MADISON, Ill. (AP) – Martin Truex Jr. raced to his third Busch Series victory in six races, leading 123 of 200 laps in the Charter 250 on Saturday night to take the season points lead.

Truex, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., started from the pole and finished 6.601 seconds ahead of Ron Hornaday Jr. on the 1.25-mile Gateway International Raceway.

The 23-year-old New Jersey driver moved 11 points ahead of Nextel Cup driver Michael Waltrip in the season standings. Waltrip finished 14th on Saturday night.

“We had a superior car tonight,” said Truex, also the winner in Talladega and Bristol. “Once we got it freed up, we were flying. It seemed like the longer we went, the more we pulled away.”

Jason Keller was third, followed by Bobby Hamilton Jr., Kyle Busch, Jason Leffler, Greg Biffle, David Stremme, Tim Fedewa and Robby Gordon.

Truex easily outdueled Hornaday to become the first driver in eight Busch Series races at Gateway International to win from the pole. The winner averaged a track-record 134.112 mph in the race slowed by six caution periods that lasted 35 laps.

“It was fun racing with him,” Truex said. “We ran into each other a little bit out there.”

Hornaday was impressed with Truex and his crew.

“If they’ve got that same car next week, they’re going to be awesome,” Hornaday said.