Dale Blaney was looking really tough at the season opener for the All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series season opener at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Florida on February 8th.  He would qualify fourth quick out of 34 drivers before transfering out of his heat race, winning the Dash, and starting on the pole for the feature.  At the drop of the green flag for the 30-lap A-Main Blaney would jump out to the lead on a very hard race track.  The fastest way around the track was the bottom which made it very hard for dealing with lapped traffic. 

However, Blaney would get through early lapped traffic with ease and face little challenge for the lead.  He showed the patience of a veteran driver as he worked through slower traffic and maintained his lead.  That was until lapped traffic got the best of him giving Donny Schatz the chance to pass Blaney for the lead.  Then Blaney got another bad break as a slowing Steve Kinser would nearly stop in front of him with a flat tire dropping him even further back in the pack.  Schatz would end up in victory lane with Blaney dropping back to a fourth place finish. 

Dale Blaney's #2 Sprint Car (Photo Source: Mike Campbell Photo)

This great on-board video with Dale Blaney gives us an idea of just how bad the track was for the feature.  The bottom was the only fast way around the track as the middle and high sides of the track were very slick.  The video also shows that even the best driver will have a tough time winning if luck isn’t on his side.