Full Throttle

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Nextel Cup driver Ken Schrader raced to his record 16th title at Phoenix International Raceway and fourth West Series victory on the track Sunday, winning the feature race in the Copper World Classic.

Schrader, second in a 100-mile NASCAR Southwest Tour event earlier, had better luck in the 125-mile West Series race that capped the combined USAC-NASCAR lineup in the 29th Copper Classic.

The 50-year-old Schrader took the lead three times while leading a total of 50 laps. The third time, he passed Spencer Clark after 108 laps and held off the Eric Holmes to take the United Rentals 125 by 0.0128 seconds.

Schrader broke a tie with Richard Petty for West wins at Phoenix.

“We’ve run so many races here we ought to have won one,” Schrader said. “You know, we haven’t won any Cup races here. Finished second once.”

Matt Kobyluck finished third, Clark fourth and rookie Peyton Sellers fifth.

Matt Crafton beat Nextel Cup regular Ken Schrader in a wreck-shortened NASCAR Southwest Series event Sunday at the Copper World Classic.

Crafton, who was ninth in Craftsman Truck points last year, passed Schrader with 10 laps to go and held on. Schrader led 28 of the 85 laps.

The race was scheduled for 100 laps on the one-mile oval at Phoenix International Raceway, but was stopped early because two other events scheduled later had to be completed by sundown.

“I asked why they stopped it,” said Crafton of Kernersville, N.C. “I had a really good car, and I thought it was 100 laps.”

A five-car pileup on the second lap brought out the red flag, holding up racing for about 20 minutes. There were four yellow flags.

Crafton won his fifth Southwest Tour title in the opening event of the series’ last season. NASCAR plans to eliminate its AutoZone-sponsored Elite Division, which includes four regional series, because of declining interest.

“I’m totally disgusted,” Crafton said. “This is a brand-new car. I built this car to come here to race.”