Ron Hornaday Jr. and team owner Kevin Harvick celebrate Hornaday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship and Harvick's Ford 200 win at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The championship is Hornaday's fourth in the series and the second for Kevin Harvick Inc. (Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

“I just can’t believe it,” said Hornaday following the race. “This has been a dream season. To win five races in a row, then win the championship not only for myself but for KHI as a whole is pretty awesome. There are so many people to thank, Longhorn, Veteran of Foreign Wars (VFW), Turtle Wax, Copart for coming on board, Georgia Boot, Rheem, Hungry Man, Miller Welders, Merit Pro, Wiley X, all of our great partners who made this year happen. I can’t think Kevin and DeLana (Harvick) enough for all that they have done. They give me the best equipment to drive hands down. I’m really lucky to be able to be apart of it all. It’s so cool for me to be standing here as the champion and Kevin to be in victory lane. It says a lot about the team work and effort everyone puts into this truck program at KHI. Wow, I just can’t believe it this is awesome.”

Hornaday started the Ford 200 from the fourth position, immediately behind boss Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Georgia Boot Chevrolet. As the race started Hornaday battled a loose-handling truck and tried to find a line his truck would work well in as he battled Matt Crafton for the fifth position. While Hornaday fought with his truck, his KHI teammate Harvick moved into the lead and began to pull away from the field. The first caution of the race waved on lap 31. The No. 33 team brought the truck to pit road on lap 33 for four tires and an air-pressure adjustment. The team had a problem with the jack on the right side resulting in a slow stop. The following lap the team came back down pit road for fuel and was able to gain back a few positions lost on pit road during the previous stop. On the restart on lap 36 Hornaday was scored in the eighth position.

The air-pressure adjustment helped the No. 33 truck as another caution waved on lap 38; Hornaday had gained two positions on the restart moving him to sixth. Hornaday tried multiple lines on the race track, but as the tires wore, the No. 33 truck continued to turn to the loose side. The third caution waved on lap 59. The No. 33 team brought the truck down pit road for four tires, another air-pressure adjustment and came back the following lap for fuel. Several of the leaders chose different pit strategies taking two tires, fuel only and some stayed on the race track, miring Hornaday back in the 11th position for the restart on lap 63. By lap 72, Hornaday had moved back into the seventh position and Harvick had made his way back to the lead.

On lap 86, Busch cut down a tire and was forced to pit road. Three laps later he was back on pit road for a tire violation. Hornaday continued to struggle with the handling of his truck as it would go from loose to tight and back to loose all around the track. On lap 115, the No. 33 truck came to pit road during a round of scheduled green-flag pit stops for fuel only. The last caution of the race waved on lap 129 forcing the season finale for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to end with a green-white-checkered finish. The No. 33 was scored in the 10th position at the time of the caution and made the decision to come down pit road for four tires. The tires paid off as Hornaday moved up two positions to take the checkered flag in the eighth position to solidify the 2009 NASCAR Camping World championship for himself and KHI, while Harvick went on to win his second consecutive Truck Series race in as many weeks.

The championship marks Hornaday’s fourth title recording championship wins in 1996, 1998, 2007 and 2009. This is the second championship for Kevin and DeLana Harvick and KHI. Over the course of the 2009 season the No. 33 team recorded six wins, 15 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. Hornaday also recorded four poles and set a record for consecutive wins with five in a row joining Richard Petty and Bobby Allison as only the third driver to achieve this benchmark.

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release

Ron Hornaday Jr., driver of the No. 33 VFW.org Chevrolet Silverado, celebrates with the series championship trophy after clinching the title with a fourth place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 13, 2009 in Avondale, Arizona.

“I couldn’t think of a better track to clinch the championship, I love Phoenix” said the newly-crowned champion. “This is a compliment to the team. It takes a lot of people to accomplish something like this, all these team guys and everyone back at the shop. But, we aren’t done yet. We still have to get the owner’s title too. Kyle (Busch) is pretty close to us. I can’t say enough for Kevin and DeLana (Harvick) and the whole KHI organization. These trucks are awesome. I don’t know what happened during the pit stop, or how we rallied back, but Rick Ren (crew chief) and the entire team did a great job. It is so much fun to drive for Kevin and DeLana, I just can’t believe it. I just want to thank everyone who has been apart of making this happen this year, VFW, Copart, Longhorn, Turtle Wax, Georgia Boots, Rheem, Hungry-Man, Wiley X, Indian Motorcycles, Miller Welders, Merit Pro everyone. It is unbelievable. This is a lot of fun.”

Hornaday started the Lucas Oil 150 from the third position, immediately behind boss Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Longhorn Chevrolet. With only eight laps complete, a lap truck began to lay down liquid on the racing surface. Harvick brought out the first caution of the night when he hit the moisture and spun off of turn four to the entrance of pit road sustaining no damage. Hornaday emerged from the smoke unscathed for the restart on lap 13 after NASCAR cleaned the racing groove. Hornaday battled with Aric Almirola and Kyle Busch for the race lead, but settled comfortably in the third position until the second caution of the race on lap 35.

The No. 33 team decided to come to pit road for their first scheduled pit stop of the night. Initially the plan was to take on four tires on the first stop and come back the following lap for fuel. However, with the leaders taking fuel only, the team made a quick change to fuel only. A lap later the team was called back down pit road by NASCAR for a pit-road violation and decided to make the most of the penalty which put them at the tail end of the longest line. On lap 37, the team took on four fresh tires and restarted the race in the 23rd position on lap 38. Hornaday began to work his way back through the field, but it was slow going on the one-mile track. By lap 60, the point’s leader had moved his way back into the top 15, but his truck had become too loose through the center of the corners to be able to get back to the gas when he wanted. As Hornaday battled Todd Bodine for the 15th position and worked his way back toward the front of the field, his KHI teammate Harvick ran in the second position chasing Almirola for the top spot.

The third caution of the evening waved on lap 91 and the No. 33 team took full advantage, giving up the 10th position to bring the truck down pit road for four tires and the following lap for fuel. Two quick stops gained Hornaday three positions on pit road placing him in the seventh position for the restart on lap 96. The “restart king” was able to use his four fresh tires to move back into the top five as Harvick took the lead from Almirola. Hornaday gained one more spot before the checkered flag waved to finish in the fourth position. Harvick held off a hard charging Kyle Busch through four late-race cautions and a green-white-checkered finish recording his second Truck Series victory of 2009 followed by Busch, Almirola, Hornaday and Johnny Sauter.

Hornaday was crowned the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion with one race remaining in the 2009 season next weekend at the Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway. The owner’s championship will be decided next weekend as DeLana Harvick continues to hold a 60-point advantage over Billy Ballew.

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release