Musgrave wins Dover truck race

? Ted Musgrave used lapped traffic to take the lead and hold off Robert Pressley in a battle of former Winston Cup drivers to win the NASCAR truck series race Friday at Dover International Speedway.

“Where did Robert Pressley come from?” Musgrave asked of the driver who came to the fore in the second half of the event. “He made me run hard all the way to the end.”

The victory in the MBNA America 200, was the second of the season for Musgrave and his ninth in Craftsman Truck Series competition.

Musgrave said the pressure applied by Pressley caused concern about his tires.

“If he had pushed me any harder it would have burned the right rear up, Musgrave said. “But a veteran knows not to burn up his tires.”

After polesitter Rick Crawford used a fast pit stop to take the lead halfway through the race, Musgrave stalked him in a nose-to-tail battle around The Monster Mile. Musgrave got by Crawford – as did Travis Kvapil – as the trucks came up on lapped vehicles exiting the fourth turn on the 123rd lap at the high-banked concrete oval.

Musgrave, who had fallen out of the lead with a slow stop after Matt Crafton hit the wall on the 97th of 200 laps, held on to win by a half-second.

Kvapil, Musgrave’s biggest obstacle as he attempted to pull away, crashed out of contention on the 151st lap. That left Pressley second and Crawford third, but neither mounted a serious challenge in the final quarter of the race.

Musgrave’s Dodge got a huge jump on late restarts, leaving Pressley’s Dodge and Crawford’s Ford to race for second. Pressley was able to close within a few truck-lengths several times, but never was able to make a serious bid for the victory.

“He hit the lapped traffic right, I hit it wrong,” Pressley said.” Ted did what he was supposed to do.”

Musgrave became the only driver in the series to win twice this season. He also beat Pressley in a 1-2 finish in March in Darlington, S.C.

The winner led 135 laps in a race slowed six times by caution for 34 laps. Musgrave averaged a track-record 104.545 mph and won $49,875.

There were six lead changes among three drivers.

Crawford wound up third in the $582,8983 race, followed by the Chevrolet of points leader David Starr. Mike Bliss, who trails Starr by four points in the standings, was fifth in his Chevy.

Musgrave is fourth in the standings, 15 points behind Starr and two ahead of Crawford.

Crafton was taken to Kent General Hospital for observation after complaining of dizziness.