Career-Best Finish at Michigan for Hornaday

NASCAR Truck Series – Careers for Veterans 200
August 16th, 2014 – Michigan International Speedway

Ron Hornaday Jr. made his 11th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start at Michigan International Speedway (MIS), looking for his first win at the 2.0-mile oval. Making it to the second round of knockout qualifying, Hornaday and his Turner Scott Motorsports team earned the 17th starting position for the afternoon’s race. Throughout the event, Hornaday worked his No. 30 Rheem Comfort Products Chevy up through the field to eventually finish third, claiming his career-best finish at the Brooklyn, Michigan track. Hornaday’s previous best finish at MIS was fourth in 2010.

Hornaday took the green flag for the 100-lap race from the 17th spot on a picture-perfect day in the Irish Hills of Michigan. The first and only caution of the race came out at lap nine with Hornaday scored in 13th, and crew chief Doug George made the call for Hornaday to come down pit road to top off with fuel and receive a slight track-bar adjustment. He restarted in the 11th position on lap 14 and radioed in on lap 34 that he was fighting a tight condition. Despite the tight handling, by lap 45, Hornaday had worked his way up to the second position, coming in for a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 52. The No. 30 Rheem team changed four tires, added fuel and made a track-bar adjustment to Hornaday’s Silverado before sending him back onto the track. On lap 61, he reported that he was really tight getting into and coming off of the corners. With the long green-flag run continuing, Hornaday came back to pit road with 10 laps to go to get a couple of seconds of fuel. Hornaday returned to the track with just a few laps remaining and took the checkered flag in the No. 30 Rheem Comfort Products Chevy in third position.

We had a great day at Michigan [International Speedway] in the Rheem Comfort Products Chevy. You don’t get a great truck like this one every day. The Rheem guys did a great job of preparing it, and Doug [George] made great calls during the race. We just ran out of time there at the end to catch the two trucks in front of me. Michigan is a lot of fun when you get a great driving truck like this one. I can’t thank Mr. [Steve] Turner and Mr. [Harry] Scott enough for giving me this opportunity. – Ron Hornaday Jr.

Start – 17, Finish – 3, Laps Led – 0, Points – 41