AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 14, 2009)—- Ron Hornaday became the first four-time Truck Series champion Friday night at Phoenix International Raceway, as he wheeled the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Chevrolet to a fourth-place finish in the Lucas Oil 150 becoming only the second driver in Truck Series history to clinch the Truck Series championship before the final race (Greg Biffle was the first in 2000). Hornaday joins the ranks of Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon as the fourth driver in NASCAR history to win four championships in one of NASCAR’s three elite divisions. Hornaday also becomes the oldest champion in NASCAR history at 51 years of age.
“I couldn’t think of a better track to clinch the championship, I love Phoenix” said the newly-crowned champion. “This is a compliment to the team. It takes a lot of people to accomplish something like this, all these team guys and everyone back at the shop. But, we aren’t done yet. We still have to get the owner’s title too. Kyle (Busch) is pretty close to us. I can’t say enough for Kevin and DeLana (Harvick) and the whole KHI organization. These trucks are awesome. I don’t know what happened during the pit stop, or how we rallied back, but Rick Ren (crew chief) and the entire team did a great job. It is so much fun to drive for Kevin and DeLana, I just can’t believe it. I just want to thank everyone who has been apart of making this happen this year, VFW, Copart, Longhorn, Turtle Wax, Georgia Boots, Rheem, Hungry-Man, Wiley X, Indian Motorcycles, Miller Welders, Merit Pro everyone. It is unbelievable. This is a lot of fun.”
Hornaday started the Lucas Oil 150 from the third position, immediately behind boss Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Longhorn Chevrolet. With only eight laps complete, a lap truck began to lay down liquid on the racing surface. Harvick brought out the first caution of the night when he hit the moisture and spun off of turn four to the entrance of pit road sustaining no damage. Hornaday emerged from the smoke unscathed for the restart on lap 13 after NASCAR cleaned the racing groove. Hornaday battled with Aric Almirola and Kyle Busch for the race lead, but settled comfortably in the third position until the second caution of the race on lap 35.
The No. 33 team decided to come to pit road for their first scheduled pit stop of the night. Initially the plan was to take on four tires on the first stop and come back the following lap for fuel. However, with the leaders taking fuel only, the team made a quick change to fuel only. A lap later the team was called back down pit road by NASCAR for a pit-road violation and decided to make the most of the penalty which put them at the tail end of the longest line. On lap 37, the team took on four fresh tires and restarted the race in the 23rd position on lap 38. Hornaday began to work his way back through the field, but it was slow going on the one-mile track. By lap 60, the point’s leader had moved his way back into the top 15, but his truck had become too loose through the center of the corners to be able to get back to the gas when he wanted. As Hornaday battled Todd Bodine for the 15th position and worked his way back toward the front of the field, his KHI teammate Harvick ran in the second position chasing Almirola for the top spot.
The third caution of the evening waved on lap 91 and the No. 33 team took full advantage, giving up the 10th position to bring the truck down pit road for four tires and the following lap for fuel. Two quick stops gained Hornaday three positions on pit road placing him in the seventh position for the restart on lap 96. The “restart king” was able to use his four fresh tires to move back into the top five as Harvick took the lead from Almirola. Hornaday gained one more spot before the checkered flag waved to finish in the fourth position. Harvick held off a hard charging Kyle Busch through four late-race cautions and a green-white-checkered finish recording his second Truck Series victory of 2009 followed by Busch, Almirola, Hornaday and Johnny Sauter.
Hornaday was crowned the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion with one race remaining in the 2009 season next weekend at the Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway. The owner’s championship will be decided next weekend as DeLana Harvick continues to hold a 60-point advantage over Billy Ballew.
STATS RECAP
Race Info
November 13, 2009
Phoenix International Raceway
Race: 24 of 25
Driver: Ron Hornaday
Started: 3rd
Finished: 4th
Truck Series Point Standings: 1st (+215)
Race length: 150 laps/ 150 miles
Track layout: 1-mile
Shape: Oval
Number of Race Cautions: 7 for 26 laps
Next on the Schedule for the No. 33:
Date: November 20, 2009
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Event Name: Ford 200
Driver: Ron Hornaday
Sponsor: Longhorn Smokeless Tobacco
Broadcast Time: SPEED 7:30 p.m., EST MRN 7:30 p.m., EST