Bliss extends points lead with Nashville victory

LEBANON, Tenn. -- Saturday's Federated Auto Parts 200 Craftsman Truck Series event provided a Blissful outcome.

	Mike Bliss kept the Craftsman Truck Series lead with his win at Nashville.

Mike Bliss blew by Ted Musgrave on a restart with 10 laps to go Saturday night at Nashville Superspeedway, then fended off a furious charge from Rick Crawford and Musgrave on a green-white-checker restart to win the Federated Auto Parts 200.

Musgrave appeared untouchable for much of Saturday's event, having lapped all but eight trucks before making a scheduled pit stop with 25 laps remaining. Crawford, running second, followed suit. That shuffled Bliss into the lead.

Moments later, Jason Leffler hit the Turn 1 wall to bring out the caution. Bliss pitted for four tires and fuel, cycling Musgrave - who had only taken two tires and a splash of fuel during his stop -- back into the lead.

However, on the restart, Coy Gibbs cut a tire just ahead of Musgrave, forcing Musgrave to slam the brakes. Subsequently, Bliss and Crawford were able to slip past.

Once out front on new tires, Bliss was untouchable.

"He turned to the right and ran me up high into the (marbles)," said a dejected Musgrave, who led the most laps Saturday. "At that time, I didn't want to spin it out, so I really had to brake hard. I don't think he did it intentionally. But twice, that's twice. I might just have to talk to him."

Bliss might hug him. The win marks Bliss' fourth of the season, tying him with Terry Cook atop the series victory chart. Together, Bliss and Cook have won eight of the season's 15 events. Moreover, Bliss added to his points lead and, by winning from the Bud Pole, takes home an extra $10,000 bonus from Craftsman.

That's all well and good. But for Bliss, it was all about the guitar.

"I really wanted that guitar, bad," said Bliss of the custom guitar Nashville Superspeedway awards its winners. "I've been chasing that thing since 1995.

FEDERATED AUTO PARTS 200 • Results • Standings • Mishaps cost Musgrave

"We weren't real good at the start -- tight, loose, didn't know what to do," Bliss said. "We put four tires and half a tank of fuel in it, and the truck really liked that. The guys up front only took two (tires). I knew four tires would out run them."

Crawford, who finished a season-high second and was one of just five competitors that finished on the lead lap, direly wanted the guitar, too.

"Man I wanted that thing," he said. "But I'm not ready to retire, so I'll be back after it next year. I'm just thinking a little bit here, what you could have done to win. I wanted to win really bad. Bliss is tough. He drove a good race tonight."

He's driven well throughout the 2002 campaign, and is on the fast track to his first career championship. On Saturday, he stretched his points lead on Cook from five to 34, giving the No. 16 Chevrolet team added momentum as the series takes the next three weeks off.

"This is real good for us, we can spin off of this for a couple weeks," said Bliss. "The points will knot you up if you keep thinking about it."