It has been a while since Bill Davis has been able to enjoy success as an owner in the Nextel Cup Series, so pardon him if he wishes to savor the past two weeks just a little longer.

Although the consecutive top-10 finishes by driver Dave Blaney have been overshadowed by the start of this season’s Chase for the Nextel Cup, their significance has not been lost on Davis, who has fielded cars in NASCAR’s biggest series since 1993.

“I really think we have done Dave Blaney a disservice. He is much better race car driver than we’ve shown the first three-quarters of the season,” said Davis, who has five Cup wins as an owner, all coming with the team’s former driver, Ward Burton.

“I think these last two weeks is indicative of how we should have been running all year long.”

Through the season’s first 25 races, Blaney’s best finish in Bill Davis Racing’s No. 22 Dodge was 13th at the first New Hampshire race.

He broke into the top five for the first time this year two weeks ago at Richmond, Va., when he finished fourth. Then, using the same car, he followed that with a ninth-place run last weekend at the season’s second race at New Hampshire.

Dave Blaney, who drives the No. 22 Caterpillar car for Bill Davis Racing, has had finishes of fourth and ninth place in the last two Nextel Cup races.

“I like being in really competitive race cars. I really like the team we have put together right now from top to bottom,” said Blaney, 43. “The more confidence we get built in everybody the better, from the driver on down.

“Confidence is huge. My pit crew has been working great together. The cars are getting more competitive. We have really good people in place and we should be running good in my opinion.”

The newfound confidence arrives just in the nick of time as BDR prepares to enter the 2007 season as one of three teams fielding Toyota entries.

The struggles of BDR’s Cup program were well documented, and BDR’s two planned Toyota entries next season hardly brought a buzz during NASCAR’s “silly season” – the unofficial term to describe the period when new drivers are courted or swap rides.

Eventually, BDR announced Blaney was going to remain in its No. 22 and in late summer the organization added Jeremy Mayfield to its lineup for 2007 with large fanfare.

Dave Blaney, left, works with a member of his crew during a testing session in February. Blaney believes his recent top-10 finishes have boosted morale at the Bill Davis Racing shop.

Although BDR has had great success with its Toyota Truck teams – BDR driver Johnny Benson is tied with Mark Martin with the most wins (four) in the series this season – its Cup program has had a far more difficult time developing consistent success.

Davis is counting on Toyota’s help to jumpstart his Cup program in much the same way his Truck teams have progressed. To assist in the development, Davis brought back former crew chief Tommy Baldwin as competition director this season.

“We’ve got a lot of confidence going into next season. This sport is all about people and having the right motivation and the right direction and that’s what Tommy brings to the table,” Davis said.

“He’s a great motivator. He’s got the shop clicking like it’s supposed to be. Things are getting done right and on time and that’s what it takes to be successful.”

Two top-10 finishes does not translate to an invitation to the Chase, but for Davis and the rest of his organization, the performance by Blaney the past two weeks has added a spark to an otherwise lackluster season.

“Things go in cycles. Ward Burton had some great years in Bill’s cars. We’ll get back to that point and with Toyota’s help, that’s going to be huge,” Blaney said. “You have to get the right people in place and then keep them there.

“I’m getting the feeling we are gaining on things at the race shop, and for all the guys at the shop, it’s huge. They know they can build cars that can run up front in these races and it’s just a question of putting all the pieces together once you get to the track. It’s a big morale booster.”

Davis hopes Mayfield has also been paying attention.

“It was a big decision for Jeremy. He probably could have gone to more established places,” Davis said. “I guess we’ve been around as long as anybody but it’s been a while since we’ve had success and we certainly plan on having more of it in the future.”