Dickies driver Chad Chaffin dodged both illness and a spin to finish fifth in the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway. For the sixth time in a row, the newly camouflaged Dickies Dodge finished in the top 10.

Qualifying and practice was canceled for the second consecutive week due to rain on Friday. NASCAR allowed the teams to have two hours of practice on Saturday before the race. The field was set according to points, and Chaffin started sixth.

The start of the race was delayed for over an hour due to rain that plagued the area all weekend. The first 10 laps were run under caution and green-flag racing began on lap 11.  Chaffin, who was battling an ear ache, knew he had his work cut out for him in the opening laps. On lap 12, while running fourth, he radioed in, “I am really loose.” On lap 15 Chaffin drove under Dennis Setzer to take over second place when the truck got away from him causing his Dodge to spin in turn one and bring out the first caution. Chaffin recovered the spin without hitting the wall or any of his competitors.

Afraid Chaffin might have flat spotted the tires Crew Chief Kip McCord brought the No. 18 Dodge down pit road on lap 17.  The Dickies Racing Team changed four tires and added bite in the left front to tighten up the loose condition. The driver restarted in 35th on lap 19.

Chaffin immediately raced towards the front gaining 10 positions by lap 25. He radioed saying he was still battling the loose condition. McCord reminded Chaffin, “Be patient, the truck will come to you.”

By lap 45 Chaffin raced his way into 12th. The third caution waved on lap 51when Shane Hmiel hit the wall in turn two. Once again the Dickies Racing Team made air-pressure changes to the Goodyear Eagles trying to fix the loose condition. Chaffin restarted on lap 55 in 14th position and pushed his way to the top 10. In only 15 laps, he was 10th.

The fifth caution waved on lap 97 with Chaffin running ninth.  “We need to make some big changes to gain some ground,” Chaffin advised McCord. The crew chief answered with adjustments to the right front shock and pulling a spring rubber out of the left front. He restarted 13th on lap 102.

Chaffin cracked the top 10 once again by lap 110 and raced his way into the top five by lap 135. The fifth and sixth caution would wave within 10 laps of each other causing the race to end under the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series green-white-checkered flag finish.

Chaffin drove the wheels off the No. 18 Dickies Dodge in the final two laps of the race holding off Steve Park by a nose to capture the fifth position. The top-ten finish allowed Chaffin to maintain his sixth position in the NCTS point standings, trailing leader Dennis Setzer by only 177 points.

“We were real fortunate tonight,” Chaffin said. “The Dickies Dodge was really fast. It did not handle quite as good as it did in practice earlier today. I’m not sure if we had a problem or the track just changed and we did not compensate for it.

“We spun right off the bat going for second place and it could have been a disaster right there,” Chaffin said. “We were really fortunate and came back from that to finish in the top five. You can not go wrong with a top five. Bobby Hamilton Racing is running really strong right now and I am just glad to be a part of it driving the Dickies Dodge.”

BHR teammate Bobby Hamilton won the Built Ford Tough 225. Jack Sprague, David Starr, Matt Crafton, and Chaffin followed in the top five.