Bliss earns NCTS Bud Pole at Gateway

MADISON, Ill. - Mike Bliss, who rejoined the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2002 following a two-year absence, out-dueled Dennis Setzer to win the pole for Sunday's Dodge Ram Tough 200 race at Gateway International Raceway.

The pole, which Bliss captured at an average speed of 129.549 mph in his IWX Motor Freight/Knights Inn Chevrolet Silverado truck, was the Oregon native's first since May 16, 1999. Bliss's 15th career pole matched Mike Skinner for the No. 3 position all-time on the series.

Bliss was the eighth different driver to hold the provisional pole on a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon. Setzer, winner of the most recent event at Martinsville, Va., narrowly missed the top spot after driving his ACXIOM/Computer Associates Chevrolet around the 1.25-mile speedway at 129.470.

Ted Musgrave, the defending race winner, took the No. 3 spot in the 36-truck field in his Mopar Performanc Dodge at 129.403 mph. Rick Crawford's Circle Bar Racing Ford qualified fourth at 129.043 with Musgrave's teammate, Jason Leffler, fifth at 128.910 in the Team ASE Racing/Carquest Dodge.

Travis Kvapil, point leader Robert Pressley, Terry Cook, Jon Wood and Lance Hooper completed the top-10 qualifiers. Four among an entered field of 40 failed to make the starting lineup.

Bliss, released by A.J. Foyt in 2000 after failing to qualify for the Daytona 500, drove a partial season on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series but entered only a handful of open-wheel events last year. He rejoined the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Steve Coulter's Xpress Motorsports team for a single race in late 2001 and fulltime this year.

"I took a vacation from racing but it wasn't my choice," said Bliss, who enters the fourth race of the season ranked fifth in points following top-five finishes at Darlington and Martinsville speedways. "We've got all the tools we need to be competitive."

Bliss, a seven-time winner on the series, last visited victory circle in August 1999 at Heartland Park while driving a Ford for Roush Racing.