DOVER, Del. (AP) – Ron Hornaday Jr. never got in a truck as bad as the one he drove in practice.

With the way his crew got it ready for the race, Hornaday is thinking championship.

Hornaday dominated at the end and drove the No. 33 Chevrolet to an easy victory in the Craftsman Truck Series race Friday night at Dover International Speedway, his second win in the last three races.

After cruising toward the finish line on the mile concrete track, Hornaday dropped the checkered flag and it fell on the back of his truck. He needed a little help to get it back and was able to take his victory lap as smoothly as he finished the race.

That was about the only mistake for Hornaday in this one.

“It was probably the coolest win,” Hornaday said.

Hornaday beat Stacy Compton by 7.009 seconds. Travis Kvapil was third, and Johnny Benson and Mike Bliss rounded out the top five.

“Man, it’s fun to run this truck series,” said Compton, whose wife is expecting a baby this weekend. “It’s about as much fun as you can have.”

Mike Skinner won his sixth straight pole, finished seventh and kept his overall points lead.

Hornaday said he wasn’t thinking about a championship – yet.

“I’m not a points racer until it comes down to the end,” Hornaday said. “If people knew how bad I was when we qualified, then today was a championship quality race.”

Hornaday said there was a problem earlier in the day with the front shocks, the truck felt loose during practice and he qualified 15th. Hornaday credited his crew for making major adjustments on the first pit stop.

“I just didn’t really think the truck was that good,” Hornaday said.

How bad?

“That was probably the worst tuck I ever drove in my life yesterday,” he said.

Hornaday came out clean on some early accidents that brought out three cautions in the first 38 laps. But there was only one more caution after that in the 300th truck series race, and Hornaday fought off Kyle Busch after the two tussled for the lead about midway through the race.

Busch, who led 78 laps, ran into tire trouble and faded to 12th place.

“We should have had the win, but tires are the key,” Busch said.

It was Hornaday’s 31st career trucks victory, and first at Dover International Speedway. Hornaday, driving for Kevin Harvick Inc., has two wins and seven top-10 finishes this season.

Hornaday is the second trucks driver to earn multiple wins this year. Skinner has three.

The accidents marred the race early, including a multi-truck accident after Clint Bowyer bounced off the wall on the second turn causing an accident that derailed the run of seven other trucks.

AP-ES-06-01-07 2018EDT