GAUGHAN MAKES HISTORY

Brendan Gaughan made NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history Saturday, winning his fourth consecutive race at Texas Motor Speedway Saturday to extend his championship lead over second-finishing Travis Kvapil.

Gaughan, driving the Orleans Hotel Dodge, overcame the handicap of a rear-of-the-field start - the penalty for a post-practice engine change. Leading three times for 60 of the race's 146 laps, Gaughan took command on the 104th time around the 1.5-mile superspeedway, passing Rick Crawford off Turn 2.

The victory, worth $60,630, was Gaughan's sixth of the season (and eighth of his career) at an average speed of 122.727 mph.

Gaughan's fourth TMS victory broke his series tie with Jack Sprague, winner of three straight races at Phoenix International Raceway in 1996-97.

The Las Vegas driver, who entered the 22nd race of the season with a 20-point advantage, now heads Kvapil by 30 heading to next Saturday's Advance Auto Parts 200 at Martinsville Speedway.

Kvapil, also a rear starter after a happy hour accident damaged his IWX Motor Freight Chevrolet beyond repair, brought his backup mount to second at lap 133.

The finish was Kvapil's 18th consecutive top-10 performance, matching Ron Hornaday Jr.'s 1996 single season mark.

Ted Musgrave, No. 3 in the championship standings, finished third in the Mopar Performance Dodge to fall 73 behind Gaughan.

Raybestos Rookie leader Carl Edwards was fourth in the Superchips Ford with Bud Pole winner Andy Houston overcoming a lap 98 spin on the backstretch to salvage fifth in the Team ASE Racing/Carquest Dodge.

Jon Wood, Terry Cook, Dennis Setzer, Rick Crawford and Bobby Hamilton completed the top 10 - all but Hamilton on the lead lap.

Seven drivers exchanged the lead 14 times - the latter number one short of the series mark at TMS.

There were six caution periods consuming 29 laps.

The results:

       1. (7) Brendan Gaughan, Dodge, 146, $60,630.

       2. (11) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, 146, $41,600.

       3. (10) Ted Musgrave, Dodge, 146, $28,695.

       4. (3) Carl Edwards #, Ford, 146, $19,070.

       5. (1) Andy Houston, Dodge, 146, $14,670.

       6. (5) Jon Wood, Ford, 146, $12,245.

       7. (6) Terry Cook, Ford, 146, $12,245.

       8. (13) Dennis Setzer, Chevrolet, 146, $11,545.

       9. (8) Rick Crawford, Ford, 146, $11,395.

       10. (19) Bobby Hamilton, Dodge, 145, $12,595.

       11. (4) Tracy Hines, Dodge, 144, $8,695.

       12. (14) Matt Crafton, Chevrolet, 144, $10,760.

       13. (15) Robert Pressley, Dodge, 144, $10,660.

       14. (16) Eric Jones, Chevrolet, 144, $9,560.

       15. (9) Chad Chaffin, Dodge, 144, $10,910.

       16. (30) Jody Lavender #, Chevrolet, 143, $11,860.

       17. (22) Randy Briggs #, Dodge, 143, $8,020.

       18. (21) Patrick Lawler, Ford, 143, $10,185.

       19. (20) Shane Sieg, Chevrolet, 142, $10,085.

       20. (33) Jerry Hill, Dodge, 141, $10,085.

       21. (31) Stan Boyd, Chevrolet, 140, $7,635.

       22. (27) Wayne Edwards, Ford, 140, $7,535.

       23. (32) Randy MacDonald, Chevrolet, 140, $8,435.

       24. (29) Blake Mallory, Dodge, 139, $7,335.

       25. (17) Chris Horn, Chevrolet, 136, $7,235.

       26. (25) Shane Wallace, Ford, 133, $8,135.

       27. (28) T.J. Bell #, Ford, 116, accident, $8,035.

       28. (12) Bill Lester, Dodge, 114, $6,935.

       29. (24) Shawna Robinson, Chevrolet, 113, engine failure, $6,835.

       30. (26) David Stover, Ford, 78, engine failure, $6,735.

       31. (2) David Starr, Chevrolet, 63, engine failure, $6,605.

       32. (34) Phil Bonifield, Chevrolet, 53, ignition, $6,635.

       33. (23) Lance Hooper, Ford, 50, vibration, $6,625.

       34. (18) Brandon Whitt, Chevrolet, 31, overheating, $6,615.

       35. (36) Kenny Hendrick, Ford, 14, vibration, $6,605.

       36. (35) Jonathon Price, Chevrolet, 7, engine failure, $6,600.

Time of Race: 1 hour, 47 minutes, 4 seconds.

Margin of Victory: 1.905 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 6 for 29 laps.

Lead Changes: 14 among 7 drivers.

Lap Leaders: A. Houston 1-15; T. Musgrave 16-33; R. Crawford 34-59; T.

Musgrave 60; A. Houston 61-63; C. Edwards # 64-69; T. Kvapil 70; J. Wood 71-74; C. Edwards # 75-76; B. Gaughan 77-82; J. Wood 83-86; R. Crawford 87-91; B. Gaughan 92-102; R. Crawford 103; B. Gaughan 104-146.

Top 10 in Points: B. Gaughan - 3,459; T. Kvapil - 3,429; T. Musgrave - 3,386; D. Setzer - 3,342; J. Wood - 3,186; B. Hamilton - 3,132; R. Crawford - 3,113; C. Edwards # - 2,994; T. Cook - 2,861; C. Chaffin - 2,779.