ONE OF THE FEW: Ron Hornaday heads to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway this weekend with a mission to check the 0.526-mile track off the list. There are currently eight tracks on the Truck Series schedule where the veteran has yet to tally a win and Martinsville Speedway tops that list. In 14 starts (the most of any track on the circuit) Hornaday has yet to visit victory lane and collect the famous Grandfather clock trophy. Earlier this season, Hornaday came ever so close finishing second to “the boss” Kevin Harvick.
“Martinsville is a place that I really would like to get a win at,” Hornaday said. “I’ve said it a lot this year but I’m after trophies. My wife will spend the money but when racing is over for me those are the things that I can show my grandkids. Martinsville is definitely a place that’s on my radar. I’m excited to get back to racing after this break and finish out what has been a dream season.”
THE ONES TO BEAT: Over the last nine races at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, the trucks coming out of the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) stables have been the ones to beat. In 2008, KHI swept the pole positions with Jack Sprague and the No. 2 truck team setting a new track record in the spring followed by Hornaday and the No. 33 team winning the pole for the fall race.
KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick leads NASCAR’s loop data statistics for average running position (6.0), average finish (8.0), percentage of laps spent in the top 15 (93.1) and driver rating of 112.0 out of 150 possible points earned. Hornaday is not far behind. He is the driver that has spent the most laps in the top 15 (1,737) as well as gaining the most points (1,271).
KEVIN HARVICK FAN CLUB GATHERING: Following the Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway, KHI will host the seventh annual Kevin Harvick Fan Club Gathering. The event runs from 5p.m. to 9p.m. at the KHI facility in Kernersville N.C. The event is open to the public, admission is free. This year’s gathering will feature a classic car and specialty vehicle show, the Rheem Extreme Cake Challenge as well as autograph sessions with Ron Hornaday, Ricky Carmichael and DeLana Harvick for selected Fan Club member and attendees. Kevin Harvick will sign autographs for Fan Club members only.
Notes from the Professor: Quotes from Ron Hornaday:
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR YOU TO FINALLY BREAK THROUGH AND GET A WIN AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY?
“I’ve been coming here for awhile now and for some reason we just can’t seem to break through and get the checkers. It would mean a lot to me to win at Martinsville. It is one of the tracks that we’ve been coming to since the Truck Series started and to finally add my name to the list of legends who have won there would mean a lot to me.”
AS YOU BEGIN THE FINAL FIVE RACE STREATCH TO THE END OF THE TRUCK SERIES SEASON, HOW IMPORTANT IS SURVIVIING MARTINSVILLE?
“Martinsville has been one of those tracks we have circled on our calendar. Martinsville and Talladega are the two tracks that are very important to just get out of there with a good finish. We have been very fortunate that we have had really good trucks at Martinsville the past few times we have gone there, but it’s more important now than ever to keep all four fenders off the tires and race as clean as we can to get a good finish.”
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 Veteran of Foreign Wars (VFW) team will take chassis No.033 to Martinsville Speedway. Chassis No. 033 was last on track at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (BMS) where Hornaday’s five race win steak came to a close, but he was able to record a third-place finish, his best finish at BMS since 1999.
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Four weeks ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hornaday and the No. 33 team recorded their 16th top-10 finish of 2009 with a sixth-place finish at the 1.5-mile track. Hornaday led 34 laps, but took on four tires late in the race while some of the other leaders took on two tires or stayed out. Johnny Sauter went on to win his first career Truck Series race. Hornaday remains the point’s leader by 197 markers over Matt Crafton with five races remaining in the 2009 season.
MEDIA ACCESS: Members of the media can now log on to www.kevinharvickinc.com to gain access to press kit information online. For more information, please email Jessica Stroupe at KHI: jstroupe@kevinharvickinc.com.
ABOUT VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS (VFW):
Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United State) is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring the sacrifice and ensuring the rights of America’s veterans through advocacy, support and community service, while promoting patriotism. The VFW offers a wide array of services to support veterans and their families throughout their military career, from active duty to honorably discharged. For more information, visit: www.vfw.org or call (816) 756-3390.
About Kevin Harvick Inc.
Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001, is a 70,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. KHI houses two full-time Truck Series teams, including the 2007 series champions. The No. 33 team is led by three-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday and the No. 4 is comprised of Ricky Carmichael, the most successful motocross racer in American history, and a variety of NASCAR Sprint Cup stars. KHI is also home to the No. 33 Nationwide Series team competing full-time with drivers Kevin Harvick (a two-time Nationwide Series champion), 2008 Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman and Ron Hornaday. The 2009 season marks KHI’s sixth year of full-time competition in NASCAR’s elite divisions. Visit www.kevinharvickinc.com for more information.
QUICK NOTES
Race Info
October 24, 2009
Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
Kroger 200
Race length: 200 Laps/ 105.2 Miles
Banking/Turns: 12-degrees turns; 0-degree straight-a-ways
Track layout: 0.526-mile
Shape: Oval
Pre-Race Schedule
Friday:
Practice: 10:00 a.m. – 11:20 a.m., EST
Final Practice: 1:10 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., EST
Qualifying: 4:40 p.m., EST
TV: The Kroger 200 can be seen on SPEED at 12:30 p.m., EST
Radio: The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will broadcast live at 12:30 p.m., EST
Truck Specs:
Chassis: 033
Engine: Pro Motors Engineering (PME)
Ron Hornaday
Truck Series Statistics at
Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
Starts: 14
Wins: 0
Poles: 1 (2008)
Top Five’s: 5
Top 10’s: 8
Laps Led: 177
Average Start: 7.3
Average Finish: 11.1