Race Recap:
Ron Hornaday, who made his eighth start at Kansas Speedway in Saturday’s SFP 250, rebounded from a lap 42 spin to finish sixth in the fourth event on the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Trucks (NCWTS) schedule. This was the sophomore team’s first top-10 finish of the season.
Starting 16th, Hornaday worked his way up to the 12th position until contact on lap 42 with the No. 5 machine of Paulie Harraka had the series veteran at a 45 degree angle, wrecking out of turn-4. However, the four-time series Champion saved his Chevrolet Silverado and escaped the incident with no damage.
Hornaday used this opportunity to come down pit road for four tires and to work on the front geometry of his truck, trying to get the splitter off the track, a problem the No. 9 team struggled with in practice and qualifying.
Restarting 23rd at lap 49, Ron made quick work of the trucks in front of him; scored 15th by lap 60 and back into the top-10 by lap 70. When the leaders began to make their way down pit road just shy of lap 100, Hornaday took over the lead.
A fortunate caution flag was displayed at lap 99 for debris in turn-two allowing the No. 9 machine to come down pit road under caution just prior to their scheduled stop. Happy with his truck, Hornaday took four tires including an air pressure adjustment and fuel. When racing resumed at lap 104, Hornaday was scored in the fourth position.
With just over 60 laps remaining in the 167-lap event, pit strategy began to be the buzz on pit road. The front runners, who were 12 or more laps short on fuel, began to debate four tires, two tires or fuel only.
A solid run for Hornaday in the top-five, running as high as third, gave way to the lead as the leaders began hitting pit road at lap 149.
Just two laps later, Hornaday made his way down pit road for two right side tires and fuel. When the pit sequence cycled through, Hornaday was scored ninth on the board.
Hornaday would capitalize in the closing laps to finish sixth behind race winner, James Buescher.
Ron Hornaday Quotes:
“I’m really impressed with this Joe Denette Motorsports team. We missed it in practice on Friday, but Hensley made the right calls all day to get this No. 9 Chevrolet right. I was all but wrecked when the No. 5 hit my left rear in turn-4 but I was able to hang on to it. We had some cautions that fell in our favor and all the right calls were made on pit road. No one gave up and we were able to overcome adversity to finish sixth. This was the first top-10 for this team, this year, and each week we are improving. To be able to rebound from where we were when we unloaded to where we finished today says a lot about this team. It was a good point’s day and we are taking the right steps towards that first win.”
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