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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 11:27 a.m., Saturday, February 21, 2009

Auto racing: Kyle Busch overpowers truck field

By MIKE HARRIS
AP Auto Racing Writer

FONTANA, Calif. — Kyle Busch didn't need any last-lap heroics this time. The NASCAR star simply stayed out front in Saturday's truck race.

Busch led 95 of 100 laps in capturing his second straight win on the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway oval. It was his 10th series victory.

Last week at Daytona, Busch failed to make late-race passes pay off at the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide races, but there was nothing to be disappointed about Saturday.

"It was just flawless," Busch said of his Toyota truck. "This one's for Doug George. It's his first win as crew chief. It's a lot of these guys first win, as a matter of fact."

Busch, scheduled to race again later Saturday in the Nationwide race, finished second to Todd Bodine in the Daytona truck race after trying unsuccessfully to bump his way past the leader on the final lap. He tried the same move on Tony Stewart in the Nationwide event, and wound up fourth after Stewart fended off the move and broke Busch's momentum.

But the 23-year-old Busch, who had 21 overall victories last year — three in trucks, 10 in Nationwide and eight in Cup — was just too strong at the Southern California track.

Bodine stayed with him for a while, but eventually slipped out of contention, finishing more than 9 seconds — more than the distance of the front straightaway — behind.

"It's a little disappointing to have a Tundra that's that good and finish second," Bodine said. "That tells you how good Kyle was.

"As the tires got hot and slick, he just was able to get through the corners a little better, and that was probably the difference," added Bodine, who had won two straight races, including last year's finale at Homestead.

The former series champion, driving for Germain Racing, is going race-to-race without sponsorship.

"I guess we'll be going to Atlanta (for the next race)," he said. "Hopefully, somebody's out there watching, paying attention. A first and a second so far, that's pretty good."

Chad McCumbee finished second, followed by David Starr, T.J. Bell, Ron Hornaday Jr., Matt Crafton and former bike racing star Ricky Carmichael, the top finishing rookie.

Defending series champion Johnny Benson was never in contention and finished 12th.