(Fountain, CO.) – The streak is over.  After finishing in the top-10 for six straight races, the ACDelco Chevrolet with driver Ron Hornaday, finished 11^th at Pikes Peak International Raceway.  The race also marked the first time in his history at the track that Hornaday did not finish in the top-10.

The best way to describe the weekend is a quote from ACDelco crew chief Butch Hylton during Saturday’s race.  “We just missed it Ron,” said Hylton.  The ‘it’ that they missed was the setup.  From the first minute the car hit the track, Hornaday knew something was a miss.  “I have no grip,” said Hornaday.  “The car is sliding.  It’s like it’s not in the track.”  For the next two hours, the “Real Car Guys” changed springs, shocks and just about everything else trying to get the car to Hornaday’s liking.  While they gained on it, they never got the car where they needed it to be.  With time running out in the practice, the ACDelco team switched over to qualifying trim, hoping that package would be better.  It was, but not by much.

In qualifying, Hornaday posted the 11^th fastest time of the day, picking up nearly six-tenths of a second over his mock bonsai runs in practice.  Martin Truex, Jr. won the Busch pole at over 137 mph.

Happy hour was a little better for the ACDelco team, but the car needed to be two-tenths of a second better according to Hylton.  It never got there.  The team huddled up for a post practice meeting and came up with what they thought was the answer to their problems.  The team moved the rear end, added nose weight and changed springs.

At the drop of the green flag, Hornaday held back from his typical start, and settled in line on the bottom of the track.  He followed Kenny Wallace up to eighth place.  “It’s tight off the corner,” Hornaday said.  On lap 11, Hornaday radioed to the crew that he had very little brakes.  “I have no pedal,” said Hornaday.  “I have to pump the brakes down the backstretch to get any pedal.”  Without brakes, the ACDelco Chevy fell back to 11^th.

On lap 34, the yellow flag waved for a crash in turn three.  Hornaday came down pit road and the crew changed four tires, raised the trackbar and pulled a spring rubber out of the left rear.  They also made air pressure adjustments and sent Hornaday back out.  The brakes were better, but were never as Hornaday would have liked.  He restarted 12^th.

On the restart, Hornaday battled side-by-side with Jason Keller for the 11^th position.  The two veteran drivers raced hard before Hornaday got by on lap 56.  “The car is rolling better in the corners, but it is very tight off,” said Hornaday.  As the run went on, Hornaday fell back to 14^th as he could not get back in the gas like some of the others.

On lap 77, the caution came out for Tyler Walker’s engine problem.  Hornaday made his way down pit road for adjustments.  The crew changed tires and put a spring rubber in the right rear to help the car off the corner.  They also took out two rounds of wedge.   He left pit road in 19^th.  

During the middle stages of the race, the ACDelco car was better.  The adjustments had worked and Hornaday chased down the field.  By lap 116, Hornaday had climbed back into the top-10.  He was ninth and charging when the yellow flag waved for Johnny Sauter’s blown engine on lap 140.  It was this caution that determined the outcome of the race.

Hornaday came down pit road and asked for more of the same adjustments.  The ACDelco crew made the exact same adjustments and Hornaday left pit road in tenth.  During the caution, several cars hit pit road for fuel only.  Greg Biffle, Stacy Compton and Clint Bowyer saved a set of tires by only taking fuel, which proved to be the difference at the end.

The race went back green and Hornaday had a handful.  “That was too much,” said Hornaday.  “I’m really loose off.”  By lap 188, Hornaday had passed Biffle, Compton and Bowyer and was now in tenth, despite the ill-handling car.  “Ron, I need you to save me a lot of fuel,” said Hylton.  “I need you to save five laps worth.”  Hornaday responded by telling Hylton he had already been doing that.  “I have been for the last 10 laps or so,” said Hornaday.

The late stages of the race looked like they might turn Hornaday’s way.  The race was turning into a fuel mileage race and only Hornaday could go the distance.  Everything was going their way.  The only thing that could stop them now was a caution.  On Lap 211, the hopes of the ACDelco team were smashed.  Tim Fedewa lost the motor on his Monte Carlo bringing out the caution.  “Sorry Ron,” said Hylton.  “We played our hand and lost.  You just have to do the best you can with what you’ve got.  We just plain missed it this week.”  During the caution, Biffle, Compton and Bowyer took their final set of tires.

On the restart, Hornaday was a sitting duck.  He restarted fourth on lap 215.  On lap 222, Biffle blew by the ACDelco Chevy.  Lap 228 saw Compton pass and Bowyer got by on lap 248.  Hornaday hung on for an 11^th place finish.  It was the first time he had ever finished outside the top-10 in any event at PPIR. 

With fresh tires, Biffle blew away the competition to score the win.  Compton was second.  Jason Leffler finished third, with Bowyer fourth and Truex, Jr. fifth.  Hornaday remained third in points, 373 points out of first. 

The next race for the NASCAR Busch Series is Saturday night, August 7 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.