| FOUNTAIN, Colo. -- Though some folk deem fuel mileage races miserably anticlimactic, Hank Parker Jr. has nary a qualm with them.
For the second time in his NASCAR Busch Series career, Parker used a fuel mileage gamble to gain victory, this time in the NetZero 250 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. He won at California Speedway in eerily similar fashion last season.
Parker was cycled into the lead on lap 233 -- when then-leader Kevin Lepage was forced to pit for fuel -- and never looked back, leading the final 17 laps to win for the second time in 117 career starts. Interestingly enough, Parker had led just once all year -- for just one lap.
In a year riddled with misfortune, Parker wasn't taking anything for granted.
"You just never know -- I didn't think I'd won until I crossed that start/finish line," said an elated Parker in Victory Lane. "All my bad luck seems to happen within 10 to go. I figured the tires would fall off or the windshield would blow out or something. I'm just glad it didn't happen."
Parker's victory came on the heels of one the best duels for the lead in quite some time. From just after the race's halfway point until the deciding pit stops 20 laps later, second and third place finishers Greg Biffle and Jason Keller, respectively put on a battle for the ages.
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