(Ronda Greer/NASCAR Photo)

Mike Skinner won Saturday night's Qwik Liner Las Vegas 350 NASCAR Craftsman Truck race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday night, with a dramatic last-lap pass of Erik Darnell in a race marred by a record number of cautions.

Points leader Johnny Benson had a disastrous night, blowing a right-front tire and crashing hard en route to a 27th-place finish in the 31-truck race. Benson lost the points lead to Ron Hornaday Jr. for the first time since Memphis seven weeks ago. Benson's crash made the points race a virtual dead heat with six races to go.

Hornaday led from the pole, as he made one of his patented great starts at the green in his No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet Silverado, but on Lap 3, Skinner went low to take the lead in the No. 5 Toyota Tundra-sponsored Toyota.

Caution No. 1 came on Lap 4, when Sean Murphy's ASI Limited Chevy spun coming out of Turn 4. On the Lap 8 restart, Skinner led Todd Bodine's Lumber Liquidators Toyota, Hornaday, Benson in the Exide No. 23 Toyota and Colin Braun's No. 6 Con-way Freight Ford F-150.

But once the track went green, it was Bodine who took over the top spot, wheeling by Skinner to take the lead.

On Lap 24, Justin Marks spun the Crocs Toyota out of Turn 4, bringing out the second caution and sending the leaders down pit road. Benson won the race off pit road, taking the lead for the first time.

Stacy Compton pancaked the Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota to bring out a caution on Lap 39. When the track went green four laps later, Bodine went under Benson for the lead and took Rick Crawford's Circle Bar Truck Corral/Powerstroke Diesel by Ford F-150 with him. Benson was soon back into second, though, retaking the spot on Lap 47.

Bodine and Benson broke clear of the field, with Benson gradually closing until Lap 56, when he was able to make the pass to get back in the lead.

Then, disaster. Benson had a lead of more than 1 second, when he blew his right-front tire on Lap 65 and hit the Turn 1 wall hard, totally flattening the right side of his Tundra and dealing a devastating blow to his title hopes.

"Zero warning," Benson said of his tire failure.

Under caution, the leaders pitted, with Skinner taking the lead after a two-tire stop.

The track went green on Lap 71, just two laps short of halfway, with Hornaday leading Jeff Green, who quickly was passed by Erik Darnell's Northern Tool + Equipment Ford and Darnell's teammate Braun.

Jack Sprague and Brendan Gaughan tangled on Lap 77, with Sprague's Camping World Chevrolet getting the worst of it in Turn 2, hitting the wall, while Gaughan's International Maxxforce Ford Diesel making contact only with Sprague.

Skinner was still on the point when the race restarted on Lap 83, trailed by Darnell and Hornaday. Darnell took the lead for the first time on Lap 86, while Hornaday fell to fifth after getting passed by Braun and Bodine.

Caution No. 6 flew on Lap 96 for an incident with Jason White's Gunbroker.com Dodge, which spun in Turn 4. John Andretti and Scott Speed stayed out and took the lead, as the track went green on Lap 102. But just three laps later, Darnell was back out front, the fresher tires helping him stick as he passed Andretti.

On Lap 107, Brian Scott's Albertson's Toyota spun in Turn 4, bringing out another yellow, with Bobby East's Zaxby's Ford suffering collateral damage in the crash. The order now was Darnell, Andretti and Skinner, with the track going green on Lap 112.

Skinner made quick work of Andretti for second place and took off in search of Darnell. Terry Cook's Wyler.com Toyota and Robb Brent in Brad Keselowski's truck had contact next, bringing out yet another yellow.

On Lap 126, the green flew, Darnell leading Skinner, Braun, Bodine and Andretti. Bodine took third on the restart, but then spun two laps later in Turn 2, going down on the apron and losing grip.

The track went green on Lap 132, only to see another crash, as Dennis Setzer's uniteddodge.com Dodge Ram getting wrecked after contact coming out of Turn 4 from the No. 51 Miccosukee Resorts Toyota of Shane Sieg. That brought out a record 10th caution flag period.

Darnell led Skinner, Braun, Matt Crafton's Menards Chevy, Hornaday on the Lap 138 restart. Immediately, though, White crashed and the yellow flew again.

When racing began again on Lap 142, Darnell got a good restart, just as David Starr crashed on the backstretch after contact with Brian Scott.

NASCAR held the field under yellow until Lap 146, setting up a green-white-checkered finish. Darnell led Skinner, Braun, Crafton and Andretti at the green. Skinner went high and made the race-winning pass, holding off Darnell at the line, with Crafton third, then Andretti and Hornaday, as Braun crashed on the last lap.