NASCAR notebook

CONCORD, N.C. - With five laps remaining in Saturday night's Nextel All-Star Open, Mike Bliss asked his team to remind him what second place was worth.

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As a qualifying race for the main event, the Nextel All-Star Challenge, their answer was quick:

"Nothing."

They were right. Bliss was knocked out of the lead 75 yards short of the finish line by Brian Vickers - a move that sent Bliss into a spin through the infield grass and Vickers into the winners-only all-star race.

"He spun me out," Bliss said. "If you've got nothing to lose, I guess that's what you do."

The Open was for drivers who didn't qualify for the All-Star Challenge. The winner advanced; everyone else packed up and went home. And since the race has no bearing on the championship, drivers generally are more reckless than normal.

That's why Rusty Wallace told his team to bring an "expendable" car for Saturday's race. It's why Bliss didn't back off when Vickers rear-ended him. It's why Vickers wasn't afraid to knock him out of the way.

"I'm sorry for those guys," Vickers said after winning by one car length. "He came down and I was there. I don't know what else to do. It's not my fault."

The All-Star Challenge was open only to winners from the past two years in the Nextel Cup Series, as well as former all-star winners and series champions from the past 10 years. The final two spots went to the winner of the Open and the winner of a special fan vote - Martin Truex Jr.

Although it didn't matter, Bliss held on for second place, while Travis Kvapil was third, Kyle Busch was fourth and Bobby Hamilton Jr. was fifth.

"We got wrecked and we're out of the game and he's in it," Bliss said. "That's the name of the game."

The finish stirred memories of two other final-lap crashes for the win.

In 1989, Rusty Wallace knocked Darrell Waltrip out of the lead to win the all-star race. In 1992, Kyle Petty and Davey Allison wrecked at the finish line. Allison won the race, but he went to the hospital instead of Victory Lane after the race.

TRACK A GRIND: Several drivers in Friday night's Craftsman Truck Series race weren't happy with the improvements made in the track surface.

Speedway officials used a diamond-grinding machine to smooth out the bumps. While it gave the track a lot more grip, it apparently came at the expense of competitive racing.

"Charlotte used to be the best track," Jimmy Spencer said. "Now it's like a lot of the other tracks. When you make it faster, you take away passing. Now you're going to see a lot of follow-the-leader racing."

SPEED BUMPS: Bliss won the pole position for the Nextel All-Star Open on Friday with a track record speed of 189.208 mph. That number is certain to fall during pole qualifying Thursday night for the Nextel Cup Series Coca-Cola 600.

Reach Don Coble at doncoble@bellsouth.net.