Hamilton wins wild Daytona truck race Craven finishes 4th in series opener

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bobby Hamilton was standing on pit road and Jimmy Spencer was celebrating in Victory Lane.

Then they switched positions.

Hamilton was awarded a victory in the wreck-filled Florida Dodge Dealers 250 on Friday night at Daytona International Speedway after Spencer initially took the checkered flag and drove into the winner’s circle.

It was the perfect ending for a frenzied race that included countless lead changes, several major crashes and two flipping trucks.

“That was pretty wild,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton took the lead after a restart with one lap to go, but Spencer was back in front when an eight-truck wreck started behind the leaders. However, before the caution flag came out, Hamilton moved back in front.

NASCAR officials quickly changed the result, but not after Spencer had made his way to Victory Lane. Spencer smiled and shook his head after he was told the news. He put his steering wheel back on, and crew members begrudgingly pushed his car back to the pits.

Hamilton, meanwhile, just clapped his hands when told of the scoring change. Within minutes, his team was in Victory Lane, reveling in the win in the season-opening race for NASCAR’s truck series.

“It was almost a no-brainer,” Hamilton said. “I pretty much knew it. I had confidence in what was going to happen.”

Newburgh native Ricky Craven, driving a Ford F-150, turned in a strong finish in the series opener with a fourth-place finish after qualifying in 26th. He led two of the 100 laps, Nos. 79 and 80.

Craven had made 21 career starts at Daytona during his Nextel Cup and Busch career heading into the race. It was his first Craftsman Truck Series start at Daytona and his second career truck start.

Hamilton, the defending series champion, picked up his ninth career truck win and became the series’ first driver to win from the last starting spot.

But his comeback was overshadowed by several major accidents, including two in the final laps.

Spencer took the lead with seven laps remaining. He moved to the front just as Dennis Setzer bumped Chad Chaffin and sent him sliding into the infield. Chaffin flipped once and landed upright. Setzer, Terry Cook and Johnny Benson also were involved, but none of them was injured.

Hamilton overtook Spencer after the restart, and as it turned out, he held on for the victory.

The frantic finish capped a chaotic night.

Pole-sitter Kerry Earnhardt and several other top contenders were knocked out midway through the 100-lap race.

Earnhardt lost control of his Chevrolet coming out of turn four on Lap 49, spun into the wall and started an eight-truck pileup. No one was hurt.

Just a few laps later, another accident involved five trucks, including race leader Mike Skinner.

Brendan Gaughan, who was demoted from the Nextel Cup series after finishing 28th in points last year, was fighting to get a lap back. He pulled alongside Skinner but lost control of his truck. He clipped Skinner and sent him into the wall.

“I don’t know what happened,” Skinner said. “Either he ran out of talent or brains or luck. I’m not sure.”

Problems weren’t confined to just the track, either.

Brad Keselowski overshot his pit and slid into the back of Dennis Setzer’s truck, briefly pinning a crew member.

After Keselowski’s truck was pulled backward, the crew member grabbed a gas can and swung it at Keselowski’s windshield. He then had to be helped over the wall with a bruised leg.

That was nothing compared to Rick Crawford’s ride.

Todd Bodine sideswiped Crawford early in the race, turning him sideways and sending him sliding toward the pits. Crawford’s truck flipped once before coming to a stop in the infield grass.

“I made it spectacular,” he said.