Darlington Raceway doesn’t seem to line up as a track that Hornaday could win at, but the Palmdale, Calif., native says don’t let the statistics fool you.  “I know I haven’t won at Darlington before, but RCR has and I think that we have as good a chance to win as anybody,” said Hornaday.   Richard Childress Racing won nine times at Darlington Raceway in the GM Goodwrench Chevrolet.  And Hornaday says the track hasn’t changed that much.  “Darlington is the same ‘lady in black’ that she was when it opened.  The walls are closer now with the SAFER barriers, but the pavement hasn’t changed and the line is still right at the top,” added Hornaday.

Hornaday is bringing his favorite car to Darlington Raceway.  Chassis No. 19 helped turn the season around when it produced top finishes at Dover, Kansas, and Lowe’s Motor Speedway.  But it is the combination of both chassis and shocks that have made the difference.  “We found a shock package that this car really likes,” said Hornaday.  “We thought it would work on the other cars, but it just seems to really work with this chassis.  Darlington is bumpy like Lowe’s, so I think these shocks will be the ticket once again.”

While winning is at the top of the ACDelco team’s goals, staying in the top-five in NASCAR Busch Series points is equally as important.  Hornaday leads veteran driver David Green by 56 points for fourth position.  Green and Hornaday have flip-flopped positions all year long and have developed a little bit of a rivalry.  Last year, Green got by Hornaday for second place in points ain the last race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  Hornaday hopes to keep Green behind him this year.

“David and I seem to be attached to each other when it comes to the point’s championship,” said Hornaday.  “He and I are considered the veterans of the series and both of us have won NASCAR championships, so I think we keep an eye on each other.  Hopefully we can keep him behind us this year.”

Points of Interest…

Darlington Track Stat… Darlington Raceway has been hit or miss for Hornaday in the past.  While the two-time NASCAR Truck Series champion has five top-15 finishes in eight races, he also has finished outside the top-30 twice.  The same can be said for qualifying, where Hornaday has five top-20 starts and three starts of 31^st or worst.

Battle for Top-Five… While the focus of the Busch Series is on the battle for the championship, there is another chase that is important to the ACDelco team.  Hornaday leads David Green by 56 points for fourth place.  Last year, Green got by Hornaday to finish second in the final standings.  The ACDelco team hopes to reverse that this year.

Record Breaker… Hornaday extended his NASCAR Busch Series record for consecutive races without a DNF.  The ACDelco Chevrolet has been running at the end of 71 straight races.  The last DNF for Hornaday was an engine failure at Kansas Speedway in 2002.

What ya’ Haulin’… The ACDelco transporter will unload chassis No.19 at PIR.  It is the same car that Hornaday recently raced at Dover (seventh), Kansas (fifth) and Lowe’s Motor Speedway (15^th).

Ron Hornaday on Darlington Raceway…

What are your thoughts on racing at Darlington Raceway?

“Hopefully we can get this ACDelco Monte Carlo running where it needs to be.  We have really struggled over the last couple weeks and we need to get back on track and finish the season out strong.  This is a tough race track and we need to be on top of our game when we unload or it will be a long, long weekend.”

Is the Lady in Black any tougher with the SAFER barriers?

“This track was tough without them, so it definitely didn’t get any easier.  There is just so little room the way you have to drive this track to be fast.  So yeah, it’s tougher.  But that makes a victory that much sweeter.”

Has it been difficult staying focused on the remaining races in the Busch Series knowing that everyone wants to ask you about returning to the Truck Series?

“No.  We still have goals we want to achieve with the ACDelco Chevrolet.  We set out to win the championship, but knew we had to finish in the top-five in points to even feel decent about the season.  So that has become our new goal.  We still feel like we can win a race either at Darlington or Homestead and that what I have been focusing on.  It’s cool that everyone is so excited about my return to the trucks.  But, I’m not going to start worrying about all that until after November 20.”