| | Associated Press
DOVER, Del. -- Kurt Busch, who wrecked his primary truck in
practice, came from last place to pass spinning Mike Wallace and
win the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race Friday at Dover Downs
International Speedway.
Busch, a 22-year-old rookie who'll start his first Winston Cup
race Sunday, methodically carved his way through the field after
surrendering the pole when his team substituted a spare
truck for the Ford he'd crashed in practice Thursday.
He took the lead by passing Wallace on the 147th lap of the MBNA
E-Commerce 200. Then they staged a marvelous battle to the waning
laps of the $554,000 event.
The two ran nose-to-tail through lapped traffic after making
their final pit stops on lap 155. The deciding moment came on the
198th lap when Wallace's Ford slipped on the fourth turn after
contact with his pursuer.
Wallace, attempting both to block Busch's charge while keeping
his truck off the outside wall, instead spun down the front
straightaway and lightly brushed the wall in turn one.
"I knew that we had a shot at getting around Mike, but I had to
wait for the right time," Busch said. "He was loose off of turn
four for three or four laps before we got into each other. That's
not the way I would have chosen to win, but that's racing."
Wallace was unhappy but philosophical.
"Had we not gotten into each other there at the end of the
race, I think it would have been a great finish," said Wallace,
who lost a lap when he pitted out of his box as his crew made
repairs under the final caution. "I don't think it would have been
my choice on how to win the race, but that's how it goes."
Then he leveled criticism at Roush Racing's philosophy.
"They have to spin you out to win," Wallace said. "That's the
mentality of their program."
Busch then held off teammate Greg Biffle over two final laps of
competition as the 200-lap distance was extended by three. The
winning margin of victory was 0.21 seconds -- about a truck length.
The victory Busch's third of the season, the most by a rookie
driver in Craftsman Series history.
Biffle, meanwhile, increased his championship lead over the
12th-finishing Wallace to 290 points. Biffle can clinch the title
simply by starting the O'Reilly 300 on Oct. 13 at Texas Motor
Speedway.
Rick Crawford finished third in another Ford, followed by the
Chevrolets of Andy Houston and Ken Schrader.
Busch averaged 97.168 mph in a race slowed by caution seven
times for 40 laps.
The most serious crash of the race came on the 79th lap when Tom
Carey's Dodge hit the wall nose-first, then caromed into Lance
Norick's Chevrolet. Carey, who suffered multiple lacerations to his
upper body and facial cuts, was listed in serious but stable
condition at Kent General Hospital. | |
ALSO SEE
Crash sends pole-sitter Busch to end of Dover truck field
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Kurt Busch takes the checkered flag at the MBNA E-Commmerce 200.
avi: 1390 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Kurt Busch credits his team for all their hard work.
wav: 79 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
An unhappy Mike Wallace comments on the contact that spun him out of first place.
wav: 268 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
|
