|
GRAPEVINE,
TX
(March
28,
2002)
-
Ron
Hornaday,
Jr.
competed
in
the
first-ever
event
at
Texas
Motor
Speedway
in
1997
and
has
raced
at
the
ultra-fast
track
every
year
since.
Now
behind
the
wheel
of
the
No.
5
GMAC
Financial
Services
Chevrolet
Monte
Carlo,
Hornaday
is
hoping
to
give
Team
GMAC
its
first
Top-10
finish
of
the
2002
NASCAR
Busch
Series
season
in
|
|
the
O'Reilly
300
at
TMS
Saturday,
April
6.
"I
have
raced
something
a
Craftsman
Truck,
a
Busch
or
a
Winston
Cup
car
at
Texas
Motor
Speedway
every
year
since
the
track
opened,"
said
Hornaday.
"We
are
really
looking
forward
to
racing
that
track.
Team
GMAC
built
a
brand
new
racecar
and
it
just
came
back
from
the
wind
tunnel.
Everyone
is
really
excited
because
they
say
it's
one
of
the
best
racecars
they
have
ever
built.
I'm
going
down
to
help
a
Winston
Cup
team
with
testing
there
and
that
will
give
me
some
additional
laps
around
Texas.
With
the
new
paving
there,
I
think
that
will
only
help
Team
GMAC."
Last
time
out,
Hornaday
and
Team
GMAC
suffered
a
disappointing
finish
at
Bristol
Motor
Speedway.
After
starting
11th,
Hornaday
was
charging
the
front
when
a
slashed
oil
return
line
sent
his
red-white
and
blue
GMAC
Chevy
behind
the
wall
for
repairs.
He
later
returned
to
the
track,
but
lost
laps
relegated
Team
GMAC
to
a
38th
place
finish.
Hornaday
thinks
a
trip
to
Texas
is
just
what
the
team
needs
to
change
its
luck.
"I've
always
run
well
at
Texas,"
said
Hornaday.
"Texas
is
a
driver's
track
and
I've
had
a
lot
of
fun
there.
I
can't
wait
to
get
back
there
in
this
great
Hendrick
Motorsports
equipment
and
see
what
we
can
do.
We
haven't
really
gotten
to
prove
what
we
can
do
this
season,
so
we
are
hoping
Texas
will
be
the
place
to
do
it."
The
newly
repaved
1.5-mile
speedway
is
sure
to
be
even
faster
than
it
has
in
the
past.
That's
saying
something
considering
qualifying
speeds
have
previously
topped
189
miles
per
hour.
According
to
Hornaday,
speed
won't
be
an
issue
for
him
when
he
takes
the
green
flag
in
the
O'Reilly
Auto
Parts
300.
"The
speeds
don't
bother
me
at
Texas
as
long
as
the
car
handling
well,"
stated
the
Palmdale,
CA
driver.
"If
the
car
is
not
handling
well,
it
will
definitely
get
your
attention.
These
Hendrick
Motorsports
guys
will
do
anything
to
make
the
car
comfortable
for
me
to
drive.
When
we
have
to
adjust
something,
we
talk
about
it,
think
about
it
and
get
it
fixed.
They
believe
in
me
and
I
believe
in
them.
I
believe
we
will
win
some
races
before
we
are
done."
Hornaday
is
filling
in
while
Team
GMAC
driver
Ricky
Hendrick
mends
from
shoulder
surgery
after
a
hard
crash
at
Las
Vegas
Motor
Speedway
March
2.
Hornaday
will
take
a
third
turn
in
the
Team
GMAC
Chevy
when
they
roll
off
in
the
O'Reilly
300
at
Texas
Motor
Speedway,
Saturday,
April
6
at
1
p.m.
Eastern
Standard
Time.
The
event
will
be
the
sixth
of
34
NASCAR
Busch
Series
races
this
season
and
will
be
telecast
live
on
FOX
and
PRN
Radio.
|
