In reality, the race results backed up where

the team ran all weekend long.  The No. 2 ACDelco Monte Carlo was 22^nd in the first practice and picked up to 14^th in qualifying.  During “happy hour” the car battled a tight-off condition, which meant it didn’t want to turn off the corners.  Rick Viers and the entire ACDelco crew hustled by changing gears and springs to help the car.  On the final run of the day, the “blue deuce” finally felt comfortable for Hornaday.

Saturday was a chamber of commerce type day in Nashville.  Sunny skies with temperatures in the mid 70’s greeted the fans and drivers.  For most teams, starting on the outside row would be a disadvantage on a narrow track.  But Hornaday used it to his advantage on the restart and passed several cars into 10^th position.  On lap 11, he told the crew that the car was again tight-off just like in practice.  Only this time he thought it was due to the dreaded “aero-push.”

The first caution came out on lap 23, when Chase Montgomery lost an engine and spun into the wall in turn three.  Despite the early caution. The leader made their way down pit road for adjustments.  Hornaday took on four tires, including an air pressure adjustment to the left front and right rear to help with the push.  When the race went back green, the adjustments didn’t work and the car pushed even more.  “This thing is pushing like a dump truck,” Hornaday told the crew.  “I need the front end to cut.  I can’t feel the front end.” 

If the ACDelco team ever needed a caution this was one of those times.  But the race stayed green and Hornaday dropped further into the field.  On lap 57 he was passed by Jason Keller and was running 17^th.  Finally on lap 65, the yellow flag waved for a crash in turn four.  Hornaday came down pit road and the crew made multiple changes.  They made an air pressure and track bar adjustment to help the car turn better and also took some wedge out.  Hornaday came on to pit road in 18^th, but the fast stop put him back in contention in 11^th.

The race restarted on lap 70, but the adjustments didn’t help the car.  By lap 73, Hornaday said he felt the lower air pressure made the car feel very tight.  “The car just goes straight.  It won’t turn,” said Hornaday.  The car faded back to 19^th position by lap 95.  On lap 99, the team caught a break when Steadman Marlin spun in turn three to bring out the caution.  Hornaday brought the car down pit road several times to try and fix the problem.  Viers went back up on the air pressure all the way around and the team topped off the fuel.  Hornaday was 24^th.

When the green flag waved to restart the race, the changes finally worked.  Hornaday told the crew that it was the best the car had rolled all day.  “It’s really rolling through the center now.  This is the best it’s been all day,” said Hornaday.  Hornaday worked his way into the top-20 before being bumped by Shane Hmiel on lap 120.  The bump forced Hornaday to “catch” the car and he lost three spots.  On lap 132, Kasey Kahne brought out the yellow when he crashed in turn two.  Hornaday made what he hoped was his final stop of the day.  The ACDelco crew put on four fresh tires and packed the car full of fuel.  Just before the race went green they brought him back down pit road and topped off again.  “Ron, I need to you to conserve fuel.  We can go all the way from here, but it will be close,” said Viers.

The race looked like it would come down to fuel mileage and Hornaday was in the driver’s seat.  As the laps clicked off, most of the leaders stopped for fuel and Hornaday moved up the standings.  He was as high as 10^th, but the leaders eventually caught him late in the race and Hornaday went one lap down.  Hornaday finished in 16^th position, which was good enough to move him into second in overall points, just 78 points out of first.

The race for the win was a classic duel between David Green with fresh tires and Hornaday’s teammate Johnny Sauter with old tires.  Sauter held off the challenge until the last lap when Green got under the RCR Chevrolet in turn two and beat Sauter into turn three.  It was Green’s first win of the year and the first win by a Busch Series regular this season.

Next week the NASCAR Busch Series has an off weekend in observance of the Easter holiday.  The next event is April 26, 2003 at California Speedway outside Los Angeles.