Brooklyn, MI (Sports Network) - Travis Kvapil passed Kyle Busch with one lap
remaining and went on to capture Saturday afternoon's Michigan 200 Craftsman
Truck Series race at the Michigan International Speedway. The No.6 Roush
Racing Ford driver crossed the finish line ahead of Busch.
The victory was Kvapil's first of the season and sixth of his career.
After winning his first pole of the season, Kvapil led the 36-truck field
around the two-mile oval for 100 laps of racing.
The race got off to an exciting start as Kvapil and Mark Martin battled side-
by-side for the lead on the first lap. Martin took the outside lane to pass
Kvapil as they came out of turn four.
On the next lap the No.21 Ford got loose in turn two, allowing Kvapil to re-
take the first position.
The No.6 Roush Racing Ford driver pulled away to a one second lead. But Martin
started to chip away at Kvapil's margin. On lap 10 Martin went underneath
Kvapil on the backstretch for the top-spot.
The veteran was still the leader when the first caution flag came out on lap
28 for debris on the backstretch. Under the caution period Martin led Busch
and the rest of the field down pit road for the first stops of the afternoon.
The No.21 Ford won the race off pit road followed by Kvapil, Mike Skinner,
Busch and Kevin Harvick.
When the race got back underway on lap 34 Busch used the outside lane to pass
Skinner and Kvapil. He would continue to use the outside lane to pass the
leader on the same lap.
The No.51 Chevrolet continued to show the way as the battle heated up behind
him. Martin maintained the second spot while Skinner and Kvapil battled side-
by-side for third.
On lap 39 Martin passed Busch and in the process retook the race lead.
Meanwhile, Kvapil won the battle for the third spot.
The No.21 Ford started to pull away from the field. But disaster struck the
leader on lap 48 when engine problems forced him to bring his truck into the
garage. He finished the race in the 33rd position.
Kvapil was now the new leader followed by Skinner. The No.6 Roush Racing Ford
driver was still in first when the next caution flag came out on lap 55 for an
A.J. Allmendinger crash. During the caution period the leaders took their last
pit stops of the race.
The race off pit road was won by Skinner. And on lap 60 he led Busch, Kvapil,
Brendan Gaughan and Jack Sprague to the restart.
The No.5 Toyota held onto the top-spot during the restart. But a battle for
the lead quickly developed.
The battled begun when Kvapil passed Skinner for the lead on lap 65. The next
two laps involved Skinner and Busch trading the first position. On lap 71
Busch finally won the battle for the lead.
The No.51 Chevrolet was the leader when the third caution flag of the race
came out on lap 74 for Ken Schrader. Just six laps later the final caution
flag came out when Sprague crashed into the wall in turn three.
With just 16 laps left to go Busch led Kvapil, Gaughan, Musgrave and Skinner
to the restart.
Busch held onto the lead and created a margin of half a second over Kvapil.
Meanwhile, Gaughan brushed the turn two wall with 11 laps remaining and
dropped two spots to Musgrave and Skinner.
The race for first got intense as Kvapil was now right under the rear spoiler
of Busch.
With only one lap left in the race Kvapil made the winning pass when he took
the inside lane to get by Busch. Busch wasn't able to catch Kvapil and the
No.6 Roush Racing Ford driver crossed the finish line.
Gaughan, Skinner and Musgrave completed the top-five.
The next race in the series is set for Friday, June 22nd at The Milwaukee
Mile.