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Bobby Hamilton in his truck after Victory (L) Travis Kvapil holds up championship trophy (R) View High Sierra Gallery for this Race |
Bobby Hamilton snatched the lead from a persistent Rick Crawford on the last of 134 laps around the new, Homestead-Miami Speedway to win Friday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Ford 200. Hamilton, the Bud Pole winner, posted season victory No. 2 to ring down the curtain on the 2003 schedule. Hamilton, who led 67 of 134 laps, averaged 120.439 mph and won $51,200 plus a $10,000 Craftsman Pole win bonus. Crawford's Newspaper in Education Ford was trailed by David Starr in the Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet while Andy Houston and Jack Sprague filled out the top five in a race that saw the lead exchanged 10 times among five drivers. Travis Kvapil, who finished sixth, claimed the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship after starting the day third in the points behind Brendan Gaughan and Ted Musgrave. The title was the second straight for Xpress Motorsports owner Steve Coulter. Mike Bliss captured last year's title in the IWX Motorsports Chevrolet. Gaughan, who started at the rear after an engine change, appeared on his way to the championship, passing all three of his rivals - Musgrave, Kvapil and Dennis Setzer. Running fifth, he was caught up in a lap 101 accident on the front stretch, which eliminated the Orleans Hotel Dodge. Musgrave and Kvapil took the final restart, at lap 133, deadlocked on the points chart. Musgrave, however, was penalized for passing to the left on the restart, dropping him to 13th - the final truck on the lead lap. Kvapil, the series' youngest champion at age 27, beat Setzer by nine points and Musgrave by 18 in the closest three-way finish in history. Gaughan, uninjured in the accident, was fourth, 40 behind. Kvapil completed all but one lap and .5-mile to set a season record while Setzer's run of 20 consecutive top-10 finishes also is a new mark.
F
S
#
Driver
Sponsor / Owner
Truck
Laps
Money
Status
1
1
4
Bobby Hamilton
Square D
Dodge
134
$54,200
Running
2
7
14
Rick Crawford
Newspaper in Education
Ford
134
$29,575
Running
3
12
75
David Starr
Spears Manufacturing
Chevrolet
134
$21,125
Running
4
3
2
Andy Houston
Team ASE / Carquest
Dodge
134
$17,075
Running
5
21
11
Jack Sprague
IWX Motor Freight
Chevrolet
134
$15,350
Running
6
4
16
Travis Kvapil
IWX Motor Freight
Chevrolet
134
$15,125
Running
7
11
46
Dennis Setzer
Acxiom / Computer Associates
Chevrolet
134
$15,175
Running
8
9
50
Jon Wood
Roush Racing
Ford
134
$14,725
Running
9
14
27
P.J. Jones
Ultra Wheels
Dodge
134
$12,275
Running
10
2
18
Chad Chaffin
Dickies
Dodge
134
$15,875
Running
11
5
29
Terry Cook
Power Stroke Diesel / Oil Mate
Ford
134
$14,225
Running
12
25
61
Scott Lynch
Orleans Hotel
Dodge
134
$11,790
Running
13
10
1
Ted Musgrave
Mopar Performace
Dodge
134
$13,915
Running
14
29
03
Eric Jones
Team EJP
Chevrolet
133
$12,815
Running
15
17
98
Matt Crafton
Menards / Enzyme Magic
Chevrolet
133
$11,465
Running
16
28
08
Jody Lavender
Hartsville Community Bank
Chevrolet
132
$15,065
Running
17
20
07
Shane Sieg
Green Light Racing
Chevrolet
132
$13,515
Running
18
8
8
Bill Lester
Strauss Auto Parts / The Club
Dodge
131
$13,415
Running
19
27
02
Kelly Sutton
Team Copaxone
Chevrolet
131
$11,065
Running
20
33
88
Buddy Rice
Menards / Enzyme Magic
Chevrolet
131
$13,315
Running
21
22
31
Mike Wallace
Microtel Inn & Suites
Dodge
129
$10,765
Running
22
34
15
Rich Bickle
Vokal Clothing / Fasscore
Ford
129
$12,790
Running
23
26
7
Tyler Walker
Dodge Motorsports
Dodge
128
$11,665
Running
24
35
72
Randy MacDonald
Greenfield Truck Center
Chevrolet
128
$12,365
Running
25
36
86
Phil Bonifield
Lane Automotive / Motor State Perf.
Chevrolet
126
$10,915
Running
26
15
59
Robert Pressley
Harris Trucking/Melling Eng. Parts
Dodge
125
$10,715
Running
27
23
99
Carl Edwards
Superchips
Ford
120
$10,515
Trans
28
24
69
Frank Kimmel
Advance Auto Parts / Pork
Ford
117
$9,315
Engine
29
13
62
Brendan Gaughan
Orleans Hotel
Dodge
101
$10,115
Crash
30
18
10
Marty Houston
Team ASE / Carquest
Dodge
100
$8,390
Crash
31
16
80
Bryan Reffner
Emerson
Chevrolet
100
$8,365
Crash
32
19
52
Ken Schrader
Federated Auto Parts
Chevrolet
88
$8,340
Engine
33
31
9
Johnny Sauter
Apple Bottoms / Vokal Clothing
Ford
32
$8,315
Engine
34
30
55
Mark McFarland
Dean Motorsports
Dodge
29
$8,290
Ignition
35
6
38
Brandon Whitt
Cure Autism Now
Chevrolet
20
$8,265
Engine
36
32
21
Morgan Shepherd
Racing With Jesus / Red Line Oil
Ford
12
$8,240
Engine
Failed to Qualify: (8) Derrike Cope (#93), Jason
Hedlesky (#51), Wayne Edwards (#95), Lance Hooper (#01), Dana
White (#23), Jamie Aube (#25), Danny Bagwell (#81), Carl Long
(#5).
Time of Race: 1 hour, 40 minutes, 8 seconds
Average Speed: 120.439 mph
Margin of Victory: .186 second
Bud Pole Award:
Bobby Hamilton, #4 Square D Dodge, 31.905 seconds, 169.252
mph (TRACK RECORD)
Clevite Engine Parts Award:
Joey Arrington, #4 Square D Dodge
Featherlite Long Haul Award:
Bobby Hamilton, #4 Square D Dodge
Mobil 1 Command Performance Driver of the Race Award:
Rick Crawford, #14 Newspapers In Educations Ford
Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award:
Jody Lavender, #08 Hartsville Community Bank Chevrolet
Waste Management Picking Up Places Award:
Jack Sprague, #11 IWX Motor Freight Chevrolet (16 places)
Caution Flags: Laps 4-5 (Truck #7 spin, Turn 4); 92-98
(Fluid on track); 102-110 (Debris on frontstretch); 113-115
(Debris Turn 2); 130-132 (Truck #61 accident, Turn 1). 5 for 24
laps.
Lead Changes: Bobby Hamilton 1-50, Rick Crawford 51-55,
David Starr 56-60, Jon Wood 61-62, Carl Edwards 63-65, Crawford
66-92, Starr 93-99, Crawford 100-116, Hamilton 117-132,
Crawford 133, Hamilton 134.
Total Laps Led: Bobby Hamilton 67, Rick Crawford 50,
David Starr 12, Carl Edwards 3, Jon Wood 2. 10 changes
involving 5 drivers.
Points following this race:
Rank
Driver
Points
-Back
1
Travis Kvapil
3837
2
Dennis Setzer
3828
-9
3
Ted Musgrave
3819
-18
4
Brendan Gaughan
3797
-40
5
Jon Wood
3659
-178
6
Bobby Hamilton
3627
-210
7
Rick Crawford
3578
-259
8
Carl Edwards
3416
-421