2011 Year In Review: Dave Blaney's Penalties

Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR

Although Dave Blaney only had one top five and one top 10 finish during the 2011 Sprint Cup campaign, the season would have to be considered a success for he and his Tommy Baldwin Racing team. Before the start of the season, it appeared as though Blaney and his team would go through 2011 on a race-to-race basis without major sponsor backing. Despite not finishing the Daytona 500, Blaney had an impressive run leading three laps. The 36 team struggled in the early going but things turned around in the eighth race of the season at Talladega. Blaney led an astonishing 21 laps on the day and despite a 27th place finish, the small team's effort was enough to impress the folks at Golden Corral who put their name on the side of Blaney's Chevrolet for most of the duration of the 2011 season. Not surprisingly, Blaney's best finish of the year came at the second Talladega race in October where he finished third.

In spite of the success for Blaney and his team in 2011, they finished the year with the most penalties over every other driver/team combination that attempted all 36 Sprint Cup races and was not a start-and-park effort. Most of Blaney's penalties came as a result of having to pit early due to getting involved in incidents on track that required him to pit early. Blaney himself made seven errors this year while his pit crew made four. Even so, it was an impressive effort for an underfunded team to come through the season with only three penalties.

2011 Statistics For Dave Blaney

32nd in Sprint Cup points standings

35 starts

1 top 5

1 top 10

Best Finish: Third in the Good Sam Club 500

28 laps led

2011 Penalty Report For Dave Blaney

Race 4 - Pre-Race to the rear, Tail of Field, Engine
Race 5 - Pre-Race to the rear, tail end
Race 6 - Pitting before pit road is open, Tail of Field; Intentionally causing a caution, Held 2 laps; Pitting before pit road is open, Tail of Field
Race 10 - Removing equipment from assigned pit area, Tail of Field
Race 12 - Pitting before pit road is open Tail of Field; Pitting before pit road is open Tail of Field; Pitting before pit road is open Tail of Field; Pitting before pit road is open Tail of Field
Race 15 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 18 - Pre-Race to the rear, Tail of Field, Transmission; Lug nut(s) not installed, Must Come In
Race 20 - Speed-Exiting pits, tail end
Race 21 - Speed-Exiting pits, pass thru 43; Speed-Exiting pits, stop and go
Race 23 - Outside half of the pit box tire violation/Team member not in contact with the outside tires, Pass Thru; Pitting before pit road is open, Tail of Field
Race 24 - Speed-Exiting pits, tail end
Race 27 - Pitting out of order, Tail of Field
Race 28 - Removing equipment from assigned pit area, stop and go
Race 31 - Pitting before pit road is open, Garage
Race 33 - Pitting before pit road is open, Tail of Field
Race 36 - Running the stop and go sign/light, 1 lap