(Darlington, SC.) Coming into Saturday’s race at Darlington Raceway, Ron Hornaday and the ACDelco Chevrolet were determined to keep chopping away at the NASCAR Busch Series point’s battle.  Hornaday, who was third in points (97 points out of first), needed a good run at the “Lady in Black” to keep pressure on leader Scott Riggs. 

Darlington Raceway is known for eating up tires and spitting out right side sheet metal.  The track is abrasive and difficult to get a handle on.  Track position can be critical,  which puts a premium on qualifying.  But for Hornaday and team ACDelco, qualifying would be disappointing.  Hornaday went out and turned what he thought had been a decent lap, but it was only good enough for 20^th position.  Hornaday’s teammate Kevin Harvick won the pole.

In “happy hour”, the ACDelco team worked on setting the car up for long green flag runs.  During that final practice, Hornaday was eighth fastest.  The ACDelco Chevy did not slow as much on long runs as other cars.  But could Hornaday work his way out of the qualifying hole?

The green flag waved under sunny skies and hot conditions.  In the early stages of the race, Hornaday told the crew that the car was tight in and tight off, meaning that the car did not want to turn.

On lap nine, Jaime McMurray hit the wall in turn four bringing out the first caution of the day.  Hornaday told the crew that the car was “throttle tight” and that they could probably fix it by taking out a little wedge on their first pit stop.

The race went back to green on lap 16.  Hornaday battled his way through the field slowly, making sure he conserved his tires.  By lap 31, he was 14^th and running down a pack of cars in the top-10.  Hornaday radioed the crew that the left front tire was not doing any work.  “We’re just dragging the left front,” said Hornaday.  “I really don’t think I need it any looser, just get the front end to turn.”

On lap 56, the caution waved again for Brad Loney’s blown motor.  The ACDelco Chevrolet came down pit road.  The crew changed all four tires and took wedge out of the car.  It was a 14.30-second stop and Hornaday left pit road in 10^th.  Meanwhile, Brian Vickers took over the lead with Michael Waltrip second.

On lap 61, Hornaday worked past rookie Kyle Busch for ninth.  But Hornaday’s run in the top-10 was short lived.  Just five laps later, Busch and Jason Keller got by Hornaday, dropping the ACDelco Monte Carlo to 11^th.

On lap 69, Jason White hit the wall in turn four bringing out another caution.  “I’m still throttle tight, but I think it will be okay” said Hornaday.  It was too early to stop again, but just almost as soon as the race went green, the yellow came out again.  Greg Biffle got turned on the front stretch and hit the inside wall.  Hornaday made his way down pit road and the crew gave him fresh tires and fuel.  Once again the crew did their job in spectacular fashion.  He was down and away in 14.21 seconds. 

The race went back to green with Harvick taking the lead away from Vickers.  By lap 98, Hornaday was sliding back in the pack.  “The wedge didn’t help.  Now the right front won’t turn,” Hornaday said.  The car got worse and worse.  Hornaday was fighting the car so much that he thought he was going to “knock down the wall.”  The ACDelco crew got ready on the wall and were getting ready to make a green flag stop when they caught a break.

On lap 124, Scott Wimmer hit the wall in turn four bringing out a caution.  Hornaday made his final pit stop of the day and took four tires and the crew put the wedge back to where it was at the start of the race.  It was another great stop and Hornaday left pit road in 12^th.  The battle for the lead was a classic “young guns vs. veterans.”  Vickers was leading.  Bobby Hamilton, Jr. was third.  Busch was fourth.  But the veteran team had Waltrip in second and Harvick in fifth.

In the end, the young lions had too much for the veteran’s.  Vickers took the checkered flag for his second win in 2003.  Busch was second, and Waltrip third.  Hornaday just never seemed to have the speed to catch the top-10 pack and finished a respectable 11^th.

NBS points leader Scott Riggs finished behind Hornaday in 16^th.  Hornaday dropped from third in points to fifth, but also dropped his points deficit to just 79 points out of first place.

The next race for the NASCAR Busch Series is Friday night at Richmond International Raceway.  Hornaday will be sporting a special paint scheme in the Funai 250.  The ACDelco Chevrolet will be painted in flames as part of Chevrolet’s Rock n Roll weekend.   Hornaday will have Lava Records recording artist Frankie Perez on the hood of his Monte Carlo.