O'Reilly 300 - Ron Hornaday Notes

Get ready Texas!

Hornaday's bringing the ACDelco "2"-Step to Fort Worth

March 24, 2003 (Fort Worth, Tex.)-Ron Hornaday and the No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet sit sixth in NASCAR Busch Series points and head into Texas hoping to put together a full race and find victory lane. So far this season, Hornaday has run in the top-five at every track, but has not been able to finish there. And what makes matters more difficult for the team to understand is that each circumstance has been different.

Daytona kicked off the season and Hornaday ran as high as third for the first half of the race before the car got very loose on the exit of the corners. The veteran driver did all he could do to hold on to the car and finished 16th. He also ran in the top three at Rockingham before the jack broke on the final pit stop and dropped him back to a 12th place finish. In Las Vegas, rain forced the team to start on 2002 points and Hornaday used up much of the car trying to get up front and couldn't stay there on long runs. He finished ninth. Darlington saw the car get very loose on long runs and once again finished ninth. Last week, Hornaday ran in the top-five all day, before getting caught up in a crash with just ten laps to go when Kasey Kahne got loose off turn four. Hornaday finished 12th.

The goal for Texas is simple. Run up-front all day long. "This had been a good season so far, but a frustrating one as well," said Hornaday. "When you run in the top-five all day, you expect to finish there nine times out of ten. We're zero for five! And it's not been like we just happened to get up there and dropped back. Something out of the ordinary for this team has happened at most of the races and we just need a run of good luck. Hopefully Texas will be the track where our luck changes for the better."

Ron Hornaday, driver of the No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet, comments on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

Coming off a disappointing finish at Bristol, how important is this race at Texas Motor Speedway?
"All the races are important. As good as the Busch Series is, if you have one really bad race it's hard to make up for it. Obviously we are in the championship hunt (sixth, -99 points from first), which was our early season goal. But I think now is the time to start looking for a win. That is what this team needs and we have had a car that has raced up-front at every event this year. So we're close. But at some point in time you have to put it all together. We haven't done that yet, so I think this would be a good time to put up or shut up."

Texas has been a track where you've run fast, but not finished well. What needs to change this time around?
"I just think we need to put together a total race, from start to finish. I have had good cars here and just not been able to put together a total race. But this is my first trip to Texas with RCR, so I think you have to throw out all the old stats. (Note- which we have done for this week)

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