Michigan 200 - Official Results
Robert Pressley in Victory Lane

Robert Pressley in Victory Lane
View High Sierra Gallery for this race

Pressley Roars To Victory In Michigan

Robert Pressley learned a thing or two in his six years as a Winston Cup driver and he had to call upon that experience Saturday to preserve his second win of the year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.  Pressley, without a Nextel Cup ride this season, held off a determined rush by Jason Leffler to win the Michigan 200 by 0.102 seconds. Pressley averaged 142.208 mph in his Square D Dodge owned by Bobby Hamilton. It was the third-fastest race in Truck Series history and the finish was the eighth closest.  In order to win, Pressley had to block Leffler for the final mile after Leffler, in his Carquest Racing Dodge, had sliced a 1.5 second deficit to one car length with a lap left. Pressley practically wove his way from turn four to the finish line.  Travis Kvapil finished third, Mike Bliss fourth and David Starr fifth. The result vaulted Bliss into the Series points lead after former leader Ted Musgrave blew an engine and fell out on the 40th lap. Bliss moved to the top with Starr second and Musgrave third.  Terry Cook, Coy Gibbs, rookie Lance Norick, Rick Crawford and Jon Wood rounded out the top ten.  Leffler, sixth in the standings and still looking for his first win, had no quarrel with the way things turned out.  “The 18 truck (Pressley) was dominant all day,” Leffler said. Pressley led twice, the second time taking over on lap 70 and holding it the rest of the way.  “The truck was good from the start (of the weekend),” Pressley said. “Our pit stops were great and the car ran flawless over the last few laps."   Kvapil started in ninth and struggled through most of the race. He came alive in the late going, making it to third place by lap 80.  “We made a lot of adjustments,” Kvapil said. “I t got a little bit too tight for me. We were held up in the pits. We struggled all weekend, so to finish third was great for us.”
02-21-2005 | Race 13 - Michigan International Speedway - July 27, 2002

F S # Driver Sponsor / Owner Truck Laps Money Status
1 8 18 Robert Pressley Square D Dodge 100 $48,250 Running
2 7 2 Jason Leffler Team ASE / Carquest Dodge 100 $30,800 Running
3 9 60 Travis Kvapil CAT Rental Stores Chevrolet 100 $22,225 Running
4 2 16 Mike Bliss IWX Motor Freight / Knights Inn Chevrolet 100 $14,750 Running
5 3 75 David Starr Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet 100 $13,700 Running
6 5 29 Terry Cook Power Stroke Diesel Ford 100 $12,775 Running
7 10 20 Coy Gibbs MBNA Chevrolet 100 $12,825 Running
8 13 90 Lance Norick Express Personnel Services Chevrolet 100 $12,650 Running
9 4 14 Rick Crawford Circle Bar Motel & RV Park Ford 100 $12,350 Running
10 12 50 Jon Wood Navy Racing Ford 100 $13,625 Running
11 20 39 Steve Portenga Roto-Rooter Chevrolet 100 $12,275 Running
12 14 15 Rich Bickle Dickies Ford 100 $12,140 Running
13 36 7 Bryan Reffner SBC Ameritech Chevrolet 100 $11,315 Running
14 6 46 Dennis Setzer Acxiom / Computer Associates Chevrolet 100 $12,015 Running
15 19 8 Bill Lester Dodge Motorsports Dodge 100 $13,215 Running
16 18 88 Matt Crafton Menards / Sealmaster Chevrolet 100 $11,940 Running
17 17 43 Carlos Contreras Hot Wheels Dodge 99 $11,840 Running
18 11 62 Brendan Gaughan NAPA Auto Parts Dodge 99 $11,815 Running
19 24 07 Jason Small Sunbelt Rentals Chevrolet 98 $11,765 Running
20 29 23 Lance Hooper Red Line Synthetic Oil Chevrolet 98 $9,715 Running
21 21 79 Jerry Hill RDS Racing Engines Dodge 98 $10,465 Running
22 31 34 Eric Jones Safelite Auto Glass Chevrolet 98 $9,415 Running
23 16 4 Brian Rose Perry Connection Dodge 97 $10,390 Running
24 33 27 Doug Keller Keller Motorsports Chevrolet 97 $9,365 Running
25 30 89 Stan Boyd NGK / Auto Value Chevrolet 97 $9,340 Running
26 25 51 Randy Briggs Midwest Can Dodge 96 $9,315 Running
27 34 28 Conrad Burr UFA-FDNY Chevrolet 95 $9,290 Running
28 15 08 Bobby Dotter People Against Drugs Chevrolet 94 $9,265 Running
29 23 72 Randy MacDonald businessdriver.com Chevrolet 85 $9,240 Running
30 32 58 Chris Horn HornEngines.com Chevrolet 70 $9,215 Engine
31 22 5 Jason Hedlesky Motor City Dodge/Superior Logistics Dodge 57 $9,190 Susp
32 1 1 Ted Musgrave Mopar Performance Dodge 37 $9,165 Engine
33 27 86 Phil Bonifield Coverall Carports / Port-a-Fence Chevrolet 30 $9,140 Ignition
34 28 73 David Hall Cellution / Intensitee Racewear Chevrolet 26 $9,115 Overheat
35 35 25 Brian Tyler Motor State Performance Chevrolet 17 $9,090 Overheat
36 26 93 Michael Dokken Troxell Racing Chevrolet 2 $9,065 Engine

Failed to Qualify: (0)

Time of Race: 1 hour 24 minutes 23 seconds

Average Speed: 142.208 mph (RACE RECORD)
Margin of Victory: .102 second

Bud Pole Award: Not Awarded, time trials cancelled

Clevite Engine Builders Award:
Joey Arrington, #18 Square D Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge

Featherlite Long Haul Award:
Robert Pressley, #18 Square D Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge

Gatorade Front Runner Award:
Robert Pressley, #18 Square D Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge

Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award:
Bill Lester , #8 Dodge Motorsports Dodge

Waste Management Picking Up Places Award:
Bryan Reffner, #7 SBC Ameritech Chevrolet (23 places)

Caution Flags: Laps 40-46 (Debris, Turn 4); 59-63 (Debris, Turn 4). 2 for 12 laps.

Lap Leaders: Ted Musgrave 1-6, Terry Cook 7, Rick Crawford 8-14, Robert Pressley 15-39, Dennis Setzer 40-41, Pressley 42-59, Coy Gibbs 60-63, David Starr 64-65, Crawford 66-69, Pressley 70-100.

Total Laps Led: Robert Pressley 74, Rick Crawford 11, Ted Musgrave 6, Coy Gibbs 4, David Starr 2, Dennis Setzer 2, Terry Cook 1. 9 changes involving 7 drivers.

Points following this race:
Rank Driver Points -Back
1 Mike Bliss 1961  
2 David Starr 1932 -29
3 Ted Musgrave 1908 -53
4 Terry Cook 1889 -72
5 Rick Crawford 1882 -79
6 Jason Leffler 1875 -86
7 Robert Pressley 1866 -95
8 Dennis Setzer 1847 -114
9 Travis Kvapil 1748