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PRESS RELEASE
Ron Hornaday Wins from the Pole in Kansas
Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (April 28, 2008)– Ron Hornaday and the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet Silverado team claimed their first win of the 2008 NASCAR Truck Series season and their second pole award at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, April 26, 2008. Hornaday led 136 of the 167 laps of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 on the way to his 34th career NASCAR Truck Series win, the most career wins in series history.
“I’ve got to thank Chevrolet, Camping World, VFW, everybody at KHI and this whole Camping World team for giving me this awesome truck,” Hornaday said. “I hadn’t won at Kansas before so this is really cool.”
Hornaday, who became the first to win a Truck Series race at Kansas from the pole position, led the first 27 laps before making his first scheduled pit stop after the caution flag came out on lap 27. He brought the Camping World Chevrolet Silverado down pit road for four tires and fuel and restarted on lap 30 from the third position. Two laps later, he passed Chad McCumbee for the lead.
Hornaday was leading on lap 46 with KHI teammate Jack Sprague in his rear-view mirror. Hornaday made the decision to let Sprague lead a lap to earn five bonus points and then retook the lead on the next lap.
When the caution came out on lap 67 after an incident in turn four, Hornaday came down pit road for a scheduled pit stop to take tires and fuel. With varying pit strategies, some trucks stayed out and Hornaday restarted on lap 70 running in the 11th position. In the next few laps, he drove fiercely up into the top five and took the lead again on lap 76 to lead the next 33 laps.
Hornaday’s final pit stop of the day came on lap 108, as the caution waived for the eighth time, when he came in to take four tires and fuel. He restarted from the fourth position on lap 112. After regaining the lead on lap 113, Hornaday and crew chief Rick Ren knew fuel mileage would be an issue and believed they would have to make one more stop for fuel to finish the race. Ren told Hornaday to conserve all the fuel he could, hoping that Hornaday could coast across the finish line at the end.
With Hornaday leading and laps winding down, a caution came out after Dennis Setzer’s truck was involved in an accident and came to rest on the backstretch. Hornaday stayed out, and with the tow truck and jet dryers coming onto the track, was able to conserve fuel with just enough to finish the race. Hornaday led the field to the restart on lap 133 and led the last 34 laps to capture the win. Sprague crossed the finish line 0.149 seconds behind Hornaday for second place, giving KHI their first one-two Truck Series finish.
Hornaday, who has led laps in all five races this season, sits atop the NASCAR Truck Series driver points, leading Rick Crawford by 61 points.
Race Chatter:
During the caution between laps 128 and 132:
Hornaday: “Can we make it from here, Rick?”
Ren: “Just conserve as fuel as you can right here, Ron.”
Hornaday: “I am conserving fuel. We’re under caution.”
Ren: “Okay Ron, you’re good on fuel. You can make it from here. Do whatever you gotta do.”
Hornaday: “10-4”
About Camping World:
Camping World is America’s largest RV and outdoor retailer serving a brisk and growing demand for the RV lifestyle. After having successfully co-located for several years at selected locations, FreedomRoads, a dynamic national network of well-established local and regional RV dealerships and Camping World, America’s largest direct marketer and specialty retailer of RV and outdoor camping accessories, service and RV sales, joined together to provide consumers with greater choice, convenience and value. Today, with revenues exceeding $1.7 billion, the company serves RV enthusiasts with more than 130 retail locations. For more information, visit www.campingworld.com.
About Kevin Harvick Inc.:
Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001, is a 70,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. KHI houses two full time Truck Series teams: the No. 33 Camping World/VFW Chevrolet Silverado driven by three-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday as well as the No. 2 American Commercial Lines (ACL)/RVs.com Chevrolet Silverado driven by three-time Truck Series champion Jack Sprague. KHI is also home to the No. 33 Camping World/RoadLoans.com/ Rheem Chevrolet driven by two-time Nationwide Series champion Kevin Harvick, Ron Hornaday and Cale Gale and the No. 77 Rheem/VFW Chevrolet driven by Cale Gale and Ron Hornaday competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. 2008 marks KHI’s fifth year of full-time competition in NASCAR’s elite divisions. Please visit www.kevinharvickinc.com for more information.
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