Florida Lottery Secretary Cynthia O’Connell with Dave Blaney on pit road before the Daytona 500.
Mooresville, NC (February 25, 2013) – Dave Blaney and the No. 7 Florida Lottery Chevrolet SS team will return from Daytona International Speedway feeling like a winner after a 17th-place finish in the Great American Race.
Veteran crew chief and team owner Tommy Baldwin, Jr. was back on top of the pit box as Sunday’s race marked the first in which he would be the crew chief on the No. 7. Together with Blaney, the two hit their strides to develop a strategy to be in contention when the checkered flag flew.
Blaney fought a loose condition after taking fuel only during the third caution of the day, but neither Baldwin nor Blaney called for any adjustments throughout the race. He was happiest with his car after four-tire stops, in which he would be quiet over the radio. As the laps wound down and the action on the track built up, he chose to ride around on the bottom lane to avoid any incidents. In the end, the strategy worked, and he brought the No. 7 home in 17th.
“The Florida Lottery Chevrolet SS was really fast in the draft today,” said Blaney. “Any time you can leave here with a top-20 finish and a racecar in one piece, it’s a pretty good feeling.”
About the Florida Lottery
The Florida Lottery reinvests nearly 98 percent of its revenue into the state’s economy through prize payouts, contributions to education, and money paid to Florida retailers. In 2011, playing Florida Lottery games made 79 people millionaires. Since its beginning in 1988, the Florida Lottery has transferred billions of dollars to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, investing in Florida’s future leaders through school construction, K-12 classroom support and more than 600,000 Bright Futures scholarships. The games of the Florida Lottery are designed to fuel excitement while funding tomorrow. For more information, visit www.flalottery.com.
About Tommy Baldwin Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin formed Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) in 2009. Baldwin utilized a declining economy to open a NSCS team with a stringent budget. The team worked to build to full-time competition, and by the 2011 season, the team’s third season, TBR competed in every race and locked the No. 36 Chevrolet in the top-35 in NSCS Owner Points. Dave Blaney drove the No. 36 Chevrolet to TBR’s highest finish of third in the October 2011 event at Talladega Superspeedway. In 2012 both cars fielded by TBR finished in the top-35 in points.
Based in Mooresville, N.C., TBR will compete in the NSCS in 2013 with NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney driving the No. 7 Chevy SS and JJ Yeley piloting the No. 36.
