Hornaday’s Kentucky Speedway Victory is Team’s Turnaround
Daytona Beach, Fla.
Jul 10, 2007
In 2006, Ron Hornaday Jr. ’s (No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet) victory in the Built Ford Tough 200 ignited a mid-summer hot streak of top-five finishes at Kentucky Speedway, Memphis Motorsports Park and O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.
The two-time champion cooled off a bit in the fall but Hornaday has been a title contender since this year’s drop of the green flag at Daytona in February.
Second in the standings going into the season’s mid-point, Hornaday would like nothing better than to defend his victory and become Kentucky Speedway’s first series two-time winner.
“The win at Kentucky was very special, ” said Hornaday, who looks for series win number 32 on Saturday.
“It really signified a turnaround in our program. To beat my competitors in that race was huge.
“It helped change our outlook and our program. ”
There’s no arguing the turnaround.
In 2006, Hornaday was unable to string together more than a trio of top-10 finishes. This season, the 49-year-old California native has been outside the top 10 just once – 11th in Atlanta – and has completed all 2,005 laps run through the first 12 races.
Hornaday says a couple of changes at Kevin Harvick Inc. have led to the team’s success.
“Everyone has put so much effort into the 1.5-mile program, ” he said. “Kentucky was when we figured out the coil-binding set-up and built some trucks that I was really comfortable in. ”
Harvick also signed veteran crew chief Rick Ren, a 13-time winner with four different teams.
“When Rick arrived, he took a good team and made it better, ” said Hornaday, whose 2006 victories have come at Lowe’s and Dover. “He has such an attention to detail and is so focused and driven. ”
