Blaney Preps For First Race With Motter
Story By:Motter Motorsports Media Photos By:Dave Dalesandro/Racersguide.com
BARBERVILLE, Fla. – National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Dave Blaney will debut in Motter Motorsports’ No. 71M on Wednesday in the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions event at Volusia Speedway Park.
The race marks the first of five consecutive days of racing for the team: two days of All Star racing followed by the three-day kickoff of the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car season.
Blaney, who has had a storied career on dirt tracks from 1983 to ’97, moved to NASCAR, competing in Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series racing from 1998-2014.
He began a return to sprint cars in 2013, racing a very limited schedule, adding a few more races each year.
Car owner Dan Motter and Blaney have collaborated to create a 56-event schedule comprised of a hand-picked compilation of World of Outlaw and All Star races.
“This is still a part-time schedule,” explained Blaney, “but it’s considerably more than I’ve raced the last three years. We’re going to be running J&J chassis and Speedway Engines which Dan has had so much success with.
“Dan and I have known each other a long, long time and I’m excited to be back. We think we can be competitive and we’ll have some fun racing together. My brother Dale has been racing better than ever out on the sprint car circuit. We both want to see each other do well and he will be a good sounding board for me when it comes to sharing information about these tracks that I haven’t raced on for a few years. Physically, we’ve raced enough recently that I think my body can absorb the abuse from racing hard.”
Motter said the team’s focus is on winning.
“This is not a hobby, it’s a business,” he added. “Since we aren’t campaigning for a series title, there won’t be pressure from a point system perspective. But each time we unload, we intend to put every effort forth to win. The look, decorum and attitudes of every member of this team will be professional. This could make a difference in our future.
“We are confident we will compete at a high level. Dave has done a lot of experimenting the past three years and he is at the race shop at 8 a.m. every morning, working all day. He is hands-on and he’s got a pretty good handle on what he wants in a race car. We have good engines. The car looks good. Both of us expect to run out front.”
