SPARTA, Ky. (July 19, 2008) — Johnny Benson made a daring, four-wide pass to take the lead with 32 laps remaining and cruised on to victory Saturday night in the Built Ford Tough 225 Craftsman Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway.
Benson was third behind Bill Davis Racing teammate Michael Annett and Dennis Setzer for the restart on Lap 119 of 150 on the 1.5-mile track. Chad Chaffin was the top truck a lap down on the inside.
“I had a tremendous run off Turn 2 and got alongside the 18 (Setzer),” Benson said. “We both had good runs on the 22 (Annett), and we made a made dash to the corner (Turn 3). I expected (Setzer) to turn left, and he did and I had to turn left. I had the best spot.
“This track is extremely difficult to pass on. I think we had one of the few trucks able to hug the bottom, and that was a key to winning.”
Benson won his second truck race of the season and 11th overall and moved into the points lead by one over Matt Crafton, who finished third. Previous leader Ron Hornaday Jr. is five off the lead after finishing 10th.
Annett, in his third start in the series, was second, .475 seconds behind Benson. Annett, 22, finished sixth and 11th in his previous two starts.
Annett ran solidly in the top 10 for most of the race. He was sixth when the lead-lap trucks made their final pit stops on Lap 115, with Benson leading the field down pit road.
Annett’s crew chief, Doug Wolcott, decided to take two tires, and it vaulted Annett into the lead as most trucks, including Benson and Crafton, took four.
“He made a great call and got us out front,” Annett said. “Track position was everything. I was surprised how good a run Johnny got, but he’s a veteran and he knows how to do that. I saw the red on his hood, and the spotter said, ‘Four wide,’ and then there was a crash behind us.
“It was pretty cool finishing second.”
Setzer finished fourth and David Starr fifth. Kyle Busch passed Mike Skinner at the finish for sixth.
Busch’s Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota led laps 37 to 49, relinquishing the lead to make his first pit stop. He was on pit road when the caution came out. Busch got the Lucky Dog and was able to regain the lead lap, but he restarted from the back of field and never was able to return to the front.
Busch was 13th, with a truck banged up in the multitruck crash on Lap 119, for the final restart with 29 laps remaining and charged to sixth, beating Skinner to the line by .032 seconds.
Busch was attempting to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win consecutive races in each of the three national series.
NASCARTim Tuttle – Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service