Kyle Busch did it again.
Truck Results - Dover
A Sprint Cup invader who typically turns other series into his playground when he visits, Busch dominated the closing laps and won Friday’s Lucas Oil 200 Camping World Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway.
Busch came on strong over the final quarter of the race and stayed up front despite cautions over the twilight laps. He led the last 32 laps.
“We started fifth and were behind most of those guys for the first portion, but we got better,” Busch said. “These things are so evil behind other trucks.”
Finishing behind Busch in the top five were Matt Crafton, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and Brendan Gaughan. Pole winner Darrell Wallace Jr. led the first 119 laps of the race and threatened to win but faded to 10th over the closing miles.
Although Busch is 11th in Sprint Cup points, he is having quite a season across the three NASCAR national series. He has won twice in Cup, six times in Nationwide and twice in trucks. In his past nine appearances in the Nationwide and Truck series, he has won a remarkable seven times.
He’s looking at the possibility of a three-race Dover sweep this weekend.
“It’s fun to win, and people say it’s too easy and we’re cherry-picking or whatever, but it’s a sport we’re all welcome to participate in, and that’s why we’re here,” Busch said.
Rick Ren, general manager of Kyle Busch Motorsports, said the team’s Friday accomplishment (three trucks in the top 10, with Joey Coulter eighth and Wallace 10th) is the result of a strong organization.
“You can kind of get used to running up front, but you have to pinch yourself and realize the reality is it isn’t that simple,” Ren said. “You have to surround yourself with good people.”
Truck Photos - Dover
Blaney said Busch’s truck appeared to be loose in the first half of the race but added that his team made the right adjustments to produce speed when it counted.
The field was bunched with 21 laps to go when a caution was thrown for debris. Busch had the lead.
The green flew with 16 laps remaining.
The caution reappeared seven laps later when Tim George Jr. slapped the wall.
That produced another green flag with four laps to go with Busch in front and Crafton and Blaney following. That’s how they finished, as Busch, a master of restarts, roared away from everyone else on the first green-flag lap and won easily.
Wallace won the pole, then went to work at the start of the race, leading the first 119 laps before dropping into the pits during a green-flag pit cycle.
The race was barely a lap old when contact sparked the day’s first caution. Max Gresham and Timothy Peters met in the middle of turn three, sending both into slides. John Wes Townley also became involved in the accident.
On lap 45, Norm Benning caused the second caution with a spin on the backstretch.
The third caution appeared on lap 65 when CJ Faison hit the wall on the frontstretch.
Truck Standings - Dover
Elliott, son of former Sprint Cup champion Bill Elliott, ran with the leaders much of the race (leading 15 laps) but hurt his chances by being nailed for speeding twice on pit road.
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 31 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
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