in good shape for Saturday.”
Blaney ranked 13th in overall points to lock into Saturday’s feature, which he started on the outside of the sixth row.
“It was a really good field of cars,” he said. “I felt like we had an opportunity, if we were good, to get to the top five. It just didn’t really feel like we had any speed from the get-go. It felt like the motor wasn’t running as good as it did Friday night. It wasn’t too bad a night. The most important thing was we made laps.”
Blaney competed for a top 10 throughout the feature before ending 11th.
The team swapped engines for Sunday’s Capitani Classic, which was the final tune-up at Knoxville Raceway before this week’s Knoxville Nationals. Blaney timed in second quickest in his group before placing fifth in a heat race to miss locking into the main event by two spots.
“I was happy with the way we time trialed,” he said. “The motor took off really good. (Randy) Hannagan was in front of me in the heat and he didn’t really take off. It was tough for me to get really, really aggressive since it’s our Knoxville Nationals car and Knoxville Nationals motor.”
Blaney then placed second in a B Main to transfer into the back of the main event. He charged from 22nd to a 12th-place result in the feature.
“We took off good in the B Main and made our way up through there in the A Main,” he said. “We learned some things that will hopefully apply to the Nationals. The Nationals is a crapshoot on where you draw and who’s in your heat race. You have to run really good every time you can go out. If we can get a couple of breaks, I feel like we’ll be all right.”
Blaney drove into the Knoxville Nationals A Main last year for the 10th time in his career. His best finish is an eighth-place result in 2009.
QUICK RESULTS –
Aug. 5 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 14; Heat race: 1 (4); Feature: 5 (2).
Aug. 6 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Feature: 11 (12).
Aug. 7 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 5 (4); B Main: 2 (2); Feature: 12 (22).
SEASON STATS –
49 races, 7 wins, 25 top fives, 38 top 10s, 42 top 15s, 44 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Wednesday through Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, for the 56th annual 5-Hour ENERGY Knoxville Nationals
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Website: http://www.BigGameTreestands.com
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/BigGameMotorspt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Game-Treestands/251832101535076?fref=ts
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INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.