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well
for the
ACDelco
Chevrolet.
Hornaday was
10th
fastest in the
practice and
the crew found
a setup that
they felt
would work
well. The
lineup was set
on owner’s
points, which
put Hornaday
fifth on the
grid.
Hornaday’s
teammate Kevin
Harvick
started on the
pole. With
all the
leaders up
front, it was
a battle from
the drop of
the green
flag.
It didn’t take
long for the
“Monster Mile”
to claim its
first victim.
Mike Harmon
hit the wall
in turn one
bringing out
the caution on
lap three. On
the restart,
Hornaday
passed by
Scott Riggs
for fourth.
On lap nine,
Dion
Ciccarelli
spun coming
off of turn
two and
brought out
the second
caution of the
day.
The race went
back to green
at lap 15, but
once again the
yellow would
soon wave.
Point’s leader
David Green
got tagged by
Riggs and
slammed the
outside wall.
As Green slid
down the
track, he was
hit again by
David Stremme
and Jeff
Green.
Hornaday was
now third and
it was
apparent that
with Green’s
trouble there
would be a
change at the
top of the
point’s list.
After the
first three
crashes, the
race settled
into a long
green flag
run. Hornaday
battled as
high as third,
but a tight
car eventually
dropped him to
fifth. “The
car is pushing
bad when I get
on the
throttle,”
said Hornaday.
On lap 102,
the ACDelco
team made
their first
pit stop of
the day under
green.
Hornaday took
on four tires
and fuel in
just 14.18
seconds. The
crew had made
an air
pressure
adjustment to
help the car.
After the
stops, Riggs
and Brian
Vickers took
over the top
spots and
began lapping
the field at a
fearless
pace. On lap
152, Hornaday
was lapped by
Riggs. The
key now for
Hornaday was
to stay the
first car one
lap down.
Under new
NASCAR rules,
that car would
get a free
pass back on
the lead lap,
should the
caution come
out. Just 14
laps later,
the caution
waved and
Hornaday was
back in
contention.
Hornaday
restarted the
race in
seventh, the
last car on
the lead lap.
The car
remained tight
and Hornaday
did his best
to keep pace
with the
leaders.
Vickers took
the lead from
Riggs and
never looked
back. When
the caution
waved on lap
195 for
debris, Riggs
had one chance
to catch him
on the final
restart at lap
198. Hornaday
used the
yellow to stop
and get right
side tires in
an attempt to
gain some
spots.
On the
restart,
Hornaday took
over sixth
from Ashton
Lewis, Jr.,
but couldn’t
catch Mike
Bliss for
fifth.
Vickers pulled
away from
Hamilton, Jr.
and Riggs and
won his third
race of the
year. With
the win,
Vickers took
over the
point’s lead.
Hornaday moved
up to third in
points with
his sixth
place finish.
The NASCAR
Busch Series
takes a week
off and then
returns to
action at
Kansas
Speedway on
Saturday,
October 4th.
Hornaday is
third in the
NASCAR Busch
Series point’s
standings,
just 61 points
out of first.
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