By Paul Kelly
allstate400atthebrickyard.com
Thursday, July 31, 2003
Mike Bliss continued to focus on his chance to win the 2003 True Value IROC championship during testing July 30-31 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the season-ending IROC at Indy race Aug. 2.
2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bliss, who stepped up to the NASCAR Busch Series this season, is second in the series standings and one of three drivers eligible to win the title at the season finale at Indy. NASCAR Winston Cup Series star Kurt Busch leads with 57 points, with Bliss second at 49 and NASCAR Winston Cup star Mark Martin third at 48.
The IROC at Indy race is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. (EST) Saturday on the historic 2.5-mile oval. The True Value IROC series is racing's "all-star game," as 12 top drivers from various series compete in a four-race oval series in identically prepared stock cars.
Former USAC short-track standout Bliss won the third IROC round of the season, on July 12 at Chicagoland Speedway, to climb in contention for the title. While testing this week at Indy, he worked hard on car setup, knowing he faces a challenge due to starting 11th in the 12-car field. The series standings are inverted to create the starting lineup.
"I ran two different cars to get the feel of any subtle differences, and both cars were good," Bliss said. "They seem to take off pretty good and remained that way through the end of the tire run. They very different from the Winston Cup car I drove here at the Brickyard event. The IROC cars really turn good.
"The key here is going to be getting to the front as quick as possible."
World of Outlaws champions Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski continued to test July 30-31 for their first starts in the IROC at Indy, while IRL IndyCarTM Series standout Scott Sharp tested July 31. Sharp is substituting for the injured Felipe Giaffone in the race Saturday.
Tickets: Reserved-seat Race Day tickets for the Brickyard 400 remain available. Tickets for the IROC at Indy race also are available. Tickets and parking can be purchased on the World Wide Web via www.imstix.com or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at (800) 822-INDY or (317) 492-6700.
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