Todd Bodine makes dramatic last-lap pass for Talladega win

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TALLADEGA, Ala. -- With a brilliant last-lap move through the tri-oval at Talladega Superspeedway, Todd Bodine won Saturday's Mountain Dew 250 Truck Series race with a much-needed assist from new points leader Ron Hornaday.

Bodine was pushing Kyle Busch through the final corner, but contact from Bodine's No. 30 Toyota loosened Busch's No. 51 Tundra enough for Bodine to dodge to the outside and pick up a push from Hornaday, who crossed the finish line second, .075 seconds behind the race winner.

Busch came home third, followed by rookie Colin Braun and Mike Wallace. Landon Cassill, Brian Scott, T.J. Bell, Mike Skinner and Chad McCumbee completed the top 10.

"I knew if we could get ourselves position at the right spot at the end of the race, we'd have a chance," said Bodine, who picked up his second victory of the season, the 14th of his career and his third consecutive on a restrictor-plate speedway, dating to the Talladega event last October.

"I went with Kyle [on the last lap], and at that point, I'd conceded the win, and I was going to push him. But I knocked him sideways and went on to the win. That's not what I was trying to do. It's a good thing he's a great driver, because he was able to save it."

Hornaday recovered from a pit road speeding penalty he incurred after a stop on Lap 20. The runner-up finish propelled the driver of the No. 33 Chevrolet to a 39-point lead on 11th-place finisher Johnny Benson in the championship standings.

Hornaday had a ringside seat for Bodine's last-lap heroics.

"It looked like Todd had [Busch] picked up a bit coming off of [Turn] 4," Hornaday said. "I was just trying to get out of the wreck, because it looked like they were going to wreck. Then Todd got straightened out and got in front of me somehow -- I don't how he did it."

Mountain Dew 250 Unofficial Results

Pos. Driver Make
1. Todd Bodine Toyota
2. Ron Hornaday Chevrolet
3. Kyle Busch Toyota
4. Colin Braun Ford
5. Mike Wallace Toyota
6. Landon Cassill Chevrolet
7. Brian Scott Toyota
8. T.J. Bell Chevrolet
9. Mike Skinner Toyota
10. Chad McCumbee Chevrolet