BLISS, KEY MOTORSPORTS READY FOR FIRST SHORT TRACK RACE

As the organization did in Daytona in the season opener last month, two Key Motorsports trucks will hope to compete in the entire event. Veteran Mike Bliss, who has been a pleasant surprise while driving Key’s primary #40 Chevrolet Silverado, will be back behind the wheel at Martinsville and is guaranteed a starting berth by way of the 40 truck’s 19th position in 2007 owner points. Bliss is hoping to be joined by Wisconsin Super Late Model ace and NCTS rookie Frank Kreyer.

The 36-year-old Kreyer will be driving the #44 Key Motorsports entry under sponsorship from Kreyer’s long-time supporter, Culver’s Restaurants. Culver’s features its popular fresh, frozen custard and trademarked ButterBurgers® in nearly 400 restaurants in soon-to-be 19 states with most located primarily in the upper Midwest.

Bliss, who finished a strong 10th in California after a great run and possible top five finish in Daytona was cut short by a late-race accident and radiator problem, will be looking to get back the spots in the driver point standing he lost in Atlanta a few weeks ago. That’s when a blown right front tire and subsequent accident foiled Bliss’ top 10 run there. Bliss likes the tight, quaint half-mile Martinsville layout and is looking forward to the season’s first short truck event.

“I’ve never won there (at Martinsville), but I have enjoyed some good runs and really like the track. It’s a short track and flat, and I’ve had a reasonable amount of success over the years on tracks like that,” Bliss said. “It is a tough place to race at, though, but if you have a good truck and a good crew, you can be successful,” he added.

In 2006, Bliss qualified well for both Martinsville races driving a Chevy for Xpress Motorsports and finished a solid fifth in the first race. He is eyeing another good effort for the benefit of Key Motorsports.

“This will be our first short track race together, but I know that Barry (Crew Chief Dodson) had a good set-up for this track last fall when Shane Huffman was driving, and he tested last week with Frank and found out some additional things that should help both trucks. We need to get back some of the momentum we lost in Atlanta,” Bliss added.

Dodson and Kreyer tested at a North Carolina short track last week, and the 35-year NASCAR veteran is hopeful that the Pardeville, Wisconsin driver will qualify for the race and run well despite a loaded field and 43 trucks set to do battle for the 36 starting spots.

“Frank showed me that he can drive these trucks, and he apparently has always been a good qualifier in his Late Model program which he is going to have to be to make this race this weekend,” Dodson said. “But he did some really good things during the test and was really comfortable in the truck, and we also leaned some things that should help Mike’s effort as well. We’re ready,” Dodson ended. Dodson will oversee Bliss’ efforts with veteran short track racer and standout race car body man Rick Markle to serve as Crew Chief for Kreyer’s team.

A life-long racer who for the last 13 years has dominated Junior Cup and Super Late Model action in his native Wisconsin, Kreyer is excited about making his NASCAR debut at Martinsville that will initiate a 6-race trial program for him and Culver’s after six years of regional activity.

“It’s still somewhat of a dream for me, but I know that once I strap myself into that race truck, it’s just going to be another short track race for me,” Kreyer said. “I really enjoyed the test last week and the opportunity to work with Barry, and I cannot say enough about the effort that the team and Curtis have put into this project. I couldn’t have made a better decision as to where and with whom to kick off this NASCAR project than with Key Motorsports, and I want to reward them and Culver’s with a strong performance at Martinsville,” he added.

Kreyer will also drive the Culver’s-sponsored #44 KMI race truck at Mansfield, OH in May after which he will begin a 4-race Busch Series stint with the #56 Chevrolets from Mac Hill Motorsports later in the season.

Kreyer won 42 features in Wisconsin Junior Cup action from 1993 through 1997, earning Rookie-of-the-Year honors in ’93 and the championship in ’97. This experience propelled him into the Super Late Models and the Wisconsin Challenge Series in which he has captured eight victories in seven seasons topped by a fourth place finish in driver points in 2003. He was fifth last year in which he won once, scored four top five and 13 top 10 finishes in 14 starts.

Kreyer has also competed in selected ASA Late Model races the last few seasons and in 2006 earned his first victory in that elite Series at the Nashville Fairgrounds oval. In his five ASA starts last season, Kreyer had two top ten finishes (at Nashville and Oswego, NY) and an 11th place outing in San Antonio, TX.

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