Sharpie Mini 300 - Mike Bliss Notes

Mike Bliss to Drive Two Consecutive NASCAR Busch Series Races for Fitz Motorsports

Mooresville, NC (March 20, 2007) – Fitz Motorsports announced they are excited to team up with driver Mike Bliss behind the wheel of the No. 22 Family Dollar/Supercuts Dodge in the NASCAR Busch Series for back-to-back races in the Volunteer State.

Bliss, the 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion and current NEXTEL Cup Series driver of the No. 49 BAM Racing Dodge, will take the wheel starting this weekend at the short-track bullpen known as Bristol Motor Speedway in the mountains of East Tennessee before heading off to Nashville in a few weeks to try and tame the tricky concrete superspeedway!

Armando Fitz, owner of Fitz Motorsports said, “We’re thrilled to have a driver of Mike’s caliber behind the wheel of our No. 22 Family Dollar/Supercuts Dodge for a few races this year. He’s a proven champion and known for his gutsy driving to get his team a win, so you want that type of driver at a place like Bristol. He’ll do a great job for this team.”

Bliss began his career at the tender age of 10 when he participated in midget car racing and steadily and successfully moved to super modifieds, sprint cars, stock cars and finally into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Championships were earned by Bliss all along his career path, starting with the USAC Silver Crown National Championship in 1993. Another busy year for the driver came in 1995 as he won seven USAC Sprint Car races, three USAC Midget races, a Silver Crown race and to top things off he was winning in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and finishing up his season as one of the top-ten drivers on that circuit.

Fast forward to 2002 as Bliss took control of the Truck Series with five wins, thirteen top-fives, eighteen top-tens and taking home the coveted NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship trophy.

In 2003, Bliss split his time between the NASCAR Busch Series and with Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, capturing a top-ten in driver points in both. The next year Bliss returned to Joe Gibbs Racing in the Truck Series and wrapped up the season as one of the top-five drivers in the nation.

Even though Bliss debuted in the NEXTEL Cup Series in 1998, his first full season began in 2005, finishing out the year with an impressive record of two top-tens, nine top-fifteens and sixteen top-twenties.

Known for his competitive streak and versatility Bliss intends to build an equally impressive NEXTEL Cup Series record as he leads the No. 49 BAM Racing Dodge to the green flag in 2007. And hopefully leading the NASCAR Busch Series No. 22 Family Dollar/Supercuts Dodge up the Victory Lane ramp on Saturday.

Bliss stated, “Who doesn’t love racing at Bristol? I’m excited to compete in my first NASCAR Busch Series race of the year in Bristol. I look forward to working with everyone at Fitz Motorsports and driving the Family Dollar/Supercuts Dodge. It’ll be a fun afternoon.”

The sporty red paint with black and white trim will adorn the Family Dollar/Supercuts Dodge this week and come complete with one of the few in-car cameras provided by ABC-TV to give the fans a more up-close view of the action-packed afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway.

RACE NOTES:
Driver: Mike Bliss
Owner: Armando Fitz, Fitz Motorsports
Crew Chief: Paul Wolfe
Car: No. 22 Dodge
Sponsors: Family Dollar and Supercuts
Event: Sharpie MINI 300
Venue: Bristol Motor Speedway
Race: #6 of 35
Length: 300 laps/159.9 miles
Race Time: 3:00 PM/ET, Saturday, March 24, 2007
TV: ABC - coverage begins at 2:30 PM/ET (In-Car Camera)
Radio: PRN

Mike Bliss Statistics in the NASCAR Busch Series:
From 1998-2006 - 84 races, 1 win, 14 top 5s, 29 top-10s, 3 poles and earnings amassing over $2.5 million dollars. At Bristol he has only 5 starts and earned 1 top-5 and 1 top-10.