NASCAR: Timothy Peters spins to win Truck Series race

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LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC
Timothy Peters leads the field during Friday night's Camping World Truck Series race at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis.

By AL PEARCE on 7/29/2011

Toyota driver Timothy Peters used his own spin and resulting caution period to make a critical pit stop that helped him win Friday night’s AAA Insurance Camping World Truck Series 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Clermont, Ind. It was Peters’ first Truck Series win this year and third of his career, after Martinsville in 2009 and Daytona Beach in 2010.

When Peters spun at lap 91, crew chief Butch Hilton gave him four fresh tires and a full load of fuel. The race was green the last 106 laps--an unprecedented, perhaps record-setting stretch at the track--giving Peters just enough time to rally back toward the front. He passed leader James Buescher (who was in fuel-conservation mode) at lap 195 and easily led the rest of the way, winning by 2.645 seconds.

Buescher, who led twice for 97 laps, finished second, with David Starr, Miguel Paludo and four-time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. rounding out the top five. Matt Crafton, Joey Coulter, Cole Whitt, pole-winner Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain completed the top 10. Points leader (by only four) Johnny Sauter led once for 44 laps, but a flat right-front tire and subsequent suspension damage left him 23rd among the 34 starters.

Buescher (97 laps) led the most, then Sauter (44), Dillon (the first 36), Parker Kligerman (twice for 16) Peters (the last six) and Bodine (once for one) were the only lap leaders.

Dillon was on the verge of a top-five finish and perhaps the points lead when Bodine wrecked him on the last lap. Dillon called the former two-time champion "an idiot" and Bodine didn’t disagree, saying the accident was strictly his fault.

"He has a right to be mad," Bodine said after his lap-down 12th-place finish. "I just didn’t see him over there. It was my fault all the way."

The race may have been the last in the foreseeable future for the Truck Series at the popular. 0.686-mile bullring. NASCAR is moving its annual Brickyard 400 weekend Nationwide Series race to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway next year. Most series watchers expect NASCAR to also pull its trucks from Lucas Oil Raceway instead of going back for an 18th consecutive year.

TOP 10 FINISHERS

1. Timothy Peters, Toyota

2. James Buescher, Chevrolet

3. David Starr, Toyota

4. Miguel Paludo, Toyota

5. Ron Hornaday Jr., Chevrolet

6. Matt Crafton, Chevrolet

7. Joey Coulter, Chevrolet

8. Cole Whitt, Chevrolet

9. Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

10. Ross Chastain, Chevrolet

POINTS LEADERS

1. Johnny Sauter, 453

2. Austin Dillon, -4

3. James Buescher, -20

4. Timothy Peters, -22

5. Cole Whitt, -29

6. Matt Crafton, -38

7. Parker Kligerman, -46

8. Joey Coulter, -50

9. Ron Hornaday Jr., -52

10. Todd Bodine, -70

Next event: Aug, 6, Pocono, Pa.

 

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