MADISON, Ill., May 10 (UPI) -- Mike Bliss' bad luck was Scott Riggs' good fortune Saturday at the NASCAR Busch series Charter Pipeline 250.
Bliss led for more than half the race but ran out of fuel less than a mile from the finish line as Riggs passed him to win.
Bliss tried wiggling his Chevrolet Monte Carlo on the backstretch to get a final push, but Riggs claimed the checkered flag and his third career Busch series win. Riggs averaged 92.870 miles per hour.
"Never give up, never give up," said, Riggs who was running four seconds behind Bliss in his Ford Taurus. "I was surprised, those guys usually get pretty good gas mileage. He had the car to beat."
Bliss coasted to the finish line in 12th as the last car on the lead lap.
"I cannot believe it," said Bliss, who led 117 laps. "I guess we didn't get it full. We had a good car. I still cannot believe it."
David Green was second in a Pontiac Grand Prix and took over the series points lead from Todd Bodine, who started last but made his way through the field to finish ahead of Bliss in 11th.
Bodine had to start last due to change of engine prior to the race. He is five points behind Green after 11 of 34 races.
Jason Keller started and finished third in a Ford, followed by Brian Vickers' Chevrolet and Bobby Hamilton Jr. in another Ford.
Stacy Compton, who led from laps 45-50, ran alongside Riggs until the final laps, when the engine on his Chevrolet began to misfire. He wound up sixth.
Johnny Sauter, Scott Wimmer, Stanton Barrett and Kenny Wallace rounded out the top 10. Sauter led laps 75-100 before Bliss gained his second lead for the next 99 laps.
Pole-sitter Ashton Lewis Jr. led the first 44 laps before he and veteran Randy LaJoie were victims of an accident caused by the spinning Chevrolet of rookie Coy Gibbs on lap 105.
LaJoie dropped out and placed 35th. After repairs, Lewis made it back to the track to complete 158 laps and finish 33rd.
The race was slowed by six cautions for 49 laps.
Next Sunday's race is the Goulds Pumps ITT Industries 200 at
Nazareth Speedway in Pennsylvania.
