Busch sets NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series record with MBNA 200 win

Friday, Sept. 22, 2000 | 5:19 a.m.

DOVER, Del. -- Kurt Busch established a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series record for a rookie by winning the MBNA e-commerce 200 Friday at Dover Downs International Speedway for his third victory of the season.

Although Busch captured the pole for the race, the 22-year-old Las Vegas native started last in the 34-truck field after he wrecked his truck during Thursday's final practice session and was forced to start his backup truck Friday.

Busch charged to the lead on lap 147, then spent the next 52 laps battling Mike Wallace for the lead. On lap 198, with Wallace leading, Busch and Wallace got together just past the start/finish line and Wallace spun out.

The caution period forced a green-white-checkered finish and Busch held off Roush Racing teammate Greg Biffle for the win.

Although Busch was greeted by a chorus of boos from many in the crowd of about 40,000, it did not appear as if the Durango High graduate intentionally wrecked Wallace.

"It was just good, hard racing," Busch said. "He slipped a little bit too much coming out of (turn) four, trying to get by that lapped truck. He blocked me low but the problem was I didn't go low; I went high and he tried to come back up and close the hole but I was already there.

"It was a tough deal -- we raced each other hard -- and I hated to see it end that way. That's not the way I would have chosen to win, but that's racing."

Wallace had a different opinion of the incident.

"It sure is a shame to lose a race like this," Wallace said. "I guess (Busch) had a run going and he ran into the back of us.

"It would have been a heck of a battle between the two trucks if he hadn't done that. That's not something I do but I guess that's the mentality of their program and they don't know anything different."

Busch, who led twice in the race for nine laps, earned $50,640 plus a $10,000 bonus for winning from the pole.

Busch's third win as a rookie is a NCTS record. Busch had held the record with the late Kenny Irwin, who won two races during his rookie season in the truck series in 1997.

The win punctuated what is shaping up to be a dream weekend for Busch, who will start 10th in his NASCAR Winston Cup debut Sunday at Dover Downs.

Busch said his success Thursday and Friday would not alter his plan to drive a conservative race in Sunday's MBNA.com 400 Winston Cup race.

"You're going to see a different Kurt Busch out there (Sunday)," Busch said. "There are 42 other drivers out there who have been there for a while and they know how the series runs; I have got to learn how their operation works."

Biffle, who only has to show up for the final two races of the season to clinch the series championship, finished second and Rick Crawford was third.

There were 10 lead changes among five drivers and Wallace led 168 of the 203 laps. There were seven caution periods for 40 laps.

Tom Carey was injured during a two-car crash on lap 79 and was transported to a local hospital. Carey was listed in serious but stable condition and was being treated for facial cuts and multiple lacerations caused by his shoulder harness.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach him at 259-4089 or by e-mail at bh@lasvegassun.com.