Dover Downs International Speedway
MBNA Platinum 400

Hornaday battles Monster Mile in Dover

Dover, DE (June 3, 2001)—Ron Hornaday seemed to be on his way to his second top 10 finish of the season when fate stepped in and knocked him out of the race with a one-two punch of bad luck relegating Team Conseco’s driver to 35th –place finish in Sunday’s MBNA Platinum 400 in Dover, Delaware.

After qualifying rained out on Friday, the starting lineup was set by owner’s points.  Hornaday lined up in the 35th position, but began passing cars at the start of the race.  He moved into the top 10 on lap 70 and remained there for the first half of the race.  On the 316th lap of 400 lap event, Hornaday reported that the engine had lost and cylinder and was running on only seven cylinders.  He remained in the top 20 until lap 365 when the car jumped sideways in turn four and spun all the way down the front stretch, coming to rest in turn one. 

Hornaday brought the No. 14 Conseco Pontiac to pit road but the damage was too severe to continue and Hornaday retired from the race in the 35th position.

“I guess today just wasn’t our day,” Hornaday said after the race.  “We had a good run going early.  We were making a few adjustments to the car to try and free it up on long runs and that was working.  The Conseco pit crew was on their game today.  Everything seemed to be going our way.  Then we lost a cylinder.  That wasn’t too bad.  I could hang with them in the corners but they were killing me at the end of the straights.  But then all of a sudden the rear end jumped out from under me coming off turn four and I was just along for the ride.  We were going to try and fix it, but there was just too much to fix and too little time left to fix it in.  We’ll go back and get ready for Michigan."

FX will air the Kmart 400 live from Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan live on Sunday, June 10 with television coverage starting at 1:00PM E.D.T

June 3rd, 2001 (ronhornaday.com)

 After starting 35th, Ron moved up quick in the MBNA Platinum 400 to be running in the top 10. After routine pit stops Ron was battling in the top 20 positions and avoided several wrecks at the "Monster Mile". Team Conseco made some minor wedge adjustments to the #14 Pontiac just before the half-way point and Ron was back on the track in 18th one lap down.

With less then 40 laps to go, the left rear end of the AJ Foyt Racing / Team Conseco Pontiac busted lose, causing Ron to spin nearly being hit. Ron brought the car to the pit not to return to the track. The "Unofficial Results" show Ron and Team Conseco placing 35th.

“Like I said last week in Charlotte, these guys on this Conseco Pontiac never stop.  They really want to race and they really want to win.  We're pretty excited now.  Things are starting to work good.  We’re working very hard on our qualifying program and our communication is picking up.  Everything is heading in the right direction.  It’s just going to take a little more time.  But we get a little closer every day.”  –Ron

June 2nd, 2001 (ronhornaday.com)

he MBNA Platinum 400 line up will be based on points, due to qualifying being rained out Friday. Ron will start the AJ Foyt Racing Team Conseco Pontiac in 35th position.

Partly cloudy skies are expected  today, with the high of 77º.

Team Conseco's new Crew Chief Donnie Brown will head his second race this time out. Donnie has been with A.J. Foyt Racing since 1999 as a Car Chief. 

Dover Downs International Speedway is a 1-mile concrete oval with 24-degree banking in all four turns and 9-degree banking in the straight-aways, allowing the cars to travel at speed of 150 m.p.h. or greater.

Dover, De. (June 1st)

“Like I said last week in Charlotte, these guys on this Conseco Pontiac never stop.  They really want to race and they really want to win.  We're pretty excited now.  Things are starting to work good.  We’re working very hard on our qualifying program and our communication is picking up.  Everything is heading in the right direction.  It’s just going to take a little more time.  But we get a little closer every day.”  –Ron Hornaday, Team Conseco Driver
 
Team Conseco will use chassis 1407 this weekend in the MBNA Platinum 400 at Dover.  This is Team Conseco’s concrete car, which was last raced at Bristol in March
where Hornaday started 40th and finished 21st.  
 
The MBNA Platinum 400 will be the second race for Team Conseco’s new crew chief Donnie Brown.  Brown started with AJ Foyt Racing in the fall of 1999 as car chief prior to being named crew chief.
 
 
Hornaday’s Track Record
First Winston Cup Start:  1992 Sears Point
Best Start:  12th (Las Vegas)
Best Finish:  9th (Las Vegas)
Last Race:  Started 27th  Finished 36th
Current position in Winston Cup Series Points: 35th    
 
 
Career Winston Cup Series Stats (nine starts prior to 2001 season)
Starts                   Poles            Top Fives                     Top 10s                       Earnings
21                            0                   0                                1                             $745,004

PR Contact:  Michael Rompf, Team Conseco  (704) 799-1414    mdrompf@msn.com

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