Long Pond, PA – Joey Coulter became the fourth first-time race winner in the Camping World Truck Series this season with an impressive victory in Saturday's Pocono Mountains 125 at Pocono Raceway.
Coulter took the lead after he charged from third to first on a restart with seven laps remaining in the short 50-lap race at this 2.5-mile triangular racetrack. The 22-year-old driver from Richard Childress Racing led only the last seven laps for his maiden truck win in his 36th start.
"It seems like the whole time that I have been racing stock cars I've struggled on restarts," Coulter said. "I've probably put more time into that than just about anything. It's just so awesome to close the deal. We've been so close."
Coulter, the 2011 rookie of the year in the series, became the ninth different winner in 11 races this season. His previous best finish in trucks was third, which came two months ago at Texas.
"I just can't say enough about (team owner) Richard (Childress) and everybody at RCR," he said. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime to drive for these guys."
James Buescher, who won the most recent truck race two weeks ago at Chicagoland, crossed the finish line 1.2 seconds behind Coulter to take the runner-up spot. Buescher remains the only driver with multiple victories this season. He won at Kansas and Kentucky prior to Chicagoland.
Nelson Piquet Jr. started on the pole and dominated most of this race by leading 33 laps. Piquet ran in front when the first caution came on lap 28 for an incident involving Tim George Jr., who also drives for Childress.
After the race resumed on lap 34, Piquet and two-time series champion Todd Bodine made contact heading into turn one. Bodine spun and slammed into the wall.
"James (Buescher) was to my outside, and he passed me to the outside, so I didn't even have time to tuck behind (Bodine)," Piquet said. "There's nothing I could have done. I was never expecting something like that. The move he did was a bit inexperienced."
In frustration, Bodine threw his helmet in the direction of Piquet during the first caution lap.
"I'll take the blame for that whole thing just because I should have known better than to trust an idiot to do the right thing," Bodine said. "I pulled down to draft off of James, and I should have known that Nelson wasn't smart enough to pull over with me and side draft me. If it was the last lap of the race, I could see that. He thinks he owes me one anyway from Kansas I think it was, but it's a shame."
Piquet placed third, while Bodine ended up finishing 26th.
Matt Crafton took the fourth spot, while Denny Hamlin, who was the only Sprint Cup Series regular to compete in this race, completed the top five.
Ty Dillon, Parker Kligerman, John Wes Townley, Justin Lofton and Ross Chastain finished sixth through 10th, respectively.
The third and final caution came on lap 39 for a multi-truck accident. Points leader Timothy Peters was one of those involved in the incident. Peters came into this race with a 23-point advantage, but after his 22nd-place finish, his lead has been cut to just eight over Dillon.
"We had a bad day, but we made the best of it," Peters said.
Buescher now trails Peters by 15 points after being 35 behind.
"That's good, and that's what we needed to do," he said.
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