Ron Hornaday does the winner's burnout after winning his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, the 30th series win in his career. More pix at the end of this page...

Hornaday Wins Lowe's Truck Race
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

CONCORD, N.C. (May 18, 2007) — Ron Hornaday Jr. held off AJ Allmendinger in a green-white-checkered finish to win the Quaker Steak and Lube 200 Craftsman Truck Series race Friday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

The two-lap shootout resulted from a caution on lap 132 that pushed the race two laps beyond its posted distance of 134 laps. Strong on restarts throughout the race, Hornaday pulled away slightly on Lap 135 and crossed the finish line .244 seconds ahead of Allmendinger.

Todd Bodine ran third, followed by Mark Martin and Ted Musgrave. Mike Bliss, Matt Crafton, Mike Skinner, T.J. Bell and Rick Crawford claimed positions six through 10.

Johnny Benson was running second when he cut down a right-front tire and smacked the outside wall on Lap 123. Benson’s accident brought out the sixth caution of the race and promoted Allmendinger to second in the running order.

Skinner, the Bud Pole starter and series points leader, dropped from second to ninth position because of lug nut problems during a pit stop under caution on lap 89, but that wasn’t the worst of Skinner’s problems. Believing he had a tire problem, Skinner returned to the pits twice under the fifth caution of the night—caused when Joey Clanton’s No. 09 Ford pinched the No. 99 Ford of Erik Darnell into the outside wall off Turn 2 on Lap 99—and fell to 19th position for a restart on Lap 104.

Hornaday's first win since last July was his record-extending 30th victory. He won $57,550 and gave Chevrolet its initial win of the 2006 season. Hornaday's winning average speed of 122.809 mph was reduced by seven cautions that consumed 27 laps. Skinner continues to hold the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship lead by 85 points over defending champion Bodine following the sixth of 25 scheduled events.

Complete race results and point standings in Related News section below...

Television

• Practice: Friday, May 18 (SPEED at 11 a.m./AT, 10 a.m./ET)
• Qualifying: Friday, May 18 (SPEED at 5:30/AT, 4:30 /ET)
• Pre-Race: Friday, May 18 (SPEED at 9:30 p.m. AT, 8:30 p.m. ET)
• Race: Friday, May 18 (SPEED at 10 p.m. AT, 9 p.m. ET)

Related News

5/16: Entry List (PDF)

5/18: First Practice Speed Chart (PDF)

5/18: Rookie Practice Speed Chart (PDF)

5/18: Final Practice Speed Chart (PDF)

5/18: Qualifying Order (PDF)

5/18: Qualifying Results (PDF)

5/18: Starting Lineup (PDF)

5/18: Race Results (PDF)

5/18: Point Standings (PDF)

Fast Facts
The Race: Quaker Steak & Lube 200 presented by Circle K
The Place: Lowe’s Motor Speedway
The Date: May 18
The Time: 9 p.m. (ET)
TV: SPEED, 8:30 p.m. (ET)
Track Layout: 1.5-mile paved oval
Race Purse: $544,474
2006 Winner: Kyle Busch
2006 Pole: Mike Skinner
Schedule (track time/ET): Friday – Practice 10 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.; 11:20 a.m.. – 11:40 a.m. (rookies) and 11:50 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. Qualifying 4:35 p.m.
Pre-Race Point Standings: click here (PDF)

This'N'That

• Toyota has picked up where it left off last year with an early lead in the Manufacturers’ Standings. Toyotas have won four of the five races this season, including the season-opener by Jack Sprague and three straight by Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota). Last year Toyota had 12 wins and won its first-ever Manufacturers’ Championship. Erik Darnell picked up the first Ford win of the season at Kansas. Chevrolet and Dodge are searching for their first wins. Ron Hornaday, runner-up at California, has the best Chevrolet finish of the season; Ken Schrader’s 12th-place finish at Martinsville is the best for Dodge.
• NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway the past two years has become Kyle Busch versus the field. Busch, who will step into a Craftsman Truck for the 26th time in his career, has won the past two races at LMS and has made the annual race an Us vs. Him extravaganza, pitting the Craftsman Truck regulars against the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series star.
• NASCAR Busch Series driver Shane Huffman will make his season debut in the No. 40 Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet for Key Motorsports at Lowe’s. Huffman ran four of the last five events of 2006 for Key Motorsports; his best finish was 20th at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mike Bliss and Clay Rogers have split driving duties for the first five races. Bliss has the best finish – 10th at California Speedway.
• Just two weeks after his win at Kansas Speedway, Erik Darnell (No. 99 Northern Tool-Equipment Ford) drove to Victory Lane again. Only this time, he did it in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Darnell’s Kansas win was the first of his career and was the quickest of a non-winning Raybestos Rookie of the Year, taking only 31 starts. Darnell is currently 10th in the standings.

Photo Gallery - Friday, May 18


Pole sitter Mike Skinner leads the field to start the Quaker Steak & Lube 200...


Pole sitter Skinner (5) races eventual winner Hornaday for position...


Hornaday's pit crew during a pit stop...


Hornaday celebrates in Victory Lane with the help of his son and daughter...

IMPORTANT: All information, schedules and/or scheduled events is/are subject to change without notice. Please check with the source to confirm.