(Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images/NASCAR Photo)

OK, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series fans, try this one on for weird: Ron Hornaday Jr. crashed on the very first lap of the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway, forcing him to the pits for 28 agonizing laps of repairs, en route to finishing 34 laps down in a 150-lap race. And in the process, he cut his points deficit to leader Johnny Benson in half with just one race left in the season.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Hornaday wrecked on the first lap, lost 28 laps in the pits and gained points in a race won by his teammate, friend and boss Kevin Harvick, who became the third different KHI driver to win in successive races. That made it the first time three drivers from the same team have won three straight Truck races. Needless to say, it was a very, very strange evening as Harvick won over Kyle Busch, Todd Bodine and Brian Scott.

Hornaday started from the pole in his VFW No. 33 Chevrolet Silverado, but disaster struck immediately, as he and Kyle Busch crashed in Turn 3 on the very first lap. Hornaday was in the bottom lane, when he drifted up into Busch and went around, going nose first into the outside wall and subsequently getting hit by J.R. Fitzpatrick.

Johnny Benson also collided with Hornaday in the aftermath of the crash, but Benson suffered only minor damage to his No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota, the team bringing him in for multiple stops to change tires and repair minor cosmetic issues.

Hornaday's truck, however, was far more heavily damaged, torn up at both ends, requiring Rick Ren and the Kevin Harvick Inc. crew to work furiously to repair the damage. All told, six trucks were involved in the incident.

The race restarted on Lap 12, with Busch's Miccosukee Resorts Toyota leading Brian Scott's Albertson's Toyota, Scott Speed's Red Bull Toyota, Brad Keselowski in his own Chevy and Erik Darnell's Northern Tool + Equipment Ford F-150.

By Lap 20, Benson was up to 20th place, as Hornaday's stricken Chevy continued to languish in the garage awaiting repairs. On Lap 30, the second caution flag flew when Russ Dugger spun the Lafferty Performance Chevrolet in Turn 2. Just as that incident took place, Hornaday rejoined the race in 33rd place, 28 laps down.

When the track went green on Lap 34, Busch ahead of Scott, Speed, Kevin Harvick's Camping World Chevrolet and Darnell.

Harvick quickly picked up spots and on Lap 56 was able to go underneath Busch to take the lead for the first time. Eight laps later, caution No. 3 waived when Craig Wood crashed on the backstretch in the Buchanan Pharmacies Ford.

Under caution, the leaders pitted, with Busch taking the lead over T.J. Bell's SpongeTech/Home4theHolidays.org Chevrolet. Then it was Todd Bodine's Lumber Liquidators Ford and Harvick, the two trucks colliding on pit road.

The race restarted on Lap 69, with Busch pulling away easily. By Lap 75, the midway point of the race, Harvick was up to second, 1.610 seconds behind Busch.

Caution No. 4 occurred on Lap 79, when Colin Braun spun the No. 6 Con-Way Freight Ford on the frontstretch after contact with Benson. The green came out of Lap 86, Busch leading Harvick, Bodine, Scott and Mike Skinner's Toyota Tundra-sponsored No. 5.

Just two laps later, it was Benson's turn for disaster, as he crashed in Turn 1 with Bell and hit the outside wall. Benson's Toyota was heavily damaged and he had to head behind the wall for repairs. Suddenly, Benson's seemingly secure points lead had evaporated.

The track went green on Lap 95, Busch and Harvick waging a great fight for the lead, with Bodine close by in third. Harvick finally made the pass stick on Lap 100, his KHI Chevrolet apparently the strongest truck in the field.

Benson rejoined the race on Lap 127 in 26th place, one position and four laps behind Hornaday. Three laps later, Benson blew a right-front tire and hit the Turn 2 wall and headed to the garage again. Under caution, Busch pitted with a suspected tire going down.

That made the order Harvick, Bodine, Scott, Skinner and Darnell on the Lap 133-restart. And then Jon Wes Townley and Kenny Wallace crashed in Turn 1 to bring out another caution.

The race restarted on Lap 142, with Harvick leading Bodine, Scott, Darnell, Keselowski, Skinner and Busch, who immediately took two spots on the restart. One lap later, Busch was up to third and charging hard. He took second on Lap 145, and was 1.228 seconds behind Harvick. But he ran out of time, as Harvick drove to 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.