High Sierra Photo

Rick Crawford, one of three drivers injured in an incident in March at Atlanta Motor Speedway, held off Dennis Setzer to win Saturday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 250.

Crawford, whose right foot was broken just over a month ago, drove 254 laps around the .526-mile Martinsville Speedway edging two-time Kroger 250 winner Setzer by just over a third of a second.

The Alabama native, driving the No. 14 Circle Bar RV & Motel Ford, became the series' 10th different winner at the Virginia track over which only Setzer has multiple victories. He averaged 61.490 mph in the caution-slowed event that saw 83 laps - matching the series record - run under the yellow flag.

The event's final caution extended the scheduled 250-lap distance to 254 marking the third time in 11 races a Martinsville race has gone into overtime.

The lap 253 restart saw Setzer's No. 46 Chevrolet Silverado Chevrolet, harass the leader in Turn 1 but Crawford - who'd taken the lead from Mike Skinner on lap 202 - was able to pull away."I didn't like that last caution," said Crawford, "but Dennis is a clean racer. He bumped me a couple of times but he never took a cheap shot at me.

"There was a little bit of pain but (winning) is the best medicine."
Setzer was followed to the finish by Bud Pole starter Jack Sprague, whose Chevy Trucks Chevrolet led a race high 118 laps. Sprague, like Setzer, was handicapped by a final pit stop that gave an early-pitting Crawford an advantage neither driver could overcome.
Jon Wood, who won last October's series race at Martinsville, came from 19th to finish fourth - besting Skinner's Toyota in a photo finish off Turn 4.

A series record 24 drivers completed all 254 laps. Only two starters in a field of 36 failed to finish to set another record.

There were six lead changes among four drivers.

Carl Edwards, the No. 4 starter who was forced to the rear on the start because of an engine change, raced his No. 99 Superchips Inc. Ford back into the sixth position to take over the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship lead by a 486 to 464 point margin over Travis Kvapil. Kvapil, the previous points leaderr, finished 13th