Having actually been at the race I can say that Cody definitely deserved the win and surely surprised and impressed me with his driving. Along with Ryan Maifield he was the most confident looking and cleanest throughout the main.
The two main things that happened that helped him to his victory were Maifield flaming out, he looked to have things under control, and Hara getting a stop and go, even after waiting on the track for the other guy.
Preperation + Opportunity = Luck
I strongly believe you make your own luck most of the time.
You cant compare the worlds to a clubrace in USA, its very different, in so many ways.