Roush teammates Ricky Craven (99) and Todd Kluever finish 1-2 with Craven in front. Nate Mecha/HSP

Todd Kluever will be the first to admit that Martinsville Speedway is not one of his favorite tracks, although nobody would have known that watching him race on Saturday.  Kluever finished second for the third time this season.

Kluever started the race in 13th place, a much improved starting spot from his 29th-place qualifying effort in the spring race.  His day nearly went downhill on lap seven when Bobby Hamilton and Mike Skinner made contact in front of him.  Kluever just clipped the rear of Skinner's truck, and luckily had no significant damage.  He was 10th when the race resumed on lap 13.

Kluever and crew chief Mike Beam had a game plan going into the race and that was to complete the race with only one pit stop.  He stayed out during the first two cautions waiting for the right time to make their stop.  The No. 50 World Financial Group Ford F-150 was a little tight off the corners and free in the center of the corners, but Kluever worked his way up to seventh place by lap 50.

When the third caution came on lap 55 that was when Kluever and Beam knew it was time to pit.  Kluever came in for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment.  Since there were a few teams that did not pit, Kluever was 14th when the race resumed on lap 60.

He patiently worked his way through traffic and was up to 11th by the halfway point at lap 100.  The fourth caution of the race came on lap 104 and that played into the team's game plan exactly the way they hoped.  Nine of the 10 trucks ahead of Kluever hit pit road on lap 105, which put him in second place behind his Roush teammate Ricky Craven who also stayed out.

The Roush drivers were first and second when the race resumed on lap 111.

Kluever was able to maintain second place behind Craven.  He made a run at Craven on a few of the restarts, but was never able to make a clean pass.

In the closing laps Brandon Whitt challenged Kluever for second place, but he was able to hold off Whitt to score his third second-place finish of the season.  Craven won the race which gave the Roush trucks the top two spots for the first time since Jon Wood and Carl Edwards did it at Martinsville in the fall of 2003.

"I've never really liked Martinsville, but it's a lot more tolerable when you have a good truck," Kluever said.  "Our truck was pretty good all day, but I just didn't have enough to catch Ricky (Craven).  I maybe could have got by him if I had nudged him a little on the restarts, but I wasn't going to ruin his day that way.  If it would have been anyone else then it might have been different.

"After three second-place finishes I have to believe we're due for a win of our own pretty soon."