CRA: Jeff Bland Jr to run for RoY

16-Year-Old Jeff Bland Jr. To Compete For Rookie Honors With The CRA Super Series

Salem, IN (March 27, 2005) -- Bland Racing has announced that they will compete with the CRA Super Series in 2005 and run for Rookie Of The Year Honors with 16-year-old driver Jeff Bland Jr. Bland, the son of team owner Jeff Bland, has been racing since he was 4 years old. The Bloomington, Indiana native and sophomore at Bloomington South High School, started out his Motorsports participation by drag racing in a Jr. Dragster.

At age 10 Bland Jr. decided he wanted to go oval racing in a go-kart. Bland raced in a go-kart for three years winning 75 features and 5 Championships along the way, running on both asphalt and dirt tracks. Bland stepped up to run a full-blown Dirt Modified at age 14, winning rookie of the year honors at Bloomington Speedway and Brownstown Speedway in Central Indiana dirt tracks. Last year at age 15 Bland won seven events in his Dirt Modified while running at several tracks through out the region, finishing fifth in state Modified points.

Towards the end of last season the Bland's contacted Ken Muller at Muller Motorsports about testing one of their CRA Super Series late models at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Bland had a great test and showed no fear running the high horse powered car around the .675-mile oval. After attending the season ending CRA Super Series event at Salem Speedway last October, the decision was made to move to asphalt in 2005 with the CRA Super Series. The team has the help of veteran Crew Chief and racer Tim Neal as a consultant to help get acclimated to the CRA Super Series and racing on asphalt.

Bland Jr. will compete in a Lefthander Chassis with a Hutter motor they purchased over the winter from Dan Terrell, former car owner for Doug Grieg's efforts with the CAR Super Series in 2003. Bland's Ford Taurus will have sponsorship from United Auto Sales, B & B Auto Broker's, Wolf Auto Auction, Doctor Luke Eades, Quality Ceramic Tile and Belcher Motors. More information is available at www.jeffblandjr.com.

-cra-