Roundup: Keselowski, Peters claim victories

Danville's Peters wins truck race

MARTINSVILLE -- Timothy Peters took the lead when Denny Hamlin (Manchester High School) pitted on the 117th lap yesterday and won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. It is the first career victory for Peters, who lives in nearby Danville.

"It's awesome. Words can't describe what I'm feeling right now," Peters said after being doused with water in victory lane by points leader Ron Hornaday Jr. and others.

Peters stopped just once in the 200-lap race, after just 33 laps, and led the final 84 laps, holding off Todd Bodine over three restarts to cruise to the win by 1.815 seconds.

The biggest question at the end was whether he would have enough fuel.

In the spring, Peters was running fifth at Martinsville with eight laps to go when he ran out of gas, and crew chief Chad Hedrick found it difficult not to fret until the end.

"I don't think I watched the last eight laps at all," Hedrick said.

The victory came in Peters' 64th career start in the series.

NATIONWIDE Keselowski fends off Busch

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- As he hit the final turn at Memphis Motorsports Park, Brad Keselowski was almost sideways and trying to hold on as he reached the finish line.

Having Nationwide Series points leader Kyle Busch right on his rear bumper only added to the pressure.

"I was doing all I could do to stay in front of him," Keselowski said. "I thought I was going to wreck to be honest."

Keselowski was able to grab enough of the Delphi Chevrolet steering wheel to hold on and beat Busch to the finish line, winning the Kroger 250.

The race on the three-quarter-mile oval came down to a green-white-checker finish after the race's 14th caution, on the final lap.

"I caught it at the last minute, and knew I was going to have to run hard to the line," Keselowski said. "I couldn't have beat him by more than 2 or 3 feet."

Keselowski was leading when a caution came out on the final lap because Stephen Wallace spun after tangling with Matt Kenseth. Wallace banged into Kenseth's car after the race and the two had words on pit road.

Keselowski, who had taken the lead with a bold move passing four cars on a Lap 239 restart, held onto the advantage for his fourth Nationwide win of the year. Busch finished second and leads Carl Edwards by 215 points in the standings.

"I guess I should be ecstatic with a second-place finish, seeing as though we didn't have a car that should have finished in the top 10," Busch said. "I gave it all I had on the last few laps. I could have spun him out and wrecked him, but I couldn't put myself to do it."

Jason Leffler finished third, while Mike Bliss and Brendan Gaughan completed the top five. Edwards was sixth.

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