NCWTS Recap: Todd Bodine Wins NextEra Energy Resources 250

Todd Bodine waves the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – They might have to rename the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

Todd Bodine drives this event like he owns it.

Bodine held off a last-lap bid by Kyle Busch to capture his second truck race in as many years Friday night.

The former series champion had to charge back through the field after being shuffled to the back of the pack for passing under the yellow line. He also had to dodge a series of multi-truck accidents that sidelined several front-running contenders before the race had reached the halfway point, including defending NASCAR Camping World Truck champion Johnny Benson.

Trailing Bodine and Busch were Terry Cook, who also suffered an early-race penalty, J. R. Fitzpatrick, a 20-year-old rookie who performed like a veteran, and another veteran and former series champion, Ron Hornaday.

Rounding out the top ten were Tim Peters in sixth, Mike Skinner seventh in a Toyota owned by NFL star Randy Moss, Matt Crafton eighth, Colin Braun ninth and Taylor Malsam 10th.

A massive pileup on Lap 47 was triggered by Bodine when he slipped into the rear bumper of James Buescher and sent Buescher sliding across the track in front of the entire field. Benson was a victim, as was motocross champion Ricky Carmichael, Johnny Sauter and Skinner, who returned to the race after repairs.

Brent Raymer brought out another caution at Lap 67 when his car slammed hard into the outside retaining wall, careened across the track before reversing its direction and bashing the outside wall again. Raymer, fortunately, was uninjured.

Only five laps into the race, Brian Scott and Mike Bliss ran out of racing room in Turn 2 and spun off the 31-degree banking to the apron, bringing out the first caution flag of the night.

Pole-sitter Colin Braun had led every lap to that point with Todd Bodine and Mike Skinner in tow. When racing resumed on the 10th lap, Braun was still out front but Bodine passed him near the first turn for the lead. NASCAR, however, penalized Bodine, saying he went below the yellow line, which is illegal when making a pass. Bodine paid the necessary “pass through” penalty and dropped all the way back to 27th position.

While all that was taking place, the front of the field filled up with new faces, most notably Kyle Busch, who started the race 19th. Braun held on to the second spot but T. J. Bell, Jr., moved into third.

On Lap 21, Terry Cook was also penalized for passing under the yellow line as Busch and James Buescher put a little space between them and the third-place machine of Skinner.

While the leaders diced it up around the track, Bodine and Cook did a little dicing of their own, hooked together in a two-car draft way back in the field – chopping away at the lead, gaining three-quarters-of-a-second per lap.

At Lap 30 of the 100-lap race, Busch led with Buescher second but the evening’s second caution slowed the field on Lap 31.

Scott was out front on the restart at Lap 37 but Braun went back to the front before they got back to the start-finish line with Hornaday on his bumper.