Johnny Benson flashes a double victory sign after winning his second race in a row. (Ronda Greer Photo)

Johnny Benson required 60 starts to reach his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory. The second took six days as Benson, driving the Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota, swept past Budweiser Pole starter Ron Hornaday Jr. on the 160th of 200 laps to win Friday night's Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 at The Milwaukee Mile.

Benson started fourth and led twice for a total of 47 laps and carried a 2.249-second cushion to the checkered flag to become the track's 11th winner in 12 races. Thirty-seven laps of caution held Benson's winning average speed to 85.673 mph - second slowest in series history at the historic track.

Benson won $55,500 and moved up a spot in the championship standings to third behind Todd Bodine and David Reutimann. He became the fifth different driver to win his first two series races in back-to-back starts. The last was Kyle Busch in 2005.

"I can't believe it. The first one was pretty hard and everyone said that the second one would come a little easier," said Benson. "But I didn't think it would come today."

The victory, before an announced crowd of 27,764, was Benson's second at The Mile. He won the 1992 American Speed Association event on Mother's Day en route to the ASA championship.

It also amounted to an early birthday gift: Benson celebrates his 43rd birthday on Tuesday.

Mike Bliss in the No. 16 Chevy at Milwaukee. (Ronda Greer Photo)

Former Milwaukee winner Mike Bliss, aboard the IWX Motor Freight Chevrolet, charged through the field from his 18th position on the grid, passing Hornaday's Chevy five laps from the finish. Hornaday, who led a race high 102 laps in four stints at the helm, settled for third ahead of Jack Sprague's Con-way Freight Toyota. Reutimann was fifth in the Team Tundra Toyota.

Sixth through 10th positions were claimed by Timothy Peters, Dennis Setzer, David Starr, Rick Crawford and Terry Cook. Aric Almirola was the highest finishing Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender in 13th place.

Seventeen of the race's 34 finishers completed all 200 laps.

Bodine, who led once, dropped off the pace at the three-quarter mark and spun out to trigger the final caution shortly after being lapped by Benson. He wound up 20th and off the lead lap for the first time in the season's 11 races.

The night cut heavily into Bodine's championship lead that stands at 126 points over Reutimann and another four ahead of Benson. He entered the race with a margin of 178.

Four former series champions now occupy the top 10: Musgrave, Sprague, Bliss and Hornaday.

Hornaday, who set a Milwaukee qualifying record at 122.021 mph to upstage the pole battle between Sprague and Mike Skinner, was strong throughout. He led four times - at the start and following several visits to pit road under caution.

Ronda Greer Photo

Crawford, Reutimann, Bliss, Bodine and David Starr also paced the field but only Benson had the steam when it counted. Benson took the lead for the first time at lap 56 and was content to shadow Hornaday before making a Turn 3 pass that became the race's winning move.

Once past, Benson set sail leaving Bliss, Hornaday and Sprague to argue title to the runnerup position. Bliss likely had the fastest truck on track at the end but was too far behind to seriously challenge the winner.

"Johnny just got out there and I got trapped (in traffic)," he said. "I would have liked to have seen another 10 laps but, you know, second place is pretty good. It is our best finish of the year."

Hornaday was hopeful of making a final run on Benson but his tires weren't up to the task.

"I just really made my tires mad and then Bliss got me," he said.

The series next heads for Kansas Speedway for Saturday's O'Reilly Auto Parts 250. Bodine is the defending winner.