On a gray Saturday with a threat of rain that never materialized, Colin Braun took his first step into the sun.
On Lap 77 of the Michigan 200, Braun took advantage of a rare mistake by Kyle Busch. With Busch’s momentum slowed through Turn 2 by the lapped truck of Norm Benning, Braun passed the No. 51 Toyota for the lead and sailed home in clean air the rest of the way.
Leading the final 24 circuits of the 100-lap Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway, Braun crossed the finish line 1.790 seconds ahead of Busch, knowing he had beaten perhaps the top talent in NASCAR racing.
As he crossed the finish line, Braun, 20, thanked his crew and team owner Jack Roush, who collected his 50th win in the series. NASCAR.com
This race looked as if it belonged to Busch, the talented 24-year-old who regularly wins races in Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the Camping World trucks series. He led 62 laps and appeared in total control before suddenly coming upon the slow-moving Norm Benning, two laps off the pace.
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“In the closing laps there, luckily Kyle got stuck there in traffic and my spotter got me cleanly through traffic,” said Braun, whose first victory came in his 35th truck start.
Busch, who left after the race to fly to Kentucky, where he was scheduled to drive in Saturday night’s Nationwide race, said: “It was unfortunate, I had a lapped truck that couldn’t hold his line. I tried to go low and, when we went into the corner, (the hole) closed up. My fault there. That was a pass for the lead, that was the win. Whoever got out front, it seemed, was able to hold it.
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“It’s very frustrating for us to finish second once again,” added Busch, who has won twice and finished second three times in his seven truck starts this season. The Associated Press
“It’s so cool to win here and be the third straight guy here to win for Roush Fenway,” Braun said. “I love this racetrack, it was awesome.”
Last year, Roush driver Erik Darnell nipped Johnny Benson by 0.005 seconds at Michigan, making it one of the closest finishes ever in the series. Travis Kvapil won here in 2007, driving a Roush truck.
“It’s great to do it here with Ford Motor Company here in our back yard,” Roush said. “It’s just great to be in front of the home crowd…this is my turf.”
Brian Ickler, the pole sitter and Busch’s teammate at Billy Ballew Motorsports, came in third, followed by series points leader Matt Crafton and Mike Skinner.
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Tayler Malsam, Ron Hornaday Jr., Timothy Peters, Dennis Setzer and Terry Cook completed the top-10. MiamiHerald.com
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