Bliss Mows the Competition with Top -15 at Talladega

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In: Xfinity Series News

To have a successful race at Talladega Superspeedway you must have one thing… luck! Driving ability and equipment are also key elements, but in order to survive 117 laps around the high-banked 2.66 tri-oval, you must have luck on your side.

Mike Bliss, driver of the No. 19 Toyota for TriStar Motorsports, bobbed and weaved numerous times during Saturday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Aarons 312, and whether it was rain drops or race cars, Bliss had his hands full.

Bliss, who revealed a new sponsor with Dixie Chopper, started from the 24th position and quickly broke into the top- 20 by lap seven. 

Bliss was being pushed by teammate Hal Martin, when he saw the No. 34 spin. In an evasive move, Bliss checked up, subsequently allowing his teammate to rear-end him.  With damage to his rear bumper, Bliss and Crew Chief Paul Clapprood discussed whether to stay out or bring the No. 19 Dixie Chopper Toyota to pit road. Ultimately, Clapprood called Bliss to the pits to take a look at the bumper and top their Camry off with fuel.

After restarting in the 15th position, Bliss found one of his TriStar Motorsports teammates, driver of the No. 14 Hefty Reynolds Toyota Eric McClure. Running in the 19th position, Bliss radioed “I think the 32 blew a right rear.” This observation was correct, and the caution flag came out.  This caution warranted Clapprood to call Bliss to pit road for four fresh Goodyear tires and a full tank of fuel.

Restarting in the 18th position on lap 39, Bliss rode the high-line for 31 laps, while remaining fairly quiet.

On lap 70, two cars collected each other near turn three.  Bliss had been running in the 20th position when he came over the radio to say, “I’m not sure if there’s something wrong with my headers, but it smells really ‘fumy’ in here.” With that said, Bliss came down pit road for four fresh tires and another full can of Sunoco race fuel.  As Bliss went to claim his place in line on the track, he and Clapprood decided to bring the Dixie Chopper Toyota back to pit road to clear the grill and pull a tear-off.

 

As the afternoon turned into night, Bliss’ spotter Toby Whealdon came over the radio and said, “Man, I’m going to need night-vision goggles to see you before long.” 

With 27 laps to go and darkness setting in, Bliss relinquished the 17th position to hit pit road for a fuel only stop under the event’s next caution flag.  Bliss restarted in the 14th position, but a few laps later the ‘big one’ happened, this claiming teammate McClure and leaving Bliss unscathed.  With nine laps to go, Bliss restarted 13th. 

At lap 105 another caution came out forcing NASCAR to shorten the event, with one chance at a green-white-checkered.  Staying out on the race track, Bliss restarted in the 14th position and had luck on his side as he avoided a last lap wreck to claim 14th, his third top- 15 of the year.

After the race Bliss said, “I really appreciate Dixie Chopper coming on board for this weekend’s race; I wish I could have finished better, at least in the top-10.  Ultimately, you have to look at a top-15 finish with a race car you can still push into the trailer, as a successful day.”

Bliss’ top-15 finish at Talladega helped propel him to 11th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver point’s standings, now only nine points out of the top-10.

TMI PR

Speedway Digest Staff
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