Catchfence

“Four-Time Champion leads his first laps at the track “Too Tough To Tame”

DARLINGTON, S.C. (August 15, 2010) — Ron Hornaday had never driven a truck at the historic Darlington (S.C.) Raceway until he made laps on Saturday in preparation for the Too Tough to Tame 200. Hornaday qualified the No. 33 E-Z-GO Chevrolet in the fifth position and led a total of 29 laps on his way to his first top-five finish at the track nicknamed the “Lady in Black.”

“We had a great No. 33 E-Z-GO Chevrolet,” said Hornaday after the race. “We were really good there in the middle of the race, but once we got back in traffic, it was so hard to pass. Clean air meant everything and for some reason, our last set of tires made me really loose. I had a great race with Timmy [Peters] for second. It was a good night for the No. 33 team. The guys worked really hard and Kevin [Buskirk] made some great calls. Not too bad for my first time here; I sure learned a lot for next time.”

Hornaday began the Too Tough to Tame 200 from the fifth position. The first caution of the night waved on lap five and the No. 33 team decided not to pit to preserve track position. The second caution of the evening waved moments later on lap eight, with Hornaday running in the third position. The race restarted on lap 12 as Hornaday moved into the second position, chasing down Timothy Peters for the lead. However, the No. 33 became aero-tight behind the No. 17 truck and Hornaday rode in the second position until the caution waved for the third time on lap 45.

Hornaday brought the No. 33 truck down pit road for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. A quick stop by the No. 33 team allowed Hornaday to beat Peters off pit road to take the lead on lap 48. The 52-year old driver led his first laps around the historic Darlington Raceway. Hornaday paced the field by over a second until the caution waved for the fourth time on lap 74.

The No. 33 team was within their fuel window and decided to come down pit road for four tires, fuel and no adjustments. Several of the lead-lap trucks decided to take two tires or no tires, placing Hornaday in the fourth position for the restart on lap 80. Hornaday stormed up through the field in the outside lane on the restart, sliding into the second spot. Despite his charge toward the front, Hornaday radioed crew chief Kevin Buskirk that the truck was way too loose to catch leader Todd Bodine.

Hornaday dropped to third, fighting a loose-handling race truck as the fifth caution of the night waved on lap 90. The No. 33 team decided to remain on the race track and maintain their track position. On the restart on lap 95, Hornaday dropped back to the fifth position, but battled his way back to third when the caution waved on lap 105. The No. 33 team was committed to making it a two-stop race, wary to give up third position, Hornaday remained on the track. The caution waved for the final time on lap 120 when Brian Ickler blew a tire. Hornaday was scored in the third position for the restart on lap 127. He was able to maintain his position and record a third-place finish after leading 29 of the 147-lap event.

Bodine went on to win his second race in a row, followed by Peters, Hornaday, Johnny Sauter and Austin Dillon. The run marked Hornaday’s sixth consecutive top-10 finish of 2010.

The Truck Series returns to action Wednesday night at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

About Kevin Harvick Inc.:

Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001 by Kevin and DeLana Harvick, is an 80,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. Home of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship team, KHI enters 2010 in its seventh full year of competition with two full-time Truck Series teams and one full-time Nationwide Series team. Four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday returns to the helm of the No. 33 Truck team looking for his fifth title and third championship for KHI (2009 and 2007), while Sprint Cup series stars Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler guide the No. 2 Truck team. Two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Harvick will again shine as the lead driver of the No. 33 Nationwide Series team as he continues to make his mark in motorsports and establish KHI as one of the top teams in NASCAR competition. For more information about KHI and its teams, please visit www.KevinHarvickInc.com.

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release