Hornaday finishes 32nd in season finale

LOUDON, N.H. (Nov. 23)— Ron Hornaday improved seven positions from his starting spot in his final race behind the wheel of the No. 14 Conseco Pontiac to finish 32nd in the final race of the 2001 season, the New Hampshire 300.

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, NASCAR made the decision to postpone the New Hampshire event and reschedule the race as a one-day event to be held on Friday, November 23, the day after Thanksgiving. The starting lineup for the race was set by car owner’s point standings following the September 8 event in Richmond, Virginia. As a result, the Conseco Pontiac started 39th.

Anticipating temperatures in the 30s for the race, Goodyear brought a softer compound tire for the race. Unfortunately, the unusually higher temperatures throughout the region caught the tire manufacturer off guard and the tires began blistering during the race.

At the mid-point of the race, Team Conseco crew chief Donnie Brown instructed Hornaday to run at a pace designed to prevent the tire from blistering. The strategy helped and Hornaday was able to make up one of his lost laps. He finished 32nd.

He placed 38th in the final driver standings while team owner A.J. Foyt placed 39th. The team had one top-10 finish and seven top-15 starts in 33 races.

Foyt did not re-sign Hornaday for the 2002 season and is currently looking for a replacement driver.

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