(Ronda Greer/NASCAR Photo)

Three-time and defending NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion Ron Hornaday Jr. scored a dominating victory in the Camping World 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Gateway International Raceway Saturday afternoon. And in the process, he served notice that he has not conceded the 2008 NCTS title to points leader Johnny Benson.

Hornaday was the man from the start, leading 112 of 160 laps as he scored his fourth NCTS victory of 2008 and the 37th of his storied career. Finishing behind Hornaday were Dennis Setzer, Benson, Todd Bodine and Jack Sprague.

The action began at the drop of the green flag, as Hornaday moved his Camping World Chevrolet Silverado from its second-place qualifying spot into the lead, going high to pass the No. 18 Royal Gate Dodge Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Setzer, the Keystone Light pole-winner.

The first caution came when Bobby East wrecked his Zaxby's Ford F-150 at the exit of Turn 2 on Lap 6, bringing out the yellow flag. East spun coming out of the corner and backed his Ford into the inside backstretch wall, necessitating the caution period.

The track went green on Lap 10, with Setzer challenging Hornaday, but the Chevy kept the lead. One lap later, Todd Bodine blew by Setzer to put his No. 30 Lumber Liquidators into second place.

On Lap 20, Marc Mitchell cut a left-rear tire and spun the Hyprene Ergon Toyota in Turns 3 and 4. Mitchell's spun brought out Caution No. 2, which sent most of the field down pit road for the first time on Lap 22 of the 160-lap race. Mike Skinner stayed out and took the lead in his No. 5 Toyota Tundra-sponsored Toyota. On the restart on Lap 26, Hornaday took second ahead of teammate Jack Sprague in the No. 2 American Commercial Lines Chevy.

The two Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevys attempted to run down Skinner's Toyota, Hornaday finally getting under Skinner to go back out front on Lap 42. Shortly thereafter, Sprague got by Skinner, too, to take over second place.

The track stayed green until Lap 61, when a debris caution was ordered by NASCAR. This time, most of the field opted for four tires, with Sprague leading off pit road, followed by Hornaday, Bodine, Erik Darnell's Northern Tool + Equipment Ford and David Starr in the Red Horse Racing Toyota. Points leader Johnny Benson's Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra was struck in the driver's-side door area on pit road by Colin Braun's Con-way Freight Ford, causing minor body damage to both trucks.

Hornaday took the lead back on the Lap 65 restart wheeling past teammate Sprague just after the green came back out. Fifteen laps afterwards, the race hit the halfway points with Hornaday leading Sprague, Bodine, Darnell and Skinner.

Debris in Turn 3 — a spring rubber from the back of someone's truck — brought out caution No. 4 on Lap 103, setting the field up for its final pit stop. Several drivers took just two tires, as Skinner and Benson emerged in the lead over Setzer, Matt Crafton's Menards Chevrolet, Terry Cook's Wyler.com Toyota, Darnell, Hornaday, Sprague and Bodine. But as they exited their stalls, Hornaday squeezed Sprague into a tire barrier, not what the teammates wanted to happen.

Skinner, though, was called into the pits for loose lugnuts, which dropped him from the lead all the way to 23rd, which totally ruined his race.

The track went green on Lap 109, and Hornaday immediately began charging back towards the front. Setzer took the lead on Lap 111, and seconds later, Robb Brent crashed his Brad Keselowski-owned Chevy after a tap from behind, which sent Brent around in Turn 3.

The order for the Lap 121 restart was Setzer, Benson, Crafton, Hornaday and Darnell. But just after the green, there was a big pile-up in Turn 4 that collected Cook, Jason White, Brian Scott, Braun, Andy Lally, Ted Musgrave, Rick Crawford, Chad McCumbee and Jack Smith, among others. The crash began when White was tapped, turning around his gunbroker.com Dodge. From there, the back half of the field wadded up in the middle of the corner.

On Lap 126, the green flew again and immediately Hornaday took third from Crafton as Setzer and Benson led. Two laps later, Hornaday was around Benson and into second place and on Lap 131, Skinner went under Setzer into Turn 3 to take the lead.

There was more calamity to come though, as Starr made contact with Crawford spun out on the backstretch on Lap 133 and made hard contact with the inside wall. After five laps of caution, the green came out on Lap 138.

It didn't stay green for long, as Justin Marks crashed his Constructs Corps Toyota with 16 laps to go, bringing out yet another yellow, with the order Hornaday, Setzer, Benson, Bodine and Darnell. The race restarted on Lap 150, but no one had anything for Hornaday, who scored a convincing victory.

Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com.  He is the author of "Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED," and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association.  Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing.