Tempers flare at
Richmond,
Hornaday avoids
"crash-fest" for
a top-10 finish
By : Tony
Rizzuti /
ACDelco PR
(Richmond, VA.)
They call it
many things,
short track
racing.
Exciting,
aggressive, and
aggravating. For
the ACDelco
team, the night
was filled with
close calls and
a great escape.
The weekend
never really got
started for Ron
Hornaday and the
No. 2 ACDelco
Chevrolet.
Weather settled
in over Richmond
International
Raceway giving
the team a mere
35 minutes of
practice to
set-up the car.
Fortunately, the
Richard
Childress Racing
owned team had
done their
homework and the
car was fast
right off the
transporter.
Hornaday was
12th fastest in
the only
practice of the
weekend. But the
ACDelco Monte
Carlo driver
told the crew
that he was only
running as fast
as race pace. It
was a prelude to
a good weekend.
Qualifying was
cancelled due to
a driving
rainstorm that
flooded the
garage area.
NASCAR set the
field based on
owner points,
which put
Hornaday sixth
and his teammate
Kevin Harvick on
the pole. With
the top-five in
points separated
by just 79
points and all
five of them
starting in the
front, the Funai
250 had the
signs of an
explosive race
for the ages.
Hornaday had
another reason
to be excited
for the weekend.
Java Records
recording artist
Frankie Perez
adorned the hood
of the ACDelco
Chevrolet as
part of the
Chevy Rock &
Roll 400
weekend. The
special paint
scheme received
a lot of media
attention and
the focus was on
Hornaday. Perez
also sang the
National Anthem.
At the drop of
the green,
Hornaday went
straight to the
front. On lap
one, he passed
Jason Keller and
Brian Vickers on
the high side
and was fourth.
On lap 16, Joey
Clanton looped
his No. 27
Pontiac in turn
three bringing
out the caution.
Hornaday radioed
the crew that
the car was very
good.
Hornaday raced
in the fourth
position,
putting pressure
on the
top-three. On
lap 37, the
caution waved
for a stalled
car on the
backstretch. All
the leaders
stayed out of
the track and
the field got
ready for the
restart. For
Hornaday, it
would be the
restart that
caused some
controversy.
On lap 42, the
green flag waved
and Hornaday got
a great jump. He
dove to the
inside of Scott
Riggs, clearing
him in the
center of turn
one. Hornaday
also got
underneath David
Green off turn
two, but wiggled
as the car got
loose off the
corner. Hornaday
caught the car
from spinning,
but in doing so,
Hornaday's right
rear quarter
panel made
contact with
Rigg's left
front tire.
Riggs fell back
after hitting
the outside wall
after contact
with Hornaday.
Meanwhile
Hornaday set his
sights on Green
in turn three.
Hornaday got
under Green, but
again got loose
off four,
allowing Green
to keep the
position. Rigg's
gathered his car
up and settled
in the 10th
position.
On lap 59, Bobby
Hamilton, Jr.
passed Hornaday
for third.
Hornaday radioed
the crew that
the car was
tight in the
middle and loose
off. For the
next 40 laps,
Hornaday settled
into line with
Hamilton, Jr.,
but he wasn't
just riding. He
worked with the
brake bias knob
in the car and
moved more bias
to the front. It
worked and
Hornaday closed
up on Hamilton,
Jr. On lap
97,Hornaday
easily passed
"Jr." for fourth
and just three
laps later, got
by Harvick for
third. The
ACDelco Chevy
had come alive.
The first pit
stop of the day
did not go well
for the "blue
deuce". On lap
105, Hornaday
hit pit road
during the
caution for
Randy McDonald
for a four-tire
change. Hornaday
slid hard into
the stall and
the crew went to
work. But when
the rear carrier
put the tire on
the hub, four of
the lug nuts
fell off,
causing changer
Aaron Smith to
pick up and
manually apply
the lugs. The
trouble with the
rear tire caused
Hornaday to lose
several spots,
leaving pit road
in seventh.
The rest of the
race just didn't
have the feel of
the first half
for the ACDelco
team. Hornaday
never was able
to challenge the
top-five again.
Most of the
second half was
spent in the
top-10, but the
car stayed loose
and despite
adjustments,
Hornaday
finished
seventh.
But the second
half of the race
was not without
fireworks,
especially at
the end. With
just six laps to
go, Shane Hmiel
got shoved to
the apron of the
track off turn
two and when he
tried to get
back in line in
turn three, he
collected Jason
Keller and
several other
drivers. The
race was halted
in order to
clean up the
track for a
green flag
finish. Keller
and Hmiel
exchanged words
and their crew
exchanged fists
after the race,
prompting both
to make trips to
the Busch Series
trailer.
On the restart,
Johnny Sauter
and Matt Kenseth
made contact
several times
racing for the
win. On the
final turn,
Sauter put a
bumper on
Kenseth and
Kenseth turned
sideways. Sauter
went on for the
win, with
Harvick second
and Hamilton,
Jr. third.
Kenseth didn't
appreciate the
bump and ran
down Sauter to
voice his
displeasure. It
was all part of
short track
racing. Tempers
flared and the
fans cheered.
That's why they
call Richmond
International
Raceway, "the
action track."
As for the
point's
standings,
Rigg's bad luck
pushed him back
to third, while
Green took over
the lead. Brain
Vickers is now
second, Hornaday
fourth and
Keller fifth.
The top-five are
now separated by
just 110 points.
After a much
needed week off
to cool tempers,
the NASCAR Busch
Series returns
to action at
Dover
International
Speedway on
Saturday,
September 20.
Hornaday is
fourth in the
NASCAR Busch
Series point's
standings, just
74 points out of
first
Buckle
Up
!