Mike Bliss

Mike Bliss (born April 5, 1965, in Milwaukie, Oregon) is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #1 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing in the Nationwide Series. He began racing at age 10. 1993 marked his first major victory when Mike captured the USAC Silver Crown National Championship.

Bliss began racing in NASCAR in 1995, driving the #08/2 Ford F-150 for Ultra Motorsports in the new Craftsman Truck Series. Competing in 19 out of 20 races, Bliss picked up a win at North Wilkesboro Speedway and finished eighth in points. The next year, with sponsorship from Team ASE Racing, he won at Evergreen and I-70 and finished fifth in points. In 1998, he made his debut in the upper-NASCAR ranks. First, he finished 26th at the Kenwood Home & Car Audio 300 driving a car owned by Kevin Schwantz, then two weeks later, finished seventh at Indianapolis Raceway Park for Michael Waltrip Racing. He also ran a pair of Winston Cup races that season, finishing 25th at Martinsville Speedway in the #96 for American Equipment Racing.

After winning six poles and finishing fourth in points in 1997, Bliss announced he would not return to the team after 1998, and signed with Roush Racing to drive the #99 Exide Batteries Ford. He picked up a win at Heartland Park Topeka and finished fifth in points. During the season, he began to pick up offers to run in the Cup Series, and left Roush. In 1999, Bliss ran two Winston Cup races for Bahari Racing with sponsorship from Sara Lee products.

2000-2004

In 2000, Bliss signed to drive the #14 Conseco Pontiac Grand Prix owned by A.J. Foyt Racing in a bid for NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors. Because the team had no owner's points, Bliss failed to qualify for three out of the first four races of the season, and he was quickly released. He soon signed to drive the #27 Pfizer/Viagra Pontiac for Eel River Racing. He had a ninth place run at Talladega Superspeedway and finished 39th in points that year.

Unfortunately, he was unable to pick up a full-time year for the 2001 season. He finished 40th at Daytona International Speedway in a one-race deal for David Ridling, but that team soon closed its doors. During the middle of the season, he briefly returned to Eel River after they fired their regular driver, but he was unable to qualify for a race. Late in the season, he garnered a ninth place run at South Boston in a one-race deal for Team Rensi Motorsports.

In 2002, Steve Coulter bought Rensi's truck equipment, and signed Bliss as the driver. Bliss picked up five wins and won the Truck series championship. He would sign to drive the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Busch Series the following year, posting fourteen top-tens and finishing tenth in points. That same year, he competed in the International Race of Champions, winning at Chicagoland Speedway. He ran only one Winston Cup race in 2002, subbing for Jamie McMurray in the #40 Coors Light Dodge. In 2004, Bliss picked up his first career Busch win at Lowe's Motor Speedway and finished fifth in points. After he was declined a job as driver for Gibbs Cup program, Bliss announced his departure, and replaced Ward Burton at Haas CNC Racing's Cup ride, posting a tenth place run at Darlington Raceway.