Have a FaceBook, Twitter, or other social networking account?

Link them to your fanatic account!

Add An Account

TAKE ME TO...
NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series
TRUCKS: Hornaday Dominates Kansas for Win No. 34
Defending series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. scored an utterly dominating victory at Kansas...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted April 26, 2008   Kansas City, Kan.
Race winner Ron Hornaday celebrates with his team in victory lane at Kansas Speedway. (Ronda Greer/NASCAR Photo)

Defending series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. scored an utterly dominating victory from the pole in Saturday night’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway.

Hornaday’s Camping World No. 33 Chevrolet Silverado survived a record number of cautions to best his KHI teammate Jack Sprague, who finished second in his No. 2 American Commercial Lines Chevy, ahead of the No. 6 Con-way Freight Ford F-150 of rookie Colin Braun, who finished a career-best third. Johnny Benson was fourth in his Toyota.
“We raised the bar last year when we won the championship,” said Hornaday’s crew chief, Rick Ren. “That 33 Camping World Chevrolet fell out of the truck fast yesterday and hasn’t slowed since then.”

It was Hornaday’s 34th career victory and his first since New Hampshire late last year. All told, he led 134 of 167 laps.

From the get-go the KHI Chevys clearly had the measure of the field, with the only question being whether they would have enough gas to go the distance. Hornaday broke clear on the opening lap, with Sprague taking the second spot from Chad McCumbee and the No. 8 Malcolmson Construction Silverado on Lap 2. The two KHI drivers were both piloting brand-new chassis and early on, they clearly were the class of the field with Hornaday opening a 1.8-second lead on Sprague by Lap 15, with McCumbee a full 5 seconds back in third.

The first caution flag came out after Mario Gosselin’s Chevrolet grenaded its motor. That sent the field to the pits on Lap 27, with McCumbee taking fuel only and getting out of the pits first, ahead of Sprague and Hornaday, both of whom opted for four tires along with their fuel.

The track went green on Lap 31 and Hornaday immediately reclaimed second place on the restart. He then took the lead back on Lap 32, with Sprague following him back into second place.

On Lap 36, Stacy Compton’s Dodge Dealers Dodge Tam got loose and spun in Turns 1 and 2, collecting Jon Wood’s U.S. Air Force Ford in the process, both vehicles suffering heavy damage in the process. During the ensuing caution, McCumbee pitted for the tires he didn’t take 10 laps earlier, dropping him deep in the field.

That left Hornaday and Sprague out front when the green flag flew on Lap 43, ahead of Braun and his teammate, Erik Darnell’s No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford. Todd Bodine was fifth in the No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota.

Hornaday led his teammate lead a lap and collect 5 bonus points on Lap 47, then went right back in front. Five laps later, the track went yellow again when Shane Sieg’s Miccosukee Indians Toyota Tundra got loose and tapped first Brendan Gaughan’s International MAXX Force Diesel F-150 and then the Turn 4 wall.

On Lap 53, most of the leaders pitted, but McCumbee stayed out and took over the top spot ahead of Sprague, Mike Skinner’s Toyota Tundra, Braun and Hornaday. But Darnell, last year’s winner, got tagged by Rick Crawford’s Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford F-150 coming out of Turn 2, knocking him out of contention for a repeat victory.

Rookie Landon Cassell brought out the next caution after spinning his unsponsored Chevy at the exit to Turn 4 on Lap 66, chewing up a fair amount of infield grass in the process and sending most of the field back down pit road. Sprague led on the Lap 71 restart, out in front of Johnny Benson’s Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra and a handful of other drivers who opted not to pit.
Page 1 of 2
Prev
12
Next
tom_jensen's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom Jensen

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2012

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.