Ron Hornaday, Jr.
Ron Hornaday Jr. ( born June 20, 1958 in Palmdale, California) is an American race car driver. He is the father of racing driver Ronnie Hornaday, and son of former NASCAR drivers Ron Hornaday senior. He currently drives the truck with the # 33 of Kevin Harvick Incorporated in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In the years 1996, 1998, 2007 and 2009, he won the drivers' championship the Camping World Truck Series.
Career
Hornaday began his career in karts and motorcycles. After a few years he moved to stock car and drove to a local racing series on the 0.33 miles long Saugus Speedway. On this route Hornaday won several championships. In 1992, he was champion of the NASCAR Southwest Series. In addition, he was elected Most Popular Driver, the most popular driver. In the 1993 season he won the championship again. Hornaday is the only driver who was able to win the championship for two consecutive years in the NASCAR Southwest Series.
His debut in the Winston Cup, now Sprint Cup, Hornaday was in 1992 in the Save Mart 300K. He drove a Chevrolet with the start number 92 and never finished the race in 32 Until 2000, Hornaday drove more than two races per season in Winston Cup. However, he was among the riders who started in the Craftsman Truck Series newly founded in 1995.
1995-2000
In the NASCAR Super Truck Series season 1995 Hornaday drove the Chevrolet Silverado with the # 16 of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. He won six times, ten times came in the top 5 and 14 times in the top 10 in 20 races. With these services, Hornaday was able to finish the season in third place overall. Also in 1996 drove Hornaday in the Truck Series. Although he won only four instead of six races as last year, but came in 23 of the 24 races in the top 10 and became Master of the Craftsman Truck Series. The first two years of the series were characterized by the exciting fights between Ron Hornaday Jr. and Mike Skinner, who, however, in the 1997 season moved to the Winston Cup.
Hornaday remained in the Craftsman Truck Series and won in the 1997 season just seven times, but was only fifth overall. In the 1998 season, it was enough then back to the title, which he probably due to his resistance. Once again he was able to achieve in almost all races the top 10. After being in 1999 again showed good performances and seventh overall was, gave him Dale Earnhardt, Inc., a place in the Busch Series, where he could be driving a Chevrolet with the number 3 in the 2000 season. He was able to meet the high expectations, won two races and finished fifth overall.
2000-2004
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. decided, despite the good performance the Busch Series team dissolve and move in the Winston Cup. Hornaday got a new contract and was temporarily without a team. Nevertheless Hornaday found a way in the Winston Cup. AJ Foyt Enterprises offered him the Pontiac to drive the # 14, which took Hornaday. The 2001 season was, however, rather weak. Only once, in UAW - DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he came in the top 10. Only six times he was on the lead lap to the finish. It was a disappointing 38th in the drivers' standings. In 2002, he went only three races in the Winston Cup. However, he returned to the Craftsman Truck Series back, at least for two races: the season's opening race (Florida Dodge Dealers 250 ), where he drove for Hendrick Motorsports and twelfth was, and the season finale, the Ford 200, which he won.
The Truck Series team of Hendrick Motorsports was closed shortly thereafter, however, Hornaday had another chance for Hendrick Motorsports to drive when it came to represent the injured Ricky Hendrick in the Busch Series. He showed acceptable performance and was used shortly after the end of its representation inserts at Hendrick Motorsports as a full-time driver in Carroll Racing, where he replaced Lyndon Amick. Once he brought the car from Carroll Racing on pole position. Five times he came into the season in the top -5 and eight times in the top 10. Although he did not go all races, Hornaday was able to finish the season in 18th place overall.
In the 2003 season, Hornaday signed a contract with Richard Childress Racing, which gave him the opportunity to drive the ACDelco Chevrolet with the number 2. By the end of 2004 he stayed with Richard Childress Racing, he was replaced by Clint Bowyer. He won once each in the two years that he drove for Richard Childress in the Busch Series. In 2003 he was third in 2004 and fourth in the overall standings.
Since 2005
His former teammate Kevin Harvick gave Hornaday a chance in his Craftsman Truck Series team to drive. In the third race, the World Financial Group 200 won Hornaday. 13 top- 10 finishes led to fourth in the overall standings. He won the Most Popular Driver Award. In the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, he won twice, but came only twelve times in the top 10 and was seventh in the driver standings.
In the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, he was back to his old continuity and once again it was a battle for the championship with Mike Skinner. Halfway through the season came Hornaday closer and closer to Skinner. End of the season Skinner and Hornaday Jr. had frequent bad luck, so the points lead changed frequently. Before the last race of the season, the Ford 200, Skinner had 29 points ahead of Hornaday. In the race, Skinner had to contend with tire problems. Thus he came up with eleven laps to the finish as 35 and lost in the final race of the season lead in the championship to Ron Hornaday, who was the third time Craftsman Truck Series champion.