Kyle Busch finishes fifth to retain points lead

Monday, June 7, 2004 | 10:53 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

DOVER, Del. -- Greg Biffle outlasted Martin Truex Jr. and David Green to win the rain-delayed MBNA 200 NASCAR Busch race today and Kyle Busch finished fifth to retain the points lead.

The victory was the third of the season for Biffle.

Truex finished second, Green third and Bobby Hamilton Jr. fourth. Hamilton had the lead when racing resumed this morning at at Dover International Speedway.

The MNBA 200 was stopped after 28 of 200 laps Saturday. Another 72 laps were needed to make it official. Drivers were called to their cars twice, but each time the covers were removed the rain resumed.

The sanctioning body waited out a delay of more than five hours before persistent rain finally overcame the track-drying process. Two dozen trucks -- including three with jet dryers -- circled the track for hours.

The delay didn't cause Hamilton to lose his sense of humor when he was asked about what was going on out on the track.

"Well, it's raining," he said. "But I'm ready to go. I'll drive in the rain if they want me to."

Untreaded tires make that impossible.

He did says that he would have preferred NASCAR to reschedule the race to Sunday instead of Monday, but the Nextel Cup race made that impossible.

Hamilton qualified sixth in his Ford, but picked up four positions in the first two laps.

He was seeking his first vicdtory of the seaosn and sixth of his career, but his chances were sabotaged early today when a quick pit stop was botched.