Bliss to drive the #20 Rockwell Chevrolet in 2003.

Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that it has hired Mike Bliss to drive the No. 20 Rockwell Automation / JGR Chevrolet for the 2003 NASCAR Busch season.

Bliss, who won his first Craftsman Truck Series Title this past weekend, will be a teammate with Coy Gibbs in the No. 18 MBNA Chevrolet.

"This is a great opportunity for me," Bliss said. "I didn't want to move to the Busch Series just to race in the Busch Series. I wanted to make sure that I was with a solid team with quality equipment and a great sponsor. The Joe Gibbs Racing and Rockwell Automation organizations speak for themselves. I look forward to being a part of this great team."

Bliss is coming off his finest season in the Craftsman Truck Series that included 5 wins, 4 poles, 13 top-five and 17 top-ten finishes. Overall, he has 143 starts with 12 wins, 17 poles, 49 top-five and 81 top-ten finishes in the truck series. It is this consistency that Bliss is hoping to bring to the Busch Series.

"We wanted to put together the pieces to run for the championship immediately," commented Steve de Souza, Vice President of Busch Operations at Joe Gibbs Racing. "Crew Chief Tim Shutt is returning for his third season at the helm and Mike Bliss brings a wealth of experience to the team. Tim and Mike have worked together in the past and this should help to build us chemistry quicker."

Work on that chemistry building began immediately. Bliss, who celebrated his Craftsman Truck Championship at the banquet Saturday night, began work this morning testing the 2003 Chevrolet with his new team at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Joe Gibbs Racing, owned by NFL Hall of Fame Coach and three-time Super Bowl winning coach Joe Gibbs, is currently celebrating their second Winston Cup Championship.

"We are excited that Mike Bliss will drive the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet in 2003," said team owner Joe Gibbs. "Mike has demonstrated that he can win poles and can win races. We are all looking forward to a great season for the #20 Chevy with Rockwell Automation as our new sponsor and Mike Bliss behind the wheel."