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Race report

Busch wins race, Crafton takes title at Homestead

Kyle Busch takes the NACAR Truck Owners’ title at Homestead-Miami Speedway while Matt Crafton becomes the 2013 crown.

Race winner Kyle Busch and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2013 champion Matt Crafton celebrate

Race winner Kyle Busch and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2013 champion Matt Crafton celebrate

Eric Gilbert

The No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota of Kyle Busch held off the No. 62 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Brendan Gaughan on three green-white-checker restarts in the Ford EcoBoost 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday to claim the race win and the owner's championship.

"It means a lot to Kyle Busch Motorsports. It means a lot to myself and my wife," Busch said. "I can't say enough about this team."

Matt Crafton drove his No. 88 ThorSport Racing Toyota to the series driver's championship, despite finishing the race in the 21st spot. Crafton ran in the top-five for much of the race and led several laps before a slow pit stop during a caution that came out on lap 93. Still running far from the front, Crafton pitted for four tires just before the first of three green-white-checker restart attempts. Mired back in the field, Crafton was on the receiving end of contact from the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota of Joey Coulter and made significant contact with the wall.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2013 champion Matt Crafton celebrates
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2013 champion Matt Crafton celebrates

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

"I thought we had a shot at winning the race, but we had a bad pit stop," Crafton said.

The No. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford of Ryan Blaney finished second, with Blaney taking series Rookie of the Year honors and the No. 4 Turner Scott Motorsports Chevrolet of Jeb Burton finished third.

Blaney led a race-high 67 laps, followed by Busch, with 62 laps led. Blaney dominated the first third of the race, leading the way until he was passed by Crafton for the top spot on lap 50. Between the first caution on lap nine and the second at lap 51, Blaney built up a cushion of more than four seconds on the competition.

"We had a great Cooper Standard Ford F-150 tonight," Blaney said. "We led a lot of laps."

Restart: Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney lead the field
Restart: Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney lead the field

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

Blaney, though, scrubbed the wall, while leading, bringing out the lap-93 caution. Busch took over from there to lead most of the remaining laps. But, unlike Blaney, he was unable to pull away from the field. Later, Burton suffered the same fate as Blaney, scrubbing the wall. At the time, Burton was in the second position, trying to take the lead from Busch. On newer tires, both Blaney and Burton were able to make their ways back toward the front to finish in the top-three and dropping Gaughan back to fourth.

"That shows what kind of race truck we had," Burton said. "We drove from 25th to third in four laps."

Ron Hornaday finished fifth in the No. 34 Turner Scott Motorsports Chevrolet, a week after losing his position as driver of the No. 9 NTS Motorsports Chevrolet. Finishing sixth through 10th were the No. 7 Red Horse Racing Toyota of John Wes Townley, the No. 77 Red Horse Racing Toyota of German Quiroga, the No. 19 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford of Ross Chastain, the No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota of Timothy Peters and the No. 33 Sharp-Gallaher Racing Chevrolet of Cale Gale.

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