Kenseth wins IROC opener

Kenseth led more laps than anyone else during the 40 lap race, but Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr appeared to have a strong run for the lead coming off turn 2 on the final lap. Kenseth and Truex Jr briefly touched, which was enough to send Truex Jr high on the race track and back down the order as he suffered due to lack of aerodynamic draft.

Twice IRL IndyCar champion Sam Hornish Jr also had a go at Kenseth on the final turn, but the Roush Racing driver held on to take the victory. ARCA champion Frank Kimmel finished third.

The three-lap shoutout for victory only occurred after a race stoppage because of a multi-car crash on the back stretch.

Kimmel bump-drafted into World of Outlaws ace Steve Kinser on the back-stretch on lap 56, who in turn tapped Max Papis. Kinser went sideways into the path of Tony Stewart, and rolled over Stewart's car onto his roof.

Kinser then slid half of the length of the back straight upside down before coming to rest on the grass.

Stewart's car then hit Sharp into the wall at turn 3, and while Stewart was trying to regain some sort of control, Ted Musgrave T-boned the car and Musgrave's engine caught fire.

There was a long pause while the crowd held their breath to learn about Kinser's health, however he walked to the ambulance unaided after rescue crews took their time to cut the roll bars to get him out of the car. He was treated for minor injuries in the infield care centre. Sharp, Stewart and Musgrave were unharmed.

It was not the only incident in the race. Reigning IROC champion Mark Martin went out early after being involved in a three-car crash on the tri-oval section. Hornish Jr had a brief sideways moment on the front-stetch, tapping Stewart into Martin.

Hornish and Stewart escaped, but Martin spun into the wall and then rebounded into the front of the pack. Everyone but Ryan Newman avoided Martin's moving wreck; the Penske Racing South driver damaging the front of his car when he hit Martin.

Martin said he will be watching the incident again after the race to find out what happened: "I don't know what happened and I'll be watching it on tape again. I just got wrecked there and everything turned out OK. So I guess we all good.

"But Sam Hornish has made this year's IROC championship a real challenge for me to win now. He's not my favourite guy at the moment."

Newman went to the pits for repairs and got going again for several laps, however, a hole in the radiator forced him to retire.