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Hornaday Seals Place In History, Wins Fourth Title
Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 33 VFW Chevrolet) has further solidified his place in NASCAR history. By finishing fourth in this past Friday night’s Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway, Hornaday clinched his fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.
This fourth title breaks his tie of three with friend and former competitor Jack Sprague. Sprague is the 1997, 1999 and 2001 series champion. Hornaday’s three previous titles came in 1996, 1998 and 2007.
It also adds the 2009 champion’s name to a very distinctive yet short list of drivers to have won four national series championships. Only Hall of Fame Inductee Richard Petty, Hall of Fame Inductee Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon have claimed four.
“I couldn’t think of a better track. I love Phoenix,” said Hornaday. “It’s been fun and we’re not done. As long as Kevin and DeLana (Harvick) will still have me, we’re going to win some more.”
His owners, who share a unique friendship with Hornaday, are thrilled to celebrate their second title with the veteran driver.
“To see Ron win his fourth championship is unbelievable,” said DeLana Harvick.
“There have been a lot of challenges this year with the economy and to see Ron winning the championship is something that’s really neat,” added Kevin Harvick, who successfully defended his 2008 Phoenix truck win. “I know it’s rewarding for DeLana and I, but it’s more rewarding to watch these guys as a team and Ron as a person, as a friend, as an employee … there’s a lot of things that go with it and come into the equation. It’s just a lot of fun to see it evolve and come together.”
Owners’ Title Still On Line As Trucks Roll To Miami
Ron Hornaday Jr. might have clinched his fourth series title at Phoenix but one thing’s left on the table for the season finale this weekend at Homestead-Miami. For the first time in the series’ 15-year history, the coveted owners’ championship remains undecided.
Billy Ballew Motorsports’ No. 51 Miccosukee Resorts/Graceway Pharmaceuticals Toyota, piloted this season in 15 events by Kyle Busch, is only 60 points behind the No. 33 VFW Chevrolet owned by DeLana Harvick. Busch has collected seven wins, five of those coming in his last six starts.
“I can’t close the gap, I’ve got to take that gap,” said Busch. “Hornaday is going to go and try to win the race. They’ve got the driver’s championship locked up, so if they go out there and try to win the race and are successful at that, then we can’t catch them. But if they go out there and have problems, whether it’s a wreck or engine or a tire – it could be anything. It’s going to be hard to do, but hopefully we can battle it out and have a good, strong run and see if we can’t beat them.”
“It’s not over by far,” said Hornaday. “We’re racing Kyle (Busch) for the owners’ points, that’s the true goal. That shows how great our team is. We’re going to do everything we can to hold him off down at Miami.”
Should Ballew win, it would be the first NASCAR championship for the owner. The title would be the second for Kevin Harvick Inc. owners Kevin and DeLana Harvick with Hornaday.
Loop Data: Stats Show KHI Duo Could Be Ones To Beat In Miami
Kevin Harvick and Ron Hornaday Jr. performed a rather unique – and memorable – celebration after Friday night’s Phoenix race – the tandem burnout.
Harvick won the race, Hornaday nabbed the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.
Well, in case you missed it, there could be a replay come this Friday night at Homestead.
Hornaday – in his No. 33 Chevrolet – could lock up the owner championship for owner DeLana Harvick, and Kevin Harvick has the stats to suggest yet another win.
In his last two races at Homestead, both in his own equipment, Harvick finished fourth and third. In the two races, he averaged a Driver Rating of 118.9, an Average Running Position of 4.1, 25 Fastest Laps Run and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 97.5%.
Statistically, two drivers look like the top candidates to stand in Harvick’s way – Kyle Busch and Hornaday, himself.
Busch hasn’t won at Homestead, but has done just about everything else. In three races there, he has an average finish of 4.0, a Driver Rating of 116.8, an Average Running Position of 7.4 and 59 Fastest Laps Run.
Hornaday has the most experience at Homestead, and practically each visit has been a productive one. In nine starts, he has eight top 10s, including a win in 2002. Since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, a span of four races, he has a Driver Rating of 104.1 and an Average Running Position of 7.6.
ThorSport Racing Celebrating Successful Season
With one race to go, ThorSport Racing is on the verge of wrapping up what has been a banner year for the Ohio-based team. ThorSport’s drivers, Matt Crafton (No. 88 Menards Chevrolet) and Johnny Sauter (No. 13 Fun Sand/Rodney Atkins/Curb Records Chevrolet), are both in the top five in the standings heading into Miami.
Crafton proved to be one of Ron Hornaday Jr.’s main threats this season in his bid for a record fourth title. The 33-year-old from Tulare, Calif., will finish the year second in the standings, his best finish in nine full seasons in the series.
New to ThorSport this season, Sauter has pulled out a commanding 232-point lead over Tayler Malsam (No. 81 One-Eighty Toyota) in what was for most of the year a tight battle for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors.
While in reality he’s anything but inexperienced, the Necedah, Wis., native is in his first full season in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition. Previously he had 11 starts between 2003 and 2008.
In 24 races this season, Sauter’s collected one win, six top-five and five top-10 finishes and gone from 27th in the standings to fifth. As it stands, he’s on track to score the second-best championship points finish by a rookie since Kurt Busch finished second in 2000.
Bodine Going For Repeat Performance At Homestead
Todd Bodine (No. 30 Copart Toyota) and his Germain Racing team seem to have it figured out when it comes to multiple wins at various tracks on the circuit. This weekend is a prime example. He’s going for a third win at Homestead-Miami Speedway. His first win at the 1.5-mile track was in 2005. Last season, Bodine became the first repeat winner in the series at Homestead when he closed out 2008 in Victory Lane.
Fast forward to race No. 1 this season. Bodine became the first repeat winner in 10 races at Daytona International Speedway. Not a bad way to end and kick off a season.
“To win at the season opener, and the season finale, that’s definitely a great way to bookend the year,” said Bodine. “It was great to do it in 2008, and I certainly hope we can do it again in 2009.”
