HORNADAY WINS RACE; BLISS BAGS CHAMPIONSHIP

Source: NASCAR Public Relations
Date: 11/15/2002

Mike Bliss, who entered Friday's Ford 200 needing only a fifth-place finish to wrap up the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, hit the number on the nose as "insurance" driver Ron Hornaday won the race in a second IWX Motor Freight/Knights Inn Chevrolet. Hornaday joined Bliss's Steve Coulter-owned operation after Rick Crawford cut the leader's margin to 32 points at Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 8. The two-time series champion performed as required -- taking the lead on the 114th lap to score his 26th NASCAR Craftsman Truck victory. Hornaday averaged a record 133.260 mph in a race slowed just once by caution for four laps -- both series record lows. Ted Musgrave, who entered the race 71 points back, finished second in the Mopar Performance Dodge, leading the most laps of the race but that wasn't enough to dislodge either Bliss from the top spot or Crawford from the No. 2 ranking in points. Crawford stopped early during a second round of green flag pit stops and was trapped by the event's only yellow. He finished a lap behind in seventh place. The final point totals were Bliss 3,359, Crawford 3,313 and Musgrave 3,308. Musgrave's Ultra Motorsports teammate Jason Leffler finished fourth, followed by Robert Pressley, who won the season's final Waste Management Picking Up Places Award for his advance from a start of 33rd. Bliss and Dennis Setzer were the only other lead lap finishers.There were six lead changes among five drivers. Bliss, Coulter and the Xpress Motorsports team will celebrate Saturday during the annual champion's banquet at the Bal Harbour Beach Resort in nearby Bal Harbour. The results:

1. (5) Ron Hornaday Jr., Chevrolet, 134, 133.260 mph, $45,250

2. (2) Ted Musgrave, Dodge, 134, $29,300

3. (3) Jason Leffler, Dodge, 134, $21,875

4. (33) Robert Pressley, Dodge, 134, $19,425

5. (1) Mike Bliss, Chevrolet, 134, $17,250

6. (15) Dennis Setzer, Chevrolet, 134, $15,424

7. (4) Rick Crawford, Ford, 133, $15,175

8. (12) David Starr, Chevrolet, 133, $14,725

9. (10) Matt Crafton, Chevrolet, 133, $14,675

10. (7) Terry Cook, Ford, 133, $15,625

11. (13) Brendan Gaughan, Dodge, 133, $15,225

12. (11) Coy Gibbs, Chevrolet, 133, $14,040

13. (14) Stacy Compton, Dodge, 133, $11,665

14. (19) Jon Wood, Ford, 133, $13,815

15. (6) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, 133, $13,865

16. (23) Barry Bodine, Chevrolet, 133, $11,465

17. (25) Andy Houston, Ford, 132, $13,515

18. (9) Bill Lester, Dodge, 132, $13,415

19. (34) Steve Portenga, Chevrolet, 132, $13,315

20. (21) Bobby Dotter, Chevrolet, 131, $13,440

21. (22) Lance Norick, Chevrolet, 131, $13,015

22. (20) Jason Small, Chevrolet, 131, $11,540

23. (26) Randy MacDonald, Chevrolet, 131, $11,415

24. (30) Carlos Contreras, Dodge, 128, $10,115

25. (32) Jerry Hill, Dodge, 127, $9,915

26. (36) Mike Cofer, Dodge, 122, $9,715

27. (24) Bryan Reffner, Chevrolet, 116, engine, $9,515

28. (8) Ryan Hemphill, Dodge, 116, $9,315

29. (28) Brian Sockwell, Chevrolet, 91, engine, $9,115

30. (17) Ken Schrader, Chevrolet, 87, engine, $8,390

31. (18) Lance Hooper, Chevrolet, 76, engine, $8,365

32. (16) Morgan Shepherd, Ford, 66, handling, $8,340

33. (31) Brian Rose, Dodge, 65, engine, $8,315

34. (35) Teri MacDonald, Chevrolet, 53, handling, $8,290

35. (29) Stan Boyd, Chevrolet, 3, axle, $8,265

36. (27) Eric Jones, Chevrolet, 2, engine, $8,240

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