Clermont, Ind. ? Points leader Greg Biffle held off a late charge by Jason Keller during the final laps Saturday in the crash-filled Kroger 200 to win a battle between the top drivers in the NASCAR Busch Series.

It was the fourth victory this season for Biffle, who moves up next year to a Winston Cup car also owned by Roush Racing.

Polesitter Biffle took the lead by passing Scott Riggs with 11 laps to go, and Keller soon followed. Five laps later, Keller reached Biffle, setting off a fierce fight between their Fords the rest of the way at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Keller was faster, using a high line in the nearly flat turns on the .686-mile track and closing within a car length. But lapped traffic helped slowed his charge in the last two laps.

Both cited pit work as being decisive, and Biffle liked a decision near the end that gave him fresh tires to get by the other contenders as he drove hard in pursuit of Riggs.

“That was a great call in the pits and great work by the crew,” Biffle said. “Jason had a really good car tonight, he was a lot better than us.”

But Keller bemoaned the difference in the crew work.

“We got our butt kicked on pit road all night,” he said. “You can’t win a race that way.”

Still, he was there at the end. But like his position in the standings wound up second to Biffle.

“Track position was everything,” Keller said.

The victory was the first by a Ford in the 21-year history of the track about 120 miles west of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the Winston Cup drivers contest the Brickyard 400 today.

The red flag was waved on lap 60 following a five-car crash on the first turn. Shane Hmiel’s car slammed into the wall, setting off a reaction that took out Hermie Sadler, Hank Parker Jr., Kevin Lepage, Mike Harmon and Kevin Grubb.

The race came to a halt again when the Sauter brothers, Tim and Jay, were involved in a three-car crash that also took out Ashton Lewis Jr., on lap 79.

Keller battled Biffle early, taking a lead on lap 23. Biffle regained the lead on the next lap and led through a yellow flag on lap 37. Then Keller came on strong and took the lead with the green flag on lap 42 of the 200.