Dave Blaney drove the Whalen car in three Nextel Cup events last season. Credit: Autostock

Blaney to drive No. 31 in limited Busch schedule

RCR to provide engines and technical support in 10-race deal

CHESTER, Conn. -- Whelen Engineering Company again will sponsor Marsh Racing's No. 31 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for 10 Busch Series events in 2005 with veteran driver Dave Blaney.

Blaney's first Busch Series race is March 12 at Las Vegas. He also will race both Busch events at Richmond, along with stops at Charlotte on Memorial Day Weekend and at Dover the following week.

Dave Blaney Credit: Autostock

In July, Blaney will compete at Chicago and New Hampshire, with his final three Busch races coming at Kansas, Texas and Homestead.

Blaney drove the No. 23 Whelen car in last year's Budweiser Shootout, Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 for Bill Davis Racing. Blaney also drove the No. 31 Marsh Racing entry last spring in Busch races at Las Vegas, Texas and Richmond.

"I'm really looking forward to working with Ted Marsh and everyone at Marsh Racing again," said Blaney, who will drive the full Nextel Cup schedule for Richard Childress Racing in the No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet.

"Phillipe (Lopez, crew chief for the No. 07 team) will be helping out with the Busch car like he did for the Cup races with Whelen last year. Whelen Engineering is a class organization so I'm very happy to be representing them again in the Busch Series."

For more than 50 years, Whelen and its 800 fulltime employees have provided innovative emergency lighting and siren products in the automotive, aviation, industrial, emergency management and traffic management markets. Whelen is also a household name to race fans across America.

Whelen is the title sponsor of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the Official Licensed Warning Lights of NASCAR. The company also provides emergency lights for safety vehicles, tracks and pace cars for ASA, ARCA, IRL, CART, IROC, SCCA, and The World of Outlaws.

"It's an exciting opportunity for Whelen to team up again with Dave Blaney, Marsh Racing and for the first time with Richard Childress Racing," said Phil Kurze, Director of Motorsports for Whelen Engineering. "Both Dave and RCR are proven champions and we see this 10-race schedule with them as a chance to take the program to the next level."