Blaney to back up Edwards for conflicts

For now, Edwards scheduled to run all Cup, Truck races

LOUDON, N.H. -- Thursday afternoon, Roush Racing announced Dave Blaney would drive its No. 99 Ford in three Nextel Cup races later this year, subbing for regular driver Carl Edwards, who had conflicts with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races.

Dave Blaney

Twenty minutes later, Roush Racing retracted that statement.

Friday at New Hampshire International Speedway, Roush president Geoff Smith clarified the matter, saying Blaney would be Edwards' backup for the Cup races at Dover, Talladega and Charlotte.

"I just confused it a little bit," Smith said.

"We needed to line up a backup driver, and that's what we did with Dave Blaney," Smith said. "He agreed to be the backup driver. I thought we had already made the decision -- the guys on the race team that were working on logistics -- it was impossible for Carl to race."

Well, no.

One of the Cup/truck weekends will be tough on Edwards. The Texas truck race is schedule to start at 1 p.m. on Oct. 15, with the Nextel Cup race scheduled at 7 p.m. that night in Lowe's Motor Speedway.

The other two - next weekend: Cup in Dover and trucks in Las Vegas and Oct. 2-3: Cup in Talladega and trucks in California - are feasible. "We're still sorting through logistics," Smith said. "Charlotte's the most difficult one to get to at race time. The other two are more likely that Carl can make them, subject to weather and transportation issues."

The decision to hire Blaney as a backup had nothing to do with Edwards' rookie status in 2005, Smith said. Edwards has driven in four Nextel Cup races this year, and with 10 more on his schedule, he'll be over the maximum of seven NASCAR allows rookies to compete in before their rookie year.

"We weren't talking to Dave Blaney on account of the rookie of the year award," Smith said. "It was on account of simple logistics. We want to organize it to get as many laps for Carl as we can this year."

NASCAR has said discussions are underway for the Raybestos Rookie program to be altered for next season to include both Edwards and Bobby Hamilton Jr., who also is over the maximum number of races for a pre-rookie.

Blaney has been a busy man this year, first driving for Bill Davis Racing and then taking over Richard Childress Racing's No. 30 Chevrolet. Blaney was hired recently by Joe Gibbs Racing as a coach to young drivers J.J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin, but that doesn't include any driving.

Edwards, meanwhile, has opened some eyes with his performance in the No. 99 Ford since Jeff Burton's departure. He's finished sixth twice and 10th once in four races.

"If I didn't say I was pleased, I'd be accused of being the greediest man on the face of the earth," Smith said. "Three top-10s in first four starts. He is showing everybody what we've seen in him in the Truck Series right from the very first moment."