Vickers takes Dover race, Busch Series lead

DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Nextel Cup-bound teenager Brian Vickers took the lead in the Busch series standings with a victory Saturday at Dover International Speedway.

It was the third win of the season for Vickers, who, at 19, is the youngest NASCAR driver. He won, in part, because of a quick pit stop and took the points lead from David Green, who crashed early in the Stacker 200 and finished 31st.

STACKER 200  •  Results  •  Standings

"The boys got me out first and that's what gave me the race," Vickers said. "But I hate it for David, because I wanted to race him for it."

Vickers is moving up to NASCAR's top series next year, replacing Joe Nemechek at powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports. The win enabled Vickers to tie Nemechek and Kevin Harvick for the most Busch Series victories this year.

Former series champion Green, who came into the race 48 points ahead of Vickers, fell to fourth. Green was spun out on 16th lap by Scott Riggs, who moved from third to second in the standings, 32 points behind Vickers.

Riggs took responsibility for the crash.

"It was definitely my fault," he said. "David was struggling in the corner, and I got into the back of him so slightly. But that's all it takes."

VIDEO CLIPS Brian Vickers scores his third NBS win of the season Play video Hear from the top finishers at Dover Play video Vickers holds off Hamilton Jr. in a one-lap dash to the finish Play video David Green and Scott Riggs tangle on lap 16 Play video

Also involved in the crash was former series champion Jeff Green, who took a Busch ride when Shane Hmiel was fired after NASCAR suspended him Thursday for violating its substance abuse policy.

Vickers went into the lead for the first time on the 36th of 200 laps on The Monster Mile, but fell out of it during green-flag pit stops midway through the race.

Riggs pulled out to a lead of more than two seconds, but was hurt by a caution flag for debris on lap 167. Vickers beat him off pit road by about three feet on lap 168.

"It was a great pit stop, and he's just done an awesome job," team owner Rick Hendrick said.

Vickers began to pull away, but a lead of more than two seconds evaporated when the car of Tony Raines stalled on the track on lap 197 to bring out the final caution. Bobby Hamilton Jr. pulled up on the trunk of Vickers' car.

"When you're the driver leading the race, that's not what you want to see," Vickers said.

Hamilton made a bid in the first turn when the race went green for the final lap.

"I spun the tires too much, that's my fault," Vickers said of the restart. "But we came out with the win."

After regaining his momentum, Vickers pulled away and won easily.

"I got to him, but as good as his car ran I wasn't going to push him out of the way to win," Hamilton said. "That's why he's the champion, because he just kept adjusting on the car."

Vickers praised the sportsmanship of David Green, who returned to the track several laps down to gain some points.

	After his wreck, David Green finished 31st. Credit: Autostock

"Every time I got to him, he got his car as far away from me as possible," Vickers said. "That's class."

Green now trails Vickers by 67 points.

Vickers' Chevrolet beat the Ford of Hamilton by 0.419 seconds. The Ford of Riggs faded over the final 30 laps, and he finished third.

The first implementation of NASCAR's new rule prohibiting passing under caution came on the third lap, when Mike Harmon slid into the wall exiting the first turn. Also under the rule, the highest-scored car a lap down -- Tammy Jo Kirk -- was restored to the lead lap following the crash on lap 17.

Vickers averaged 113.154 mph in a race slowed for 24 laps by five cautions. There were five lead changes among four drivers.

Kasey Kahne was fourth in a Ford, followed by Mike Bliss in a Chevy. Ron Hornaday, who got a lap back under the new rule, finished sixth and moved to third in the points, 61 behind Vickers after 27 of 34 races.

Ashton Lewis Jr., Jason Keller, Harvick and Mike Wallace completed the top 10.