NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet) collected a record $370,119 in point fund awards along with special awards of $52,000 during Monday’s Champions Award ceremonies to bring his 2007 season total to $1,137,044, a new single-season record.
Hornaday, the second driver to win three series championships, was honored along with Kevin Harvick Inc. owners Kevin and DeLana Harvick and crew chief Rick Ren. Both KHI and Ren are celebrating their first championship.
Hornaday’s winnings pushed his career total to $5,297,266, second on the all-time list behind fellow three-time champion Jack Sprague (No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota) ($6,846,738).
The champion’s season winnings include special awards from Chevrolet, Goodyear and Sunoco.
More than $1.8 million in point fund awards were distributed to the top 20 drivers in the final NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series point standings. Runner-up Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) won $997,980 for the season. That total is the fourth highest all-time and the highest for a non-champion driver. Skinner’s race winnings of $737,520 is also a new record.
Willie Allen (No. 13 ThorSport Chevrolet) was the 2007 Raybestos Rookie of the Year, topping Tim Sauter (No. 07 Lester Buildings Chevrolet). Allen became the first rookie to win the award in a Chevrolet since Travis Kvapil (No. 6 K&N Filters Ford) in 2001.
Johnny Benson (No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota) was named the Most Popular Driver for the second consecutive season. He is the first driver to repeat, and only the second driver to win the award more than once. Hornaday was named Most Popular Driver in 1997 and 2005.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Top Five Money Winners (All-time):
1. Jack Sprague $6,710,005
2. Ron Hornaday Jr. $5,297,266
3. Dennis Setzer $5,063,448
4. Ted Musgrave $4,843,621
5. Rick Crawford $4,502,499
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