HOMETOWN HERO: Palmdale, California native Ron Hornaday will make his eighth career start this weekend at the Auto Club Speedway. Hornaday has never won at his home state track, one of only nine tracks on the current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule where the three-time Truck Series champion has yet to score a victory. The others are: Daytona, Martinsville, Michigan, Nashville, Chicagoland, Iowa, Las Vegas, and Talladega.
DID YOU KNOW? Hornaday, dubbed by many in the Truck Series garage area as the “restart king” ranks first in passes made in turn one at the Auto Club Speedway.
Notes from the Professor: Quotes from Ron Hornaday:
WHAT WOULD SCORING A WIN IN FRONT OF YOUR HOME STATE CROWD MEAN TO YOU?
“It would mean a lot to me. To compete in front of a lot of people I grew up racing with is cool. I always like coming back to California. When people ask me what my favorite track is I tell them the ones I win at. I would like to add California to my list of favorite race tracks.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK WE WILL SEE IN THE NCWTS THIS SEASON?
“I think we showed in Daytona that the Truck Series still has some of the most exciting racing in all of NASCAR. From what I saw it looks like the same people who have always been strong competitors still are and that some of the new kids are going to race well and be tough to beat this year too.”
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 Camping World team will bring truck 024 to Auto Club Speedway. Truck 024 last competed at Texas Motor Speedway in October, where Hornaday drove the truck to his 39th career victory. Chassis 024 went to victory lane three times in 2008 sweeping both Texas races and winning at Kansas.
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Last week at the high banks of Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Hornaday and the No. 33 team scored their first top-five finish of 2009. Hornaday recorded his personal career best at the speedway crossing the finish line in the fifth position.
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 Chevrolet Silverado driven by three-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday and the No. 4 KHI All-Stars Chevrolet Silverado driven by Ricky Carmichael and a variety of NASCAR Sprint Cup stars. KHI is also home to the No. 33 Chevrolet Impala competing full-time in the Nationwide Series, with drivers Kevin Harvick (a two-time Nationwide Series champion), Hornaday and Cale Gale. The 2009 season marks KHI’s sixth year of full-time competition in NASCAR’s elite divisions. Visit www.kevinharvickinc.com for more information.
About Camping World:
Camping World is America’s largest RV and outdoor retailer serving a brisk and growing demand for the RV lifestyle. After having successfully co-located for several years at selected locations, FreedomRoads, a dynamic national network of well-established local and regional RV dealerships and Camping World, America’s largest direct marketer and specialty retailer of RV and outdoor camping accessories, service and RV sales, joined together to provide consumers with greater choice, convenience and value. Today, with revenues exceeding $1.7 billion, the company serves RV enthusiasts with more than 130 retail locations. For more information, visit www.campingworld.com.
QUICK NOTES
Race Info
February 21, 2009
Auto Club Speedway
The San Bernardino County 200
Race length: 100 Laps/ 200 Miles
Banking/Turns: 14-degrees in turns; 11-degrees in frontstretch; 3-degrees backstretch
Track layout: 2-mile
Shape: D-Shaped Oval
Pre-Race Schedule
Thursday:
Practice: 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., EST
Final Practice: 6:00 p.m – 7:00 p.m., EST
Friday:
Qualifying: 4:40 p.m., EST
TV: The San Bernardino County 200 can be seen on FOX at 3:00 p.m., EST
Radio: The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will broadcast live at 2:30 p.m., EST
Truck Specs:
Chassis: 024
Engine: Pro Motors Engineering (PME)
Ron Hornaday
Truck Series Statistics at Auto Club Speedway
Starts: 7
Wins: 0
Poles: 1
Top-Five’s: 3
Top 10’s: 6
Laps Led: 120
Average Start: 9.6
Average Finish: 9.3