Blaney crew chief Hamlin released
FOXSports.com
DOVER, Del. - Bill Davis Racing released veteran crew chief Kevin Hamlin on Saturday.
Hamlin, 47, oversaw the No. 22 Caterpillar Dodge with driver Dave Blaney for the last two seasons. Of all the Toyota teams, Blaney has qualified for the most races in 2007, but on Friday he missed his second race of the season. Blaney is 36th in points and had to make the race on time.
"With the competition as strong as it is, we just didn't feel like we were moving forward," said BDR's competition director Tommy Baldwin. "We had to do something, had to find that spark that would get the 22 moving in the right direction. We need to get both cars up to speed and we'll keep digging until we get there."
Baldwin, who was interim crew chief on the No. 36 BDR Camry before David Hyder came on board this weekend, will fill the same role on the No. 22 until a replacement can be found. Baldwin also hired Mike Cooper as the car chief on the No. 36 to work under Hyder. Cooper worked at Robert Yates Racing and Ginn Racing before joining BDR.
Hamlin began his crew chief career with Jimmy Spencer in 1991, but enjoyed his greatest success with the late Dale Earnhardt. The pair won their first of five races together at the 1999 Talladega spring race and posted 23 top fives and 54 top 10s in two-and-a-half seasons before Earnhardt's death.
The 22 car has been one of the better Toyota's this year ???