Bodine wins rain-shortened truck race at Dover
Dover, DE (Sports Network) - Todd Bodine overcame an early-race spin and then
got a lot of help from Mother Nature to win Friday's Lucas Oil 200 Camping
World Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway.
Bodine lost control of his No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota and spun around on
lap 68, blowing his left-rear tire in the process. But Bodine capitalized on
pit strategy from there, as rain headed towards the one-mile, concrete-
surfaced track.
Rain fell on the track for the first time just past the halfway point in the
scheduled 200-lap race. When NASCAR halted it briefly for track-drying
efforts, Kevin Harvick led the way in hopes of winning his first NASCAR
national touring series race at Dover.
When the race resumed following a 15-minute delay, Harvick and several of the
other frontrunners pitted, while Bodine was one of those who remained on the
track.
Miguel Paludo also stayed on the track and took over the lead for the restart
on lap 124. Bodine passed Paludo for the top position just before another
caution came for an incident involving Max Gresham.
Paludo pitted during that caution, allowing Parker Kligerman to move into
second. Kligerman battled Bodine for the lead, but Bodine fended off the
challenge before the ninth and final caution came on lap 144 for rain again.
NASCAR once again displayed the red flag with 53 laps remaining and then
called it moments later when the rain intensified. Bodine claimed his 22nd
career victory but his first since September 2010 at Kentucky.
"Finally," Bodine said after his 38-race winless streak came to an end. "We
didn't have the best Toyota Tundra today. [Crew chief] Rick [Gay] made a great
call. I didn't realize what he was trying to accomplish and how close we were
on fuel, but it worked out. You don't like to win this way, but you know what,
I've lost them this way."
Bodine became the sixth different winner in as many truck races this season.
The two-time series champion also became the 12th different winner in 13 races
at Dover. Kyle Busch is the only driver with multiple victories here. Busch
did not compete in this year's event.
Kligerman settled for second place.
"I had enough shots but didn't get it done," he said. "It was a good points
day for us. We led a lap an got an extra bonus point."
Harvick, who started on the pole and dominated most of this race by leading 96
laps, wound up finishing third. Harvick was the only Sprint Cup Series regular
to compete this event.
Nelson Piquet Jr. placed fourth, followed by rookies Cale Gale and Ty Dillon.
James Buescher, Matt Crafton, Timothy Peters and Justin Lofton completed the
top-10.
Lofton left Dover with a one-point lead over Peters. He entered this race with
the same points margin over Peters. Lofton claimed his first truck victory two
weeks ago at Charlotte.
Dillon is third in points (-13), followed by Buescher (-16), Kligerman (-22)
and Bodine (-37).
06/01 20:16:21 ET
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