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Musgrave wins Silverado 350

Nov 3, 2007 - 3:54 AM By Bruce Martin PA SportsTicker Contributing Editor

FORT WORTH, Texas (Ticker) - Chad McCumbee, who once played Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the 2004 movie "3" thought he was going to have a Hollywood ending to Friday night's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Silverado 350K at Texas Motor Speedway.

That was before his race had a "shocking ending."

McCumbee was in the lead on a green-white-checkered flag restart and appeared on the way to his first career victory in 45 NASCAR starts, but then disaster struck. As he got just by the flagstand, Jack Sprague attempted to pass McCumbee, who put on the block. Sprague's Toyota ran into the back of McCumbee's Chevrolet, sending it crashing into the wall.

That allowed Ted Musgrave's Toyota to drive through the carnage and take the lead, and he went on for his first victory in 66 races and 17th career NCTS win.

"It's a good truck and we got it mixed up on the pit stop strategy and it came to us," Musgrave said. "It could be the start of good things to come. We're getting things put back together with my sponsor to try to get it back into victory lane a few more times.

"I kept my head up and was able to get through it."

Sprague called McCumbee's move a "rookie mistake,"

"He spun his tires, I didn't spin, he spun and that caused a big 'ole mess,'" said Sprague, who finished sixth. "I should have finished third, had a chance to win, should have finished second and end up finishing sixth."

The NCTS championship also took another twist as Ron Hornaday, who came in with a four-point lead over Mike Skinner, now trails by 57 points.

With three laps to go, Skinner got a great restart and went side-by-side with Hornaday as the two points contenders were going to battle it out for the victory. But that allowed McCumbee to take the low line and make the pass for the lead. Skinner and Hornaday rubbed into each other sending both into a multi-truck crash that brought out the red flag.

Hornaday's truck suffered serious front-end damage while Skinner's crumpled truck was able to continue in the race.

"Another Chevrolet made it three-wide and when he came in there it got us loose," Hornaday said. "We'll take our wounds and move on with two to go. I see they are playing games now. They put in a second truck and all he did was block.

"Now, we know how the game is going to be played."

McCumbee's "Hollywood Ending" turned into a "horror show" for the driver from Supply, North Carolina.

Brendan Gaughan was credited with second place in a Chevrolet. Skinner finished third despite a damaged Toyota with Mike Bliss' Dodge in fourth place. Rick Crawford rounded out the top five in a Ford.