Keller wins attrition-filled Hardee's 250 at RIR

RICHMOND, Va. -- Bobby Hamilton Jr., who led a race-high 158 laps in utterly dominating the Hardee’s 250 Friday night at Richmond International Raceway, experienced engine trouble with eight laps remaining, handing Jason Keller a virtual free pass to Victory Lane.

Jason Keller took the points lead form Jack Sprague, who finished 18th after an early crash.

With the win, his third of the season and the fourth consecutive for ppc Racing, Keller jumps past Jack Sprague in the championship point standings.

“This is just such a great win,” said Keller, who had never won more than two races in a season. “I’ve always said Richmond was my favorite racetrack, and the best I’ve ever done was fifth. (Hamilton) was real strong. I hate that he had problems, but I’m glad I didn’t have to find out what would’ve happened.”

Keller led 87 laps but rode along behind Hamilton Jr. in the second position for the vast majority of the event. Then, with 26 laps remaining, Hamilton bobbled a bit in Turn 3, enabling Keller to sneak underneath him and retake the lead.

Hamilton wasn’t done, however. Two laps later, he slammed his Ford down on the bottom line and back past Keller.

Shane Hall (63) goes sideways in this huge wreck on the backstretch

“I really messed up once I got my him,” Keller said. “I played way too much defense there, let him back by me.”

Hamilton quickly stretched his lead to some five car-lengths, and appeared poised to run away with his first career victory, 13 years after his father, Bobby Hamilton, scored his first career victory at the same track. Keller fought back, and passed Hamilton on the bottom with 10 laps to go.

Then, just eight laps from the checkered flag, the unthinkable happened. Hamilton’s motor sputtered, and Keller cruised to his eighth career victory.

“This season is going as we planned,” Keller said. “I’ve never won more than two races in a season, and I already got three. That’s what happens when you surround yourself with great people -- you do great things.”

In order to win the event Friday, Keller had to negotiate numerable accidents. Overall, the race included a record tying 11 cautions, which took up 85 of the event’s 250 laps.

Scott Riggs confronts Kenny Wallace after a late-race incident. Riggs finished 27th.

Two of the top-three drivers in the championship point standings coming in, leader Jack Sprague and third-place Scott Riggs, were involved in accidents. Sprague started on the Bud Pole, but was involved in an accident just 12 laps into the event to bring out the day’s first caution.

He remained on the lead lap, however, and managed an 18th-place finish but lost the points lead to Keller. He now trails Keller by 34 points.

As for Riggs, he had just pitted following the day’s 10th caution for Mark Green’s blown engine, and was running 14th when Kenny Wallace hit him in the rear end and sent him hard into the Turn 2 wall. Riggs was furious.

“I just got hit from behind, 48 hit me,” said Riggs, who finished 29th and fell to fourth in the standings. “I was just out there trying to have a good race. We made some good adjustments, freed it up on that last stop.

Jack Sprague rallied from an early crash to finish 249 of the 250 laps.

“I thought we could make up that ground, we had four new tires where some had two and some people didn’t even come in. Some people are just too impatient.”

NASCAR Winston Cup Series veteran Johnny Benson was involved in an accident on lap-23 with Brian Vickers. Once taken the infield care center, Benson was administered X-rays and a CAT Scan, and it was discovered he has bruised ribs and a possible concussion.

He was transferred via ambulance to Memorial Regional Medical Center, where a CAT scan proved negative on his head. He did, however, break the ninth rib on his right side, but is alert, oriented and talking with his family, according to speedway officials.

Ashton Lewis Jr. finished a career-high second, followed by Greg Biffle, Michael Waltrip and Kevin Grubb.