Hamilton Earns Fourth Truck Win of Season

GLADEVILLE, Tenn. August 14, 2004; The AP reported that Bobby Hamilton used a high pass to get around David Starr with eight laps remaining and claimed his fourth Craftsman Truck Series race of the season at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday.

Hamilton, the series point leader, won the Toyota Tundra 200 by 0.795 seconds, about three truck lengths. He ran a conservative pace in his Dodge through much of the 150-lap, 200-mile event and averaged 124.068 mph.

Hamilton, who started 15th, was fifth or higher from lap 40. He had Starr's Chevrolet in his sights when the race restarted following the fifth caution and pulled outside Starr entering the first turn.

After the pair ran side-by-side down the backstretch, Hamilton was able to brake later than Starr entering the third turn, and then pulled away.

"I held two-tenths (of a second a lap) in my pocket all day," Hamilton said. "Passing on the outside is something you don't do.

"I was kind of worried, but if I didn't try, I was going to lose anyway."

Starr was surprised Hamilton made the pass and maintained the lead.

"Incredible," he said. "I drove into (turn) three as fast as I could run."

Hamilton's winning pass was the ninth lead change of a race slowed by five cautions for 20 laps. Five drivers took turns heading the field.

Ted Musgrave, polesitter Bobby Hamilton Jr., the winner's son, and Steve Park completed the top five, all driving Dodge trucks. Hamilton Jr. led the most laps, 89, but faded from contention after a tire change on his final pit stop on lap 119.

Johnny Benson, Matt Crafton, rookies Robert Huffman and David Reutimann and Mike Skinner finished sixth through 10th. Twenty-seven of the race's 30 finishers completed all 150 laps.

Bill Lester and David Ragan escaped injury in single truck accidents. Lester, running a career-best fifth on lap 118, cut a right-front tire and crashed in turn 1.

Hamilton, who entered the race with a five-point lead, raised his advantage over Dennis Setzer to 84 points through 15 of 25 races.

Setzer finished 19th.