#8-Martin Truex Jr.’s first NASCAR Busch Series victory was dominating and clear-cut [a NJ native with NJ native Jayski in attendence]. The remainder of the finishing order in Saturday’s Sharpie Professional 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway, however, was determined only after myriad replays, complaints and discussions in the NASCAR hauler. After a wild final three laps in which first #32-David Stremme, and then #27-Johnny Sauter, were involved in accidents without a caution being displayed, Truex Jr. claimed a win under caution when the yellow finally came out for #1-Johnny Benson’s wreck in Turn 1 on Lap 249 of 250. Even then, rather than sort out the many issues, including cars passing under yellow and another driver – Mike Bliss – failing to take the checkered flag, NASCAR stood with its initial finishing order. Series points leader #21-Kevin Harvick was credited with second, rookie #5-Kyle Busch third, pole-winner #60-Greg Biffle fourth and #37-David Green fifth. Truex Jr., in his 20th start, took the lead on Lap 117 after running down Biffle, who decided against stopping for fresh tires with the rest of the lead-lap cars under caution on Lap 71. He never lost the lead after that. “Martin Truex Jr. What can you say?” said Dale Earnhardt Jr., who co-owns Truex Jr.’s Chance 2 Motorsports team with his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt. “These guys deserve all this success.” Truex Jr. had come close to victory before in his short series tenure, with three second-place finishes. “We’ve had things not go our way and today, I swear, I thought they weren’t going to go our way at the end there. But we pulled it together,” Truex Jr., 23, said. “I can’t wait for the rest of the year. I think we can win the championship. These guys are that good and these cars are that good every week.” The race was slowed eight times by caution for 49 laps. Truex Jr.’s pass of Biffle was the only lead change of the race. The drama didn’t end with the checkered flag. Mike Bliss, who was running second when the caution came out, failed to take the checkered flag [and drove onto pit road]. When he realized his mistake, he ended up 17th [after going back on the track and taking another lap]. Harvick apologized for starting the late-race incident with Stremme. The crews of Stremme and Benson got into a shouting match on pit road and then the garage, as it was Stremme who hit Benson on the next-to-last lap.(ThatsRacin.com report)
For race results, see ThatsRacin.com, BGNRacing.com, Motorsports One or NASCAR.com.(3-27-2004)
