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.

A wreck on the last lap would seal the deal for Johnny Sauter as he would pick up the victory in the NextEra Energy Resources 250.

Lap 1 Newberry and Lofton side-by-side for the lead. Hornaday pushes Lofton, they clear Newberry. Lofton first, Hornaday second

Lap 2 Lofton Hornaday Busch Newberry Buescher. Top three single-file while Newberry and Buescher side-by-side for fourth

Lap7 Dillon jumps to the outside line in front of Buescher

Lap 8 Dillon grabs the lead from Lofton. Down the backstraight, Dillon jumps to the bottom and now its Dillon and Buescher side-by-side for the lead. Cobb to the garage.

Lap 9 Lofton jumps to the outside of Dillon, Hornaday connects with Dillon, Dillon keeps the lead

Lap 10 Dillon Lofton Busch top three as top 10 are single file

Lap 14 Dillon Hornaday Busch while Buesher and Newberry are side-by-side for fourth

Lap 15 Dillon Hornaday single file while Busch and Buescher side-by-side for third

Lap 19 Dillon and Buescher side-by-side for the lead

Lap 23 Dillon holds the lead with Hornaday and Busch in toe

Caution lap 26 Scott Riggs blow a motor. Leaders pit. Darrell Wallace Jr. first off pit road, due to missing pit; made contact with Buescher while missing pit. Ty Dillon first off pit road for those who made it into their stall. Buescher stayed on pit road late to fix tail damage.

Restart. Coulter and Newberry make contact, save it

Lap 30 Dillon Coulter Busch single-file at the front.

Lap 33 Dillon Coulter Busch Lofton Hornaday single-file

Caution lap 54 Newberry, Silas, White, Gaughan, Cockrum, Quiroga, King, R. Truex, Fontaine, Gresham, George Jr……Gaughan tried to make it three-wide, cutting between Newberry and Quiroga. Leaders head down pit road. Agnew leads the race off pit road, followed by Dillon Lofton Peters off pit road. Agnew missed his pit stall so he will need to back down pit road.

Restart 40 to go Dillon restarts as leader but Sauter makes it by with help from Lofton and grabs the lead.

39 to go Sauter leads Dillon while Lofton and Busch side-by-side for third.

38 to go Dillon jumps out with Busch and grabs the lead from Sauter as they are three-wide behind them across the start-finish line. Hornaday turned sideways on the apron, but saves it. Caution Jason White wrecks by himself. Leaders pitted, different laps depending on strategy played. Bodine leads Armstrong Busch Burton Dillon Hornaday Lofton Coulter Sauter

Restart 33 to go Bodine leads

32 to go Armstrong pushes Bodine out front

31 to go Sauter and Bodine side-by-side for the lead…….Armstrong pushes Bodine back out front

28 to go Armstrong got Bodine sideways while leading. Busch to the lead

24 to go Bush Bodine Armstrong Burton single-file ahead of the field

23 to go Lofton put into the center. Jennifer Jo Cobb blows a motor.

Restart 19 to go Armstrong pushes Busch ahead as Busch leads the field.

18 to go Busch Armstrong Hornaday Dillon Sauter

17 to go Top six single-file Busch Armstrong Hornaday Dillon Sauter Lofton. Burton gets major loose in the middle, saves it

16 to go Crafton has a flat tire. Sauter leads Bodine ahead of the field as they pass Busch for the lead

14 to go Sauter Bodine Busch Armstrong Hornaday

13 to go Crafton makes it to pit road.

11 to go top 13 are single file

9 to go Truex and Busecher make a run, but come up short

Caution Truex with a tire flat, spins in front of second half of the field. Peters, Chastain, Townley.

Restart 5 to go Sauter and Bodine lead the field. Armstrong misses a shift, Sauter pulls ahead with Busch on his bumper ahead of Hornaday, Lofton and Burton

Final Lap. Caution Buescher gets into the back of Agnew, Agnew comes back up across the track, clips Coulter. Collecting

Sauter Busch Hornaday Lofton Burton Dillon Paludo Blaney Crafton Sieg