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

Ron Hornaday

“We weren’t points racing,” said Hornaday following the race. “Todd (Bodine) was a little slower right in the center. I went up after the race and told him I didn’t mean to run in to him every time, but I had just burned my brakes up behind him. There at the end Colin (Braun) was able to get by me. I am sure glad Colin ran in to the side of my door, it straightened me back up or I might have been in trouble there. It was just an awesome day for the VFW Chevrolet. This was one hurdle we had to jump and we jumped it. When those other guys came and got tires, I thought we were a sitting duck but it was a good call. It was a good day. We waited until 47 or 50 laps to pit and guys were coming on new tires but we did what we needed to do.”

Hornaday started the Kroger 200 from the outside position and on the first lap made a move to get around pole sitter Mike Skinner to lead lap one. Hornaday set the pace until the first caution of the race waved on lap 32. Crew chief Rick Ren made the call to leave the No. 33 on the race track because it was too early in the race for the team to be able to make it to the end on fuel. The majority of the field came down for four tires and fuel. Hornaday continued to lead over KHI teammate Kevin Harvick on the lap 38 restart. Hornaday pulled out to a one second advantage over second place when the second caution waved on lap 52.

On lap 53, the No. 33 team pitted for four tires and a slight air-pressure adjustment, as they were barely in their pit window to make it to the end of the race on fuel. The following lap the team came back down for fuel. However, the top three trucks of Hornaday, Harvick and Skinner were caught speeding and were forced to the tail end of the longest line for the restart. Hornaday found himself going from the lead to 18th position during the sequence of pit stops.

Hornaday tucked himself behind teammate Harvick on the restart on lap 58 to try and follow the No. 4 through traffic. However, on lap 64, the No. 4 cut down a left-rear tire and was forced to pit. Hornaday then followed Bodine to the front of the field. Scored in the 13th position as the caution waved for the third time on lap 71, Hornaday radioed his crew and told them he was beginning to have trouble with the brakes and was having to pump them several times in order to stop the No. 33 truck. By lap 83, Hornaday had moved back into the top 10, methodically working his way back through traffic.

By lap 100 Hornaday had worked his way up to the sixth position. Trying to make it a one pit stop race Hornaday was asked to conserve as much fuel as possible. Under the sixth caution on lap 122, the team told Hornaday that he could definitely make it to the end on fuel. On the restart on lap 125, Hornaday was scored in the third position. He continued to battle Bodine for the second spot but could not make the pass. As the laps wound down Hornaday continued to battle Bodine for second. However, his brakes continued to fade and finally had to give way to the advances of Colin Braun for third with only 25 laps remaining. Hornaday would remain in the fourth position when the checkered flag flew.

Hornaday’s teammate Harvick battled back to regain both laps he lost under green when he was forced to pit for the flat left-rear tire. Harvick came back to finish behind Hornaday in fifth. Timothy Peters scored his first Truck Series victory followed by Bodine, Braun, Hornaday and Harvick. Hornaday remains the championship point’s leader by 224 makers over Matt Crafton with four races remaining in the 2009 season.

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release

Ron Hornaday wins the AAA Insurance 200 Presented by JD Byrider at O'Reilly Raceway Park

“I have to thank Kevin and DeLana (Harvick),” said Hornaday in victory lane. “People ask me how I do it and it is those two people right there. They just keep putting trucks underneath us and putting the right people in place at the shop. This is so awesome. I have to thank Mark Smith and everyone at the motor shop, PME and especially all of the fans. This is so cool to come around and see them put their hands up. This is what makes it so special.

We were just really tight on those long runs and I just kept playing with the rear brake. Then (Mike) Skinner put those tires on and I thought he had us; although, I had searched and found a groove that worked. If you miss it by a half inch, you are going to get loose up off. I concentrated every time and when Skinner got that good run off of there, he could have put me up against the fence, but he didn’t. We haven’t got a mark on this truck. I have to thank Mike for that. Colin Braun ran one heck of a race. Man this is what the Truck Series is all about, this is a lot of fun.”

Hornaday began the AAA Insurance 200 from the fourth starting position. By lap three, Hornaday had moved into second, chasing rival Truck Series veteran Mike Skinner for the lead. At lap 20, Hornaday radioed to crew chief Rick Ren that he was too tight in the center of the corner. The first caution of the race waved at lap 38, as the No. 1 truck spun into the outside wall. Looking to complete the 200-lap event on only one pit stop, Ren made the call to leave the No. 33 truck on the race track as other trucks came to pit road with varying pit stratgey. The race restarted on lap 43. Hornaday dove to the inside of Skinner to try and capture the lead; however the No. 33 VFW truck was unable to make the move. As the race continued to run under green Hornaday battled Skinner for the lead position. On lap 62 his efforts paid off as he assumed the lead for the first time.

Hornaday was able to hold off Kyle Busch for the lead when the second caution of the race waved at lap 92. In their pit window, the No. 33 team brought Hornaday down pit road for the first and only scheduled pit stop of the night. On lap 95, the team changed four tires and made an air-pressure adjustment. A quick stop got the No. 33 off pit road in the lead position. The following lap, Hornaday came back down pit road for two cans of fuel. Other competitors had taken on fuel during the previous round of pit stops and did not have to take two full cans allowing them the restart ahead of Hornaday, who would drop back to the third position for the restart at lap 101.

Battling Busch and Todd Bodine for the lead the top four trucks ran bumper to bumper all vying for the top spot by lap 139. As the race continued, team co-owner Kevin Harvick came over the radio encouraging Hornaday and letting him know he was the fastest truck on the race track. With 50 laps remaining, Hornaday made his way back into the second position. The caution flew for the third time at lap 161. The No. 33 team decided to remain on the race track to maintain track position. The No. 5 truck of Skinner who was running in the eighth position and the No. 51 of Busch choose to come to pit road for four fresh tires. The race restarted on lap 165 and four laps later Hornaday reassumed the lead for the final time. Two late cautions allowed the No. 5 of Skinner to close the gap to Hornaday. By lap 190 the top four were bumper to bumper again fighting for the lead. Hornaday was able to pull away from the field on the final lap to record his fourth straight win and his third at ORP. Mike Skinner, Aric Almirola, Dennis Setzer and Colin Braun rounded out the top five.

Hornaday led the most laps (67/200) in route to his fifth victory of 2009. With the victory crew chief Rick Ren ties Dennis Conner for all-time Truck Series wins with 26.

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release