|
Homestead, FL (November 19, 2005) – Apparently the
racing gods were not quite ready for the 2005 NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) season to come to an end.
The race was scheduled to begin at 8:15 p.m. on Friday
night, but inclement weather forced an early Saturday
morning start. GM Goodwrench driver Ron Hornaday worked
his way from his 13th starting position all
the way up to third before falling victim to an
extremely tight race truck. He ended his season
finishing ninth in the race and fourth overall in the
championship points battle.
After cranking up his engine to start the race Hornaday
thanked his team for a great season. Crew chief Wally
Rogers followed suit as the 36 truck field turned pace
laps for the final time this year. Hornaday got a quick
jump at the start of the race and was up to the 11th
spot when the first caution came out on lap two. He
continued his ascent through the field and was up to the
fifth position when the caution waved again on lap 32.
He explained to his team that the GM Goodwrench truck
was loose getting into the turns and tight getting off.
Rogers called the veteran into the pits for four tires
and fuel. The team had an excellent stop and Hornaday
was back out on the track in the third position for the
restart on lap 34.
In
what is sure to be a preview of the future of the NCTS,
Hornaday and NEXTEL Cup star Mark Martin began running
side by side. Both former champions had their eyes on
the third spot, but Hornaday was able to hang on.
Unfortunately, the hard racing with Martin came at a
cost. Hornaday’s truck began to tighten up on him as he
and Rogers discussed a solution. Rogers finally told
him to make the best out of the situation and the GM
Goodwrench crew would take care of him next time they
pitted.
After an extended period with no caution flags the teams
began to cycle through green-flag pit stops. Hornaday
had fallen a little bit through the field and it was
imperative that the team have a flawless stop if he was
going to get back into the race. On lap 96, Rogers
called Hornaday in for an air pressure adjustment, fuel
and four new tires. Everything looked good, but a brief
stall on pit road proved to be costly.
Hornaday was now running 12th as the other
teams finished up their stops. He eventually made his
way up to the seventh spot and looked like he might make
a run. Two laps later it was obvious the truck was
still too tight to get through traffic. In a last ditch
effort, Rogers called Hornaday in under caution for four
new tires before the race restarted on lap 125. It was
too little too late and Hornaday finished the day in the
ninth position. Todd Bodine won his third race in a row
and solidified the third place finish in the
championship hunt. Musgrave easily managed to hang on
to his points lead and is now the 2005 NCTS champion.
Dennis Setzer was the runner-up.
“This was a fun season,” said Hornaday after the race.
“This team never gave up. We wanted to give a
championship to GM Goodwrench, but it wasn’t meant to be
this year. We definitely tried every week for the win.
Sometimes they just got away from us. Things change
every year and they will certainly be different next
season. I want to thank GM Goodwrench for all that they
have done for me and my team. I hate that the
relationship has come to an end, but it was awesome
while it lasted.”
|
Buckle Up !