RGeeProductions
04-11-2012, 02:14 AM
The checkered flag has waved on the life Lee Bliss, April 7, 2012. He will always be fondly remembered in his glory days as a champion race driver. Lee was a pioneer in the open wheel sportsman class in upstate New York. He won the sportsman championship title at Spencer Speedway in that track’s inaugural year 1955 and then defended that title in 1956 by winning the first three feature races of the year.
While records are slim back in the fifties, Bliss is known to have recorded twice as many feature wins at Spencer during the track’s first couple of years, then the infamous Donald “Dutch” Hoag.
Also in 1956 he captured the NASCAR Championship at Monroe County Fairgrounds. He edged Elmer Musclow by a mere 16 points to earn that title. He also sat 19th overall nationally that year in NASCAR Sportsman points. Bliss sits second on the all-time win list at Monroe County Fairgrounds Speedway with 16 feature wins. His first came on September 3, 1951 and his last on September 30, 1956.
One of his biggest wins came in Oswego, winning the 1959 International Classic. Bliss had added the famed 5/8’s mile Oswego Speedway oval to his weekly racing schedule in 1955. He quickly made a name for himself in the Dick Mangus number 5 coupe. He finished second in points to Nolan Swift in 1958 and second to Eddie Bellinger in 1959 and 1960. Starting in 1961 the modified-sportsman class was evolving in the super fast supermodified division. Bliss would win his last Oswego feature on June 17th of that year. He sat 19th on the overall all-time Oswego Speedway list with 16 feature wins.
While he never won the New York State Fair Labor Day Championship race, he did finish fourth in 1958.
Lee also loved flying and was a professional fisherman. He is predeceased by wife and co-pilot M. Lorraine and siblings Roy, Lois and Richard. He is survived by sisters, Fay (Bernie) Colburn, Nina Mayes, sisters-in-law, Anne (Thomas) Elphick, June Bliss and several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call Wednesday April 11th at 2 pm followed by a memorial service at 3 pm at Fowler Funeral Home Inc., 340 West Ave Brockport, NY. Bliss’s interment to follow at Lakeside Crematory. Donations in his memory may be made to Aurora House, 2495 S. Union St. Spencerport, NY 14559.
Gary M. Spaid
While records are slim back in the fifties, Bliss is known to have recorded twice as many feature wins at Spencer during the track’s first couple of years, then the infamous Donald “Dutch” Hoag.
Also in 1956 he captured the NASCAR Championship at Monroe County Fairgrounds. He edged Elmer Musclow by a mere 16 points to earn that title. He also sat 19th overall nationally that year in NASCAR Sportsman points. Bliss sits second on the all-time win list at Monroe County Fairgrounds Speedway with 16 feature wins. His first came on September 3, 1951 and his last on September 30, 1956.
One of his biggest wins came in Oswego, winning the 1959 International Classic. Bliss had added the famed 5/8’s mile Oswego Speedway oval to his weekly racing schedule in 1955. He quickly made a name for himself in the Dick Mangus number 5 coupe. He finished second in points to Nolan Swift in 1958 and second to Eddie Bellinger in 1959 and 1960. Starting in 1961 the modified-sportsman class was evolving in the super fast supermodified division. Bliss would win his last Oswego feature on June 17th of that year. He sat 19th on the overall all-time Oswego Speedway list with 16 feature wins.
While he never won the New York State Fair Labor Day Championship race, he did finish fourth in 1958.
Lee also loved flying and was a professional fisherman. He is predeceased by wife and co-pilot M. Lorraine and siblings Roy, Lois and Richard. He is survived by sisters, Fay (Bernie) Colburn, Nina Mayes, sisters-in-law, Anne (Thomas) Elphick, June Bliss and several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call Wednesday April 11th at 2 pm followed by a memorial service at 3 pm at Fowler Funeral Home Inc., 340 West Ave Brockport, NY. Bliss’s interment to follow at Lakeside Crematory. Donations in his memory may be made to Aurora House, 2495 S. Union St. Spencerport, NY 14559.
Gary M. Spaid