Jack Sprague with the winning trophy at the Kroger 200 at Martinsville. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Jack Sprague got the monkey off his back - figuratively and literally. The three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, who never had won in 12 previous starts at Martinsville Speedway, took his No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota from Budweiser Pole to victory lane to triumph for the 27th time in a 343-race career.

The race was witnessed by a record Kroger 200 crowd estimated at 36,000.

Sprague, who led the Kroger 200 twice for 95 laps, benefited from Ted Musgrave's restart error at lap 138 and stayed out front for the remainder of the event to edge Martinsville's spring winner David Starr by .416 seconds - about a truck length.

The victory, Sprague's second of the season, was worth $50,900. He averaged 60.172 mph for the 200-lap, 105.2-mile distance as a race record 12 cautions consumed 67 laps.

"This is huge for me because I don't run good here," said Sprague, whose best Martinsville finish of third came in 2005. "I've always struggled."

The winner's truck carried a large, stuffed monkey that his crew purchased earlier in the week in an effort to end a recent streak of ill-starred races - and finally break Sprague's Martinsville drought.

"I guess we'll keep it for awhile," said Sprague.

David M. Vaughn Photo

Sprague took the early lead but abdicated to Musgrave's Team ASE Racing Toyota by pitting - with all but two lead lap drivers - at lap 33. He methodically moved through the field to move onto Musgrave's rear bumper at lap 80.

The winner, however, refused to critique the move that gave him the lead - and ultimately the victory.

"He didn't do anything any of us wouldn't have done," said Sprague of Musgrave's restart. NASCAR officials previously had warned Musgrave of checking up just before the restart. As for being able to pass Musgrave, who was on a no-pit stop strategy, Sprague simply shrugged. "I don't know," he said, "we'll never know."

Raybestos Rookie of the Year leader Erik Darnell finished third in his Northern Tool + Equipment Ford followed by teammate Mark Martin in the Scotts Ford. Martin made one late move on Darnell but backed off to give his partner five points in the championship standings.

Johnny Benson was fifth in the NAPA Auto Parts Toyota and made up significant ground on championship leader Todd Bodine, who brought his Lumber Liquidators Toyota home 14th after a second pit call at lap 134.

Bodine continues to head the standings by 79 points after entering the season's 21st of 25 events with a cushion of 113. Kyle Busch took the sixth spot followed by No. 2 starter Mike Skinner. Denny Hamlin was eighth in his first series Martinsville appearance with Rick Crawford and Chase Miller completing the top 10.

Musgrave, forced to pit his truck at lap 161 to repair front end damage, finished a spot behind Germain Racing teammate Bodine in 15th. Twenty-three of the race's 32 finishers ran all 200 laps marking the fourth consecutive race in which 20 or more had gone the full distance.

Next event is Saturday's EasyCare Vehicle Service 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Bodine won March's race at AMS.