HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 20, 2011) — The final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race of the 2011 season took place on Friday night with four-time series champion Ron Hornaday making his 300th series start. This race marked the final race for Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) and certainly a bittersweet ending for the veteran driver. Hornaday drove the No. 33 OneMain Financial Chevrolet to a 13th-place finish after rain brought an early end to the event.
Qualifying for the Ford 200 was cancelled due to rain in the area earlier in the afternoon, leaving the starting lineup to be set per the NASCAR rule book lining drivers up in order of speeds from the one and only truck practice session. Hornaday started the race in the 22nd position and moved up to the 21st position when the first caution flag of the night waved on lap five for oil on the track.
The OneMain Financial Chevrolet remained on track as it was too early in the race to make any adjustments. Hornaday restarted on lap eight in the 21st spot and would move up five positions before a competition caution waved on lap 20.
Hornaday reported he was battling a loose-handling Chevrolet and was looking for more front and rear grip. During the caution, the driver visited pit road for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment before returning on track. When the field restarted on lap 23, Hornaday was in the 23rd position.
Back under green, Hornaday once again raced around his competitors making his way up to the 14th position in only three laps. When the caution flag waved for the third time on lap 31 for an accident in turn four, the driver was scored 13th. The No. 33 team elected to remain on track and the field went back to green-flag racing on lap 34.
Racing in the 13th place on lap 48, Hornaday reported back to the KHI crew that his truck was way too loose in the throttle and too tight into the corners. Hornaday was up to the 10th place on lap 68 and radioed to his crew that the team would only need to make minor adjustments to the Chevrolet as the handling had improved over the green-flag run. As the run continued the teams would begin to make scheduled green-flag pit stops on lap 73
The OneMain Financial Chevrolet visited pit road on lap 76 for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. As the green-flag stops cycled through, Hornaday was scored in the 11th place on lap 82. By lap 87, the driver reported to the team that his truck was way too loose on lap 87.
The fourth caution of the night came on lap 98 as a truck spun in turn two. The team elected to bring Hornaday to pit road on lap 97 for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment to help his ill-handling truck. The field would restart on lap 101 with Hornaday in the 13th position.
Hornaday battle for position in the top-10 but was scored 13th when the final caution flag of the event was brought out for rain on lap 119. NASCAR elected to call the race because of the inclement weather. Hornaday finished the 2011 Truck Series season fourth in the championship standings, only 50 markers out of lead.
Comments from the driver Ron Hornaday:
“What an amazing night. This was a very bittersweet ending to the 10 years of KHI and my career with Kevin and DeLana [Harvick]. We were really looking to go out with a bang and win the final race of the season and the final race for KHI. I am so proud of everyone involved at KHI and everyone who helped on my race trucks over the years. It was a great ride.”
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