Bliss to stand by for injured Sprague

FONTANA, Calif. -- A pair of former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champions shared seat time Thursday at California Speedway as a tripleheader weekend opened at the two-mile oval.

Jack Sprague

A day after he fractured his left heel when he slipped on a frozen roof while cleaning gutters at his home near Charlotte, N.C., three-time Truck Series champion Jack Sprague turned six laps of practice at California in his No. 16 Silverado.

Mike Bliss, the 2002 series champion, practiced the Xpress Motorsports Chevrolet the entire first practice session and will probably qualify the truck in Bud Pole Qualifying Friday afternoon.

Sprague ran his laps at the opening of the second practice and ended up 10th on the time sheet that was led by David Reutimann at 177.253 mph. David Starr was fastest in the first practice at 175.721 mph.

"I felt good in the truck," Sprague said. "The guys helped me get my foot comfortable."

"It drove really well -- about the best I have ever had a truck at California Speedway. We'll continue with our plan to have him qualify and I will start the race at the back of the field and see how far we can go."

Mike Bliss

I will get out if it is the best thing for the team to do because as long as we don't lose a lap on the driver change, Bliss can take the truck to the front and bring home a strong finish."

Bliss had not driven a truck since the end of his championship season.

"I don't think Jack will get out of it, personally -- the truck is that good," Bliss said. "It ran just as fast at the end of a tire run as it did at the beginning -- so that is pretty good.

"The plan is still for me to qualify tomorrow but Jack was pretty pumped up when he got out today so we'll see how he feels tomorrow morning."