Buescher Lights It Up
11-18-2011 1:13 pm

With points leader Austin Dillon on the verge of his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, it was James Buescher who stole the show in Friday’s lone round of practice for tonight’s Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Buescher went out at the tail end of the rain-delayed session and put down a lap of 166.986 miles per hours, tops in the field.

Ty Dillon, driving the No. 21 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet, was second at 166.502 miles per hour, versus brother Austin’s fast lap of 166.072 mph in the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, which was only good enough for fourth.

Nelson Piquet Jr. split the Dillon brothers in his KHI-owned Chevy, running third-fast in the session.

Johnny Sauter, who is second in points, was fifth in practice, his No. 13 ThorSport Racing Chevy lapping the 1.5-mile track at 165.385 mph. Cole Whitt, Elliott Sadler, Kevin Harvick, Justin Lofton and Joey Coulter completed the top 10.

Austin Dillon leads Sauter by 20 points and Buescher by 28. Dillon can clinch the title by finishing 16th or better in tonight’s season-ending race; 17th or better with at least one lap led; or 18th or better with the most laps led.

SPEED will televise Truck Series qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET this afternoon. SPEED’s coverage of the Ford 200 Truck Series race starts at 7:30 p.m. with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Setup, with the race at 8 p.m.