A caution on the last lap would seal the deal for Johnny Sauter as he would take the checkered flag to win the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway.
This marks the seventh victory of Sauter’s career in his 109th truck race. It also marks his first top 10 finish ever at Daytona after crashing last year while leading.
“So proud of this team,” he said. “We came so close a year ago and that was a tough one to swallow. Tonight it was about track position. I thought we were in trouble with 30 to go but when the good lord is with you, it happens. I am speechless right now. It means so much luck to win out there. to do it, its big. I can’t believe I’m in victory lane at Daytona.”
On the last lap after the leaders took the white flag, James Buescher got into Jeff Agnew, sending him up across the track. The incident also collected Joey Coulter.
The win for Sauter gave Toyota their seventh consecutive win at Daytona and their 100th win ever in the Truck series.
Kyle Busch would finish second with his fourth top 10 finish in five races at Daytona after racing within the top five all night.
“We would have had a really good day if it was a 100 lap race,” Busch said. “But it was only 99 today. I hate when that happens. You have a crash here after you take the white flag and then you don’t have a chance to get out and try it. We were right in position all night. Shoot, I think the worst I fell was fourth, fifth, or sixth. I had it all planned out. I was going to put on a show for the fans.”
Ron Hornaday Jr. finished third for his third top 10 finish in ten races at Daytona. Hornaday’s teammate Justin Lofton finished fourth, followed by Jeb Burton. Burton was the highest finishing rookie in the field.
Ty Dillon finished sixth, followed by Miguel Paludo, Ryan Blaney, Matt Crafton and Ryan Sieg.
The race would experience five cautions with the first on lap 26 for Scott Riggs blowing a motor.
The big one would happen on lap 54 when Brendan Gaughan would try to go between pole sitter Brennan Newberry and German Quiroga.
“I put myself back there messing up pit road,” Gaughan said. “He (Quiroga) left the hole about five times, I was at his tire, he kept leaving the hole and you have to take that hole. He then came down. It’s my fault cause I had a rookie on one side and a rookie on the other.”
The wreck collected Jason White, Bryan Silas, Chris Cockrum, Ryan Truex, Chris Fontaine, Max Gresham, Tim George Jr. and defending race winner John King.
The damage from the wreck would catch up with Jason White as he would wreck by himself with 38 laps to go. Jennifer Jo Cobb would then blow a motor with 23 laps to go.
The fourth caution came out with nine laps to go when Ryan Truex would have a tire go down, spinning in front of a pack of trucks. Timothy Peters, Ross Chastain and John Wes Townley was caught up in the wreck.
“I got in that first wreck there – was missing it, and then got pushed into it,” he said. “The guys worked hard to get the truck fixed. Me and James (Buescher) were going to the front there. I got the flat tire on the backstretch and was going back and forth there. I went to middle, hoping that James would go to the outside so I could go to the back. But it was too late there.”
Sauter leads the points early in the season, six points ahead of Hornaday Jr.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – NextEra Energy Resources 250
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
Friday, February 22, 2013
1. (25) Johnny Sauter, Toyota, 100, $73310.
2. (6) Kyle Busch(i), Toyota, 100, $46900.
3. (4) Ron Hornaday Jr., Chevrolet, 100, $33920.
4. (2) Justin Lofton, Chevrolet, 100, $28285.
5. (7) Jeb Burton #, Chevrolet, 100, $24835.
6. (5) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 100, $18610.
7. (8) Miguel Paludo, Chevrolet, 100, $17610.
8. (11) Ryan Blaney #, Ford, 100, $16610.
9. (17) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 100, $15610.
10. (31) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 100, $15885.
11. (26) Todd Bodine, Toyota, 100, $14510.
12. (14) Darrell Wallace Jr. #, Toyota, 100, $12085.
13. (3) James Buescher, Chevrolet, 100, $15235.
14. (16) Ross Chastain, Ford, 100, $14110.
15. (33) Chris Cockrum, Toyota, 100, $14785.
16. (24) Tim George Jr., Ford, 100, $13810.
17. (32) Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 100, $13705.
18. (21) John King, Chevrolet, 100, $11335.
19. (13) Dakoda Armstrong, Chevrolet, 100, $13485.
20. (36) Dusty Davis, Chevrolet, 100, $11760.
21. (28) John Wes Townley, Toyota, 100, $13285.
22. (10) Joey Coulter, Toyota, 100, $13185.
23. (30) Jeff Agnew, Chevrolet, Accident, 99, $13060.
24. (12) Max Gresham, Chevrolet, Accident, 99, $11685.
25. (20) German Quiroga #, Toyota, 97, $11735.
26. (19) Clay Greenfield, RAM, 95, $10485.
27. (23) Timothy Peters, Toyota, Accident, 92, $10335.
28. (9) Ryan Truex #, Chevrolet, Accident, 91, $10235.
29. (15) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 74, $10135.
30. (29) Jason White(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 61, $10535.
31. (34) David Starr, Toyota, Suspension, 58, $9985.
32. (27) Bryan Silas, Ford, Accident, 54, $9935.
33. (1) Brennan Newberry #, Chevrolet, Accident, 54, $12185.
34. (22) Chris Fontaine, Toyota, Accident, 53, $9830.
35. (35) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, Engine, 37, $9780.
36. (18) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, Engine, 25, $9692.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 141.598 mph.
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 45 Mins, 56 Secs. Margin of Victory: Caution.
Caution Flags: 6 for 20 laps.
Lead Changes: 11 among 6 drivers.
Lap Leaders: 0; J. Lofton 1-6; T. Dillon 7-17; J. Buescher 18; T. Dillon 19-60; J. Sauter 61; T. Dillon 62-64; T. Bodine 65-68; K. Busch(i) 69; T. Bodine 70-73; K. Busch(i) 74-84; J. Sauter 85-100.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): T. Dillon 3 times for 56 laps; J. Sauter 2 times for 17 laps; K. Busch(i) 2 times for 12 laps; T. Bodine 2 times for 8 laps; J. Lofton 1 time for 6 laps; J. Buescher 1 time for 1 lap.
Top 10 in Points: J. Sauter – 47; R. Hornaday Jr. – 41; J. Lofton – 41; T. Dillon – 40; J. Burton # – 39; M. Paludo – 37; R. Blaney # – 36; M. Crafton – 35; R. Sieg – 34; T. Bodine – 34.
