Blaney/Ultra team up for Dover.

Dave Blaney will shift his NASCAR Nextel Cup focus to Jim Smith's No.7 Ultra Motorsports squad this weekend at the Dover International Speedway as the pairing attempt their second race of the season together.

Smith's No.7 team, like the No.23 Bill Davis Racing outfit for which Blaney drives for in selected races, has been forced to scale back its operation after being a full-time team with Jimmy Spencer in 2003. The team will attempt to qualify for its fourth race of the season at this Sunday's MBNA America 400.

However, unlike the No.23 Dodge, which has shown a good deal of speed on its occasional outings this year, the No.7 Dodge squad have been mired in a slump on their selected appearances so far this year. That slump reached its nadir last weekend when Steve Park failed to qualify for the Coca Cola 600 in the unsponsored machine.

Blaney, who guided the No.23 Dodge to its fourth top 20 finish in five starts this year in last Sunday's Coca Cola 600, has already entered one event this year with the No.7 team, qualifying 24th at Richmond before retiring with a bad vibration and incurable handling problems after 123 of 400 laps.

The No.7 team finished 24th in the season-opening Daytona 500 with Spencer at the wheel and sponsorship from Jonny Cat and Oil-Dri before going into hibernation until Blaney's outing for them at Richmond in early May. They skipped the non-points Nextel Open before lining up former DEI driver Steve Park for an attempt at NASCAR's longest race of the year.

Sadly Park's weekend never got beyond Thursday evening after failing to find enough speed to put him inside the fastest 38 qualifiers and the team recorded a DNQ.

Blaney, who recently parted company with part-time Busch Series team Marsh Racing to focus on securing a full-time Nextel Cup ride, looks set to have his work cut out for his around the fearsome 'Monster Mile' this weekend.