“Three wide, pedal on the floor, wide open, white knuckle racing.  That’s Talladega.  There’s nothing else like it on earth.”    –Ron Hornaday, Team Conseco Driver
 
In the season opener at Daytona, Hornaday started 42nd and drove to the front, running as high as second on three occasions before finishing 17th, earning the Raybestos Rookie of the Race award.
 
The last time Hornaday was at Talladega he started 42nd and within lap nine was running inside the top 10.  Hornaday later led the event after running with the lead draft for almost the entire race.

Hornaday awarded Raybestos Rookie of The Race

" We ran 500 laps at Martinsville!” said an exuberant Hornaday afterwards. "I’m just so proud of Team Conseco. We unloaded on Friday and we knew we needed to step up in qualifying. We put our heads together and hammered out a plan and went from 41st in practice to 17th in qualifying. I’ve said all along we can do it, and this weekend we proved it."
 
Hornaday’s Track Record
 
First Winston Cup Start:  Sears Point (1992)  -  Started 17th    Finished 32nd                
Last Race:  Charlotte  -  Started 17th   Finished 18th 
Best Start:  3rd (Bristol 8/25/01)                   
Best Finish:  9th (Las Vegas 3/4/01)
Current position in Winston Cup Series Points: 36th 

Career Winston Cup Series Stats (nine starts prior to 2001 season)

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