#16-Travis Kvapil claimed his first NASCAR Truck series championship and the second consecutive for IWX Racing and its #16 Chevrolets with his sixth place finish in Friday’s Ford 200 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Pole-winner #4-Bobby Hamilton won the race, holding off veteran #14-Rick Crawford by .186 seconds. The race’s final restart on Lap 133 of 134 ended up deciding the championship. Hamilton led on the restart, while the three drivers still in the championship hunt Kvapil, #46-Dennis Setzer and #1-Ted Musgrave were lined up seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively. As the lead-lap trucks crossed the finish line, NASCAR officials black-flagged Musgrave, claiming he attempted a pass to the left of Setzer on the restart to gain position. Only passing to the right is permitted. Initially after the race, Musgrave was listed as the series champion with a 16-point advantage. Following a review of the call, which was upheld, Musgrave was moved to 13th the last truck on the lead lap and Kvapil took the title by nine points over Setzer. “Ted was desperate. He needed to pick up two spots on me and it wasn’t going to happen under the green flag,” Kvapil said. “This is unbelievable. I’m just speechless.” Kvapil ended the season with one win (at Bristol), 13 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes in 25 races. Mike Bliss won the Truck title with the same team last season.
Kvapil is leaving the team and joining the Toyota camp next season. Three-time series champion Jack Sprague will take over the #16 next season. Musgrave claimed he was trying to prevent an accident on the restart, not trying to pass. “Everybody’s on the gas and everybody’s moving forward and (Kvapil) stopped,” Musgrave said. “I turned left to avoid from having a big wreck and as soon as I did that, he stood on the gas. So, I had to get on the gas, too. It’s one of those deals where I think I know how to win championships now and that’s to play dirty like those guys.”
Brendan Gaughan led the series points entering the race, but his #62 Dodge was demolished in a wreck on Lap 101. He was still leading the points when the wreck occurred. #10-Marty Houston, driving a Dodge for owner Jim Smith (who also owns Musgrave’s truck), clipped the wall as the caution flag came out, shot down the track and into Gaughan. Gaughan then rolled to the bottom of the track and was hit again, this time by #80-Bryan Reffner. The wreck immediately took Gaughan out of contention for the championship.(ThatsRacin.com)
See Results at ThatsRacin.com, Truckseries.com, Motorsports One or NASCAR.com.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 120.439 mph.
Time of Race: 1 hour, 40 minutes, 8 seconds.
Margin of Victory: 0.186 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 5 for 23 laps.
Lead Changes: 10 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders: B. Hamilton 1-50; R. Crawford 51-55; D. Starr 56-60; J. Wood 61-62; C. Edwards # 63-65; R. Crawford 66-92; D. Starr 93-99; R. Crawford 100-116; B. Hamilton 117-132; R. Crawford 133; B. Hamilton 134.(11-14-2003)
