David Starr doesn’t think Gateway International Raceway will have any problems selling tickets to next year’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event – not with the fireworks that went off before the track’s official, post-race fireworks display.

“The fans got their money’s worth tonight,” Starr said after winning the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200, a race in which there were three different leaders over the course of 14 laps of “overtime” competition.

His Chevrolet teammate Dennis Setzer, who finished second, agreed with Starr, who became the series fifth and final winner of races decided under multiple green-white-checker finishes. NASCAR has decreed a one restart only policy effective beginning Wednesday for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Trucks.

“I think the fans deserve to see us run all the way to the end of the race,” said Setzer, the series points leader for the ninth consecutive race. “It’s what they want to see.”

Third place Ted Musgrave, advancing three places over the course of the four extra restarts, probably put the capper on the discussion.

“What a way to go out with a bang,” he observed.

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Starr is the first driver this year to finish both first and last in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. He made just 12 laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway before engine failure left the Spears Chevy 36th.

His run from 13th made Starr the track’s first winner to start worse than eighth. Starr is just the second competitor of 2004 to win from outside the top 10. Bobby Hamilton started 12th in winning Atlanta’s EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200.

Seven of Saturday’s top 10 finishers qualified 11th or worse.

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Attendance for Saturday’s race was not announced but there was little doubt the crowd was the largest of seven NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events at Gateway International Raceway. The race was the first for which the track’s Turn 1 grandstand was opened.

Country music star Travis Tritt was in concert following the race. Tritt also sang the National Anthem. St. Louis Rams offensive guard Adam McCollum was the evening’s honorary sponsor.

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Toyota’s fortunes were on the upswing this week with four drivers – led by fifth place Hank Parker Jr. – finishing among the top 10. That’s the most for the manufacturer on the series, eclipsing the three top 10s at Dover on June 1.

Going in the opposite direction is Ford. Jon Wood had the best finishing F-150 – in 18th place. The truck maker also was shut out of the top 10 at Kentucky Speedway.

Dodge leads the series manufacturer standings by a single point over Chevrolet.

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Musgrave’s third-place finish marked his 45th time among the top five and 60th in the top 10. Travis Kvapil’s run to seventh was his 60th top 10 as well.

Former NASCAR Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie nabbed his first top 10 on the series – eighth – and second of the season for the Harris Trucking Dodge team. Bill Lester, in finishing 10th, broke a year-long top 10 drought. Lester matched his career best run that came in 2003 at Kansas Speedway.

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Setzer has led the championship standings after nine consecutive races – most since Mike Bliss held the No. 1 ranking through the final 10 events of the 2002 season. The series record is 14 by Greg Biffle in 2000.

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Saturday’s race was one of “mosts” at Gateway: cautions (nine), caution laps (37), lead lap finishers (17), leaders (nine) and lead changes (15). At an average speed of 93.694, the race was the slowest on a series track of a mile or longer since Musgrave’s 2001 victory at The Milwaukee Mile (92.939).