Notebook: Blaney gets Cup ride with Tommy Baldwin Racing

Notebook: Blaney gets Cup ride with Tommy Baldwin Racing


Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

Dave Blaney will drive for Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2011, team owner Tommy Baldwin announced Monday.
The organization has funding for 16 Sprint Cup Series events and continues to look for more sponsorship. It will attempt to qualify for all 36 races with Blaney.
“Our plan is in place to compete in 16 events with or without sponsorship,” Baldwin said. “We would definitely love to bring a sponsor on board to support our team in those 16 races and more.”
Last year Blaney drove in 17 races for Prism Motorsports, six for Front Row Motorsports and six for TBR. His best finish with TBR was a 30th at Richmond.
Baldwin’s No. 36 car qualified for 26 of the 36 races and finished 40th in the owner points.
Baldwin, who was Blaney’s crew chief for two years at Bill Davis Racing, will be the crew chief for the team.

Rusty Wallace wants to get son Steve in Daytona 500
Rusty Wallace is working on putting a Daytona 500 ride together for his son, Steve, but does not have the deal completed, according to Greg Wallace, Rusty’s oldest son.
If the deal gets done, Wallace, 23, possibly could get the owner points of the Penske Racing No. 77 car from 2010, which would lock him in the field for his Cup debut.
“In the past, Rusty has expressed a well-known interest in having Steve compete in this year’s Daytona 500, either with RWR or an established Cup team,” said Greg, who is vice president of Rusty Wallace Racing. “Various opportunities have arisen for that to happen, but as of now, nothing has been completed.”
Wallace finished 10th in the Nationwide Series standings last season, his fourth full season in the series. He has four top-five finishes in 157 career starts. He had finishes of 10th and 15th last year at Daytona.

McDowell picks up Nationwide races with JGR
Michael McDowell will drive select Nationwide Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2011, including the two Iowa Speedway events in the No. 18 car.
Additional races could be added to McDowell’s schedule.
“Anytime you have the opportunity to work with someone with the talent and character of Michael you are excited,” JGR president J.D. Gibbs said.
McDowell, 26, has started 72 Nationwide and 52 Cup races in his career.
JGR will field three cars in the Nationwide Series in 2011. The No. 11 car will be driven full time by Brian Scott, Kyle Busch will run the majority of the races in the No. 18 and Joey Logano the majority in the No. 20. Denny Hamlin is expected to compete in select events as well, as will Matt DiBenedetto and Brad Coleman.
McDowell has not announced any other NASCAR plans for 2011. He will drive in the Rolex 24 At Daytona as a teammate to AJ Allmendinger at Michael Shank Racing.