HORNADAY TO MAKE 10th
CONSECUTIVE NASCAR START AT
THE MILWAUKEE MILE
ACDelco Chevrolet driver started streak in Truck Series in 1995
NOTES OF INTEREST:
* STREAKING IN MILWAUKEE
Ron Hornaday will make his 10th consecutive start at The Milwaukee Mile on
Saturday night. Hornaday made his Milwaukee Mile debut in 1995 driving the
No. 16 Chevy truck for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. He finished third that
afternoon. Hornaday scored a win at The Milwaukee Mile in 1997 in the Truck
Series. He made his NASCAR Busch Series qualifying debut in 1999 when he
drove the No. 3 ACDelco Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. after "Little E"
crashed in practice. Earnhardt, Jr. was checked and released at the
hospital, then cleared to race. Hornaday qualified 15th for that event,
despite never practicing the No. 3 Monte Carlo.
* TOP-10 HORNADAY
When you look at track statistics, one track stands out among the rest for
Hornaday. The Milwaukee Mile has been one of the most consistent tracks for
the driver of the ACDelco Chevrolet. Since his first start at the one-mile
oval in 1995, Hornaday has never finished outside the top-10 in any series
or any race. No other active driver in any series can make that claim. He
has one win and six top-five finishes in a decade of racing at Milwaukee.
With an average finish of fourth, Hornaday will surely be one of the
favorites to win in Milwaukee.
* WHAT YA' HAULIN'?
The ACDelco transporter will unload chassis No.36. It is the same
drop-snout car that Hornaday ran at Richmond International Raceway (12th).
It is one of the few "drop-snout" cars in the RCR stable. The car was the
second "drop" car built last year at the special request of Hornaday. After
winning the race at Nazareth Speedway with "drop snout" No. 031, RCR built
the second car (.036) for Hornaday. Last year, Hornaday finished seventh at
RIR and fourth at Memphis Motorsports Park with chassis No.36.
The Milwaukee Mile: Average Start - 8th Average
Finish - 4th
ACDelco Chevrolet Driver Ron Hornaday on The Milwaukee Mile
The Milwaukee Mile has been one of your most consistent tracks throughout
your career. Why do you think you have done so well there?
"I think because it reminds me so much of a big Saugus (CA.) Speedway where
I started my racing career. I have always respected all the history of The
Milwaukee Mile. I just think of all the greats that have raced and won
there. The track means so much to American auto racing. I think I have
always felt if you can win on The Milwaukee Mile, you can win anywhere."
Describe a perfect lap at The Milwaukee Mile.
"I use all of the RCR power I have down the front stretch and drive into
turn one using enough brake to set the nose. You can run right on the
bottom getting in. You let the car role through the middle. You usually
slide up the track half a groove to get a run off the corner. I get back in
the gas just after the middle and drag race down the backstretch. Again,
hard on the brakes and let the car roll in the middle. If the car will role
all day long without having to get in the brakes again or wait for it to
set, we can have a great day."
What advantage does the drop-snout car give you here at The Milwaukee Mile?
"I just like the way it feels. It feels like it turns better and rolls all
day. That's because the roll center is lower and the front geometry is
different. Not everybody likes a 'drop car', including RCR. But I think
you have to have it at Milwaukee to be successful. I have pretty good notes
from my previous races there, so I don't think we will have the set-up
problems we had at Richmond with this car. I expect us to be good right off
the ACDelco transporter."
