Camping World Review
Mike Bliss, No. 22 Supercuts Dodge
Posted: Tuesday, February 19th
Mike Bliss had a strategy for the first NASCAR Nationwide race of the season at the Daytona International Speedway. He drove conservative for the first half of the race, avoiding the pile-ups and keeping the car in one piece. Then as it came closer to the green, he picked up the pace, jumped in the draft, and ran the car as far up as the tenth position. He successfully brought the Supecuts Dodge across the finish line in 17th place, and earned 112 points towards a championship title.
The Fitz Motorsports team had two successful practice sessions in the days leading up to the race. Bliss was seventh fastest in the first session and 12th fastest in Happy Hour. These times were good predictors of the No. 22’s race performance. According to NASCAR’s post-race loop data statistics, Bliss was a top-15 driver in almost all of the categories, and had the fourth fastest car on the backstretch runs.
The night before the Camping World 300, Mike Bliss competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event. He raced his way up to the top-5 and was running third when he got caught up in an accident. We asked Mike if that race would have an effect on him during the Camping World 300:
"The truck race was a much different situation, so it is hard to compare the two. There will be better drivers in the NNS race today, and my main goal will be to make a solid finish to get us some points on the board," driver Mike Bliss stated.
It’s safe to say that Bliss achieved that goal in the Supercuts Dodge, with the help of some mid-race adjustments from the crew. The scorching heat was a big factor in the performance of the tires, but Bliss was able to maintain control of the car and carry out his plan. After starting from the 34th position, Bliss worked his way up to tenth place. On the last lap, he fought to hold on to that top-ten position, but was in the wrong lane for the draft and finished in 17th place.
"We definitely had a top-ten or fifteen car today, but in the end it came down to the draft and what lane you happened to be in. We should have finished higher but overall I am content with our finish and just really looking forward to the next few races," Bliss stated after the race.
The Supercuts Dodge will be back in action next week for the Stater Bros. 300 at the California Speedway.
For more information contact:
Sarah Tatum, Fitz Motorsports:
pr.fitzmotorsports@yahoo.com
704-799-3500
Fitz/Supercuts Media PDF
