Mike Bliss And Larry Foyt Ready To Bolster 2-Truck Daytona Entry For Key Motorsports

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Veteran Mike Bliss and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series first-timer Larry Foyt are readying themselves to spearhead the first-ever multiple truck entry by Key Motorsports for a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event.

On the eve of the first practice for the 2007 season opener at the Daytona International Speedway, Key Motorsports has entered the #40 and #44 Chevrolet Silverado race trucks for Friday night’s Chevrolet HD Silverado 250. It is the first NASCAR race ever in which team owner Curtis W. Key, Sr. has elected to field more than one entry, and this goes way back to 1993 when Key Motorsports was a NASCAR Busch Series team.

“We applied for two numbers this year because of several opportunities that we had facing us during the 2007 season, ” Key said. “Larry (Foyt) brought us a 1-race sponsorship program with SilestoneUSA by Cosentino, a large manufacturer of natural quartz surfaces, and we had planned on entering Mike (Bliss) in the 40 truck all along to make sure that we started this year’s opening race. That gives us two trucks and hopefully two of the starting positions in Friday’s race. We’re excited with that possibility, ” Key added.

Bliss, a winner last season and the 2002 NCTS driving champion, is running full-time in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and was available when Key Motorsports called. He’ll run the first four races in the #40 to insure a starting berth for that truck in those races, ones that resort to 2006 Owner Points to determine 30 of the 36 available starting berths. As a former Series champion, Bliss would earn a starting berth if his race truck failed to qualify through time trials.

Bliss’ arrangement with Key Motorsports will also reunite the Portland, Oregon driver with veteran crew chief Barry Dodson who was Bliss’ crew chief when the latter won his first NCTS race late in the 1995 season.

In the 3-plus years in which Bliss and Dodson teamed together for former team owner Jim Smith, Bliss claimed six of his 13 career victories on the truck circuit. In 81 starts under Dodson’s tutelage, Bliss scored 28 top five and 41 top ten finishes and never finished outside of the top 10 in the driver point race through the 1998 season.

“I’m excited about having the chance to team up with Barry (Dodson) again after all these years, and honored that Curtis (Key) has tapped me to help out his race team. I only hope that we can have a good run and build some momentum for the next three races, ” Bliss stated.

Foyt, the son of Indy Car legend A. J. Foyt and currently the Team Director for A. J.’s IndyCar Series team, last saw action in a NASCAR race in 2005 in the Nextel Cup Series. That followed two years of Busch Series competition with Foyt driving for his own team. Larry is excited about this 1-race opportunity with Key Motorsports, one that the Texas driver is counting on to possibly lead to several more races with the same combination later this season.

“The folks from SilestoneUSA decided to do (sponsor) this Daytona race just a few weeks ago, and Curtis’ situation with a second number and available equipment and personnel gave us the best opportunity to put something together with Key Motorsports, ” Foyt explained.

“This is my first race in the Truck Series, and I am really looking forward to it, ” Foyt said. “We want to do well for Silestone and show them how a NASCAR sponsorship can aid their sales and marketing efforts. Curtis has some really good equipment, and if we can have a good run, I’m hoping that Silestone will get excited enough to consider doing a few more races with us, ” Foyt added.

Key also announced that he has entered both of his race trucks again in the next NCTS race scheduled for the California Speedway but has yet not announced a driver for the #44 Silverado. Foyt may just figure into that event if he can perform well in Daytona.


 
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