[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”225″]
[/media-credit]Race: Kroger 250
Location: Martinsville Speedway
Starting Position:5th
Finishing Position:16th
Owner Points Position: 12th (up 2 positions)
Martinsville, VA (April 1, 2012) – A series of events, including battery problems on the No. 9 Chevrolet caused by a faulty alternator, relegated Ron Hornaday to a 16th-place finish in the 27th Annual NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday.
Starting 5th, the four-time series champion made his way up to third before a spin on lap 22. After making a pit stop for fuel and a trackbar adjustment to aid in the handling, Hornaday restarted 25th when the field went back to green on lap 25.
Making his way back through the field, Hornaday was scored 13th when he reported low battery voltage at lap 85. When the third caution came out for a multi-truck accident in turn-4, Hornaday brought his No. 9 Chevrolet Silverado down pit road to replace the battery. When racing resumed at lap 99, the four-time series Champion was scored 24th, one lap down to the leaders.
Mired in the 22nd position, one lap down, Hornaday raced aggressively to obtain the “Lucky Dog” award and when the fifth caution flag was displayed on lap 159 for a spin in turn-2, Hornaday was the “Lucky Dog” recipient.
Back on the lead lap, Hornaday worked his way up to the 12th position, running lap times as fast as the leader, before low battery voltage forced the series veteran back down pit road under caution at lap 228 to change a battery.
Restarting 14th with 16 laps to go, Hornaday fought a tight handling No. 9 machine and lost two positions on track before taking the checkered flag in the 16th position behind race winner, Kevin Harvick.
Ron Hornaday Quotes:
“I’m really proud of my guys today. We fought a lot of issues and they were able to keep me on the lead lap. We were free early in the race and then we had battery problems and when the truck finally came around we had battery problems again and then the truck was too tight at the end. I hate it because I was just as fast as Kevin (Harvick) in the closing laps. Things just didn’t line up for us today but we fought hard and it was a solid effort.”
Notes:
·        Hornaday is up four positions to ninth in the 2012 NCWTS driver point standings
·        This was Hornaday’s 20th start at Martinsville Speedway in the NCWTS
·        Hornaday competed in the inaugural NCWTS event at Martinsville Speedway
·        Hornaday has 18 top-20 finishes in 20 starts at Martinsville Speedway
Up Next:
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take a week off for Easter before making their debut at Rockingham Speedway in the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 presented by Cheerwine on Sunday, April 15. The third event on the 2012 schedule will air live on SPEED at 12:30 p.m. ET.
For more information on Joe Denette Motorsports please visit: www.JoeDenetteMotorsports.com
For more information on Ron Hornaday visit: www.RonHornaday.com
