Trucks roll at the start of the Michigan 200 at Michigan International Speedway. (Ronda Greer Photo)

With Ford picking up win No. 2, three of the series' four manufacturers count multiple victories in 2007. Toyota, however, continues to pace the manufacturers' standings with 71 points to Chevrolet' 61.

Two Roush drivers count back-to-back victories at MIS - since this was Kvapil's first time back since giving Toyota its maiden NASCAR national touring victory. Greg Biffle won in 1999-2000.

Mike Skinner is having a season on a par with 1995 when he won the inaugural series title. He led his 10th consecutive race; his fourth-place finish was Skinner's ninth among the top five and 10th among the top 10.

With nearest championship challenger Ron Hornaday Jr. finishing 10th, Skinner extended his point lead to 113.

The 49-year-old veteran, who'll celebrate his 50th birthday on June 28, has to be reminded that winning isn't everything. Skinner recognizes the big picture - but that isn't to say he's completely happy.

"I guess it was an exciting day," he said. "Not really my style of racing but that's okay because we had a good day (in the points) today."

Skinner was content to let Mark Martin and Kyle Busch duke it out early.

"You've got a couple of guys at the front that have everything to gain and nothing to lose," he said. "I'm supposed to be learning how to points race (and) I couldn't take the chances they were taking."

Hornaday, 34th at one point after an unplanned, green flag stop at lap 21, rebounded nicely after becoming the beneficiary to recover his lost lap when the race's second caution waved for debris at lap 57.

"We salvaged a pretty good points day out of this," he said.

Terry Cook posted an 11th-place finish in his 250th series race. That doesn't sound like much until one recognizes that his Harris Motorsports team hadn't exactly been a model of consistency - until Cook and crew chief Danny Rollins joined the Martinsville, Va.-based squad. Cook's last four finishes - 12th, eight, 12th and 11th - moved the team to within 15 points of a top-10 championship ranking.

"We came from 26th up to 11th there on that last stretch and I'm really proud of that," said Cook, a native of nearby Toledo who proposed to his wife, Amy East, at MIS. "There's just a lot of special memories here at Michigan and it was really special to make (the 250th) start right here."

Saturday's race also marked the 300th start for Spears Motorsports - the only remaining team to have competed fulltime in all 13 seasons of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Driver Dennis Setzer finished 24th but the Wayne and Connie Spears-owned outfit still savors its victory last month at Mansfield, Ohio.

"Being able to compete against some of the greatest owners in NASCAR - such as Jack Roush, Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt Sr. - is something us west coast racers could only have dreamed about before this series was created," said Spears. "We remain a family-oriented team and I wouldn't have it any other way.

A sixth of the starting field for this week's Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 hail from the Badger State - a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series high at the Wisconsin State Fair track that is one of just four to schedule a series race in 13 consecutive years.

The six competitors are Kelly Bires, Mauston; Travis Kvapil, Janesville; Ryan Mathews, Lake Geneva; Ted Musgrave, Franklin; Tim Sauter, Nacedah; and Josh Wise, Janesville.

Darnell is an "almost" cheese head hailing from Beach Park, Ill., a few miles south of the Illinois-Wisconsin border.

Ironically - or maybe not - Musgrave is the track's only two-time winner.