Missing Lug Nut Pushes Toyota Driver Back In Traffic, But He Beats Hornaday

MADISON, Ill. — Johnny Benson bounced back from a blown pit stop to win the Missouri/Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 Saturday at Gateway Int’l Raceway.
It was Benson’s second-straight and third victory of the season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Ron Hornaday finished second and moved into the championship lead by four points over Mike Skinner, who had been leading the point battle since March. Skinner blew a tire and crashed early, finishing 28th.
Benson was running second in Bill Davis Racing’s Toyota when he pitted under caution on the 58th of 160 laps. He came in second, but a lug nut was missing on the left-front wheel, and NASCAR officials forced him to return to the pits. Benson fell to 22nd, the last truck on the lead lap.
“I really did believe the day was done,” Benson said, “but the truck was really good and I was able to pass. I wasn’t patient. I had a lot of work to do.”

TAKE THAT: Second-place finisher Ron Hornaday, Jr. douses race winner Johnny Benson in victory lane Saturday. (Christina Ramzel Photo)

Benson climbed into the top 10 in 15 laps, and then steadily began gaining positions. He moved into second on lap 92 but trailed leader Hornaday by 4.1 seconds. Benson chopped the lead down to one second before a caution came out.
The leaders pitted, and Benson came out in fifth. He was up to second behind Hornaday for the final restart on lap 133.
Hornaday protected the inside entering turns one and three. On lap 148, Benson went to the outside in turn two, exited alongside Hornaday and passed him near the end of the backstretch.
“I had to pass him on the outside,” Benson said. “He was running the bottom. I passed a lot of guys on the outside there. I had to time it right. It started to stick, and he didn’t squeeze me.”
Benson led by 1.228 seconds going into the final lap. The race ended under caution when Ryan Mathews’s Toyota hit the wall in turn one. Hornaday was content to settle for second.
“We needed a good points day,” Hornaday said. “I saw Mike (Skinner) go out; it was awesome. We would have liked to have won and gained 10 more points, but we’ll take second.”
Ted Musgrave’s Germain Racing Toyota was third, tying his best finish of the season.
“We’ll take a top three,” Musgrave said. “We had the right pit strategy by coming in early and making adjustments.”
Todd Bodine, Musgrave’s teammate, was fourth and Regan Smith, in the Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet, was fifth.