(Bristol, T.N.) - Ron Hornaday came into the Bristol weekend not just hungry for a good run, but starving.  After two straight weeks of 20^th or worse, the ACDelco Chevrolet had to be fast in Bristol, T.N. to get the team back in the championship chase.  It was and they did!

The ACDelco Chevy was fast from the time it unloaded to the finish of the race.  Hornaday posted the fifth fastest time in race trim and then was 15^th fastest on his mock qualifying run.  When it came to qualify, Hornaday “got up” on the wheel and qualified 8^th quickest at 125.305 mph.  It was a good starting spot for the ACDelco Monte Carlo.  Greg Biffle won the Bud Pole at a speed of 127.132 mph.

Weather was a concern on race day as a band of rain stretched from Dallas, T.X. to Indianapolis, I.N.  The ACDelco team discussed pit strategy based on rain, but in the end felt like it would hold off.

The skies were cloudy but rain free when the green flag waved to start the Sharpie 250.  Hornaday got a good start on the outside lane and picked off Ashton Lewis, Jr. for seventh on lap one.  That put Hornaday behind his RCR teammate Kevin Harvick.  The two RCR Chevy’s worked together in moving past the competition.  On lap three, they both passed David Stremme on the low side to capture fifth and sixth position. 

It doesn’t take long to catch lap traffic at Bristol and by lap nine; the leaders had caught the back of the pack.  On lap 11, Donnie Neuberger got spun by Kasey Kahne and hit the front stretch wall.  Hornaday radioed the crew that the car was really good.  On the restart, Hornaday was pressured from behind by Kyle Busch and he repeatedly bumped Hornaday in an attempt to get by.  On lap 19, Busch nailed Hornaday on the backstretch, damaging the rear bumper cover.  Hornaday got sideways, but kept the car straight by driving down to the apron in turn three.  He made his way back up the track in turn four and let Busch know how he felt by sliding up right in front of him.  It was racing…Bristol style.

On lap 26, the caution was displayed for the second time when Robby Gordon made contact with Stacy Compton.  Gordon got the worst of the contact and spun his Monte Carlo.  He was able to continue.  When the green flag waved, Hornaday settled into the sixth position and worked on saving his tires.  On lap 66, Jason White lost power and brought out the third yellow of the day.  This caution meant pit stops.  In a strange twist, the first two cars, Biffle and Bobby Hamilton, Jr. stayed on the track and elected not to pit.  Hornaday did and the crew changed all four tires and repaired the cosmetic damage to the bumper.  He restarted sixth.

The ACDelco Chevrolet quickly grabbed a top-five spot as Hornaday worked under David Green off turn two on lap 75.  Two laps later, Jason Leffler hit the wall bringing out another yellow flag.  When the race went green, Hornaday again fell in line and saved his tires.  On lap 94, Hornaday passed Hamilton, Jr. on moved into fourth.  Up front, Biffle began to fall back on the older tires.  On lap 116, Martin Truex, Jr. passed Biffle for the lead.  Just 14 laps later, Hornaday passed Biffle for third.

On lap 172 the yellow waved for the fifth time as Lewis, Jr. was spun by Kenny Wallace.  Hornaday pitted and the ACDelco crew went to work.  They changed four tires and took a half turn of wedge out of the car to free up Hornaday as the track tightened.  Hornaday left pit road in third position.  However, the pit road official waved his hand and pointed to the left front tire.  The team had left a lug nut off and Hornaday was forced to pit again, dropping him to 19^th and ending his chances at the win.

The rest of the race was a battle for Hornaday as he tried to pass cars deep in the pack.  By lap 225 he was 15^th and charging.  He had made it up to 13^th when Gordon dropped oil on the track from his smoking Chevy.  The red flag was displayed to help the track workers clean up the mess.  During the red flag condition, Hornaday chatted on air with PRN radio about his day.  “I have to thank all these ACDelco guys for the car I have had today,” said Hornaday.  “This is one of the best cars I’ve ever had here.  We had a problem in the pits, but we win and lose as a team and we’re not done yet.”

The race restarted at lap 240, setting up a 10-lap sprint to the checkered.  Hornaday battled for every spot in the final 10-laps and crossed the line in 10th position.  Truex, Jr. held off Mike Bliss and won his first career NASCAR Busch Series event under yellow after a last lap crash between Johnny Benson and Stremme.  While under caution, Bliss pulled down pit lane thinking the race was over and did not take the checkered flag.  He realized the mistake and finished in 17^th position.  That allowed Hornaday to move up to an official finish of ninth.  That put Hornaday 13^th in points, just 188 points out of first and 76 points out of fifth.

Despite the pit miscue, it was a great weekend for the ACDelco Chevy.  The car was fast all weekend long and Hornaday showed why he is one of the best in the business.