Only in NASCAR: Blaney to start & park at Phoenix

UPDATE NASCAR VP of Competition Robin Pemberton said he was "taken back by the statement,'' Tommy Baldwin Racing made Saturday night announcing that the team would start and park in today's race and described the announcement as "poor timing.'' While the issue of pulling a car in after a few laps is nothing new in the sport, the concept of a team announcing it ahead of time is. That's why series officials were surprised at the press release Baldwin's team issued Saturday night. The team noted that because it had to go to a backup car after Dave Blaney crashed in practice Friday and would start and park in today's race and plan to run the full distance at Las Vegas. Originally, the team planned to run Phoenix and start and park at Las Vegas. "I can't speak for Tommy and why he did it, but I just thought that it totally took us by surprise,'' Pemberton said before Sunday's race. "We know that if anybody tries to run all the races it's Tommy Baldwin. When he can he does. Quite honestly, just taken back by it, and I thought it was just poor timing on his part and that's all I've got to say about it." Virginian-Pilot

02/27/11 Following a practice incident, Tommy Baldwin Racing decided to change plans and run the complete race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and start-and-park the race at Phoenix. Dave Blaney will pilot the #36 Accell Construction Chevy for the first few laps of the Subway Fresh Fit 500 this weekend and look to race all 400 miles of the Kobalt Tools 400 next weekend. A spin in the second practice at PIR caused severe damage to the frontend of the No. 36 Accell Construction Chevrolet and forced the team to unload the backup car. With two races in the West, the #36 backup car is also the team's primary car for the race at LVMS. Due to the setup, the team decided the #36 Accell Construction Chevy would have a better chance to finish well with this car at LVMS than PIR. After consulting the sponsor, Accell Construction, TBR decided to change plans and run the complete race at LVMS rather than PIR. TBR