Hornaday captures second straight NASCAR trucks race
Ron Hornaday Jr. finally was able to shine at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and did so with a big assist from the sun.
The winningest driver in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history dominated to win the Smith's 350 on Saturday afternoon when a hot, slick racetrack contributed to numerous spins and crashes that led to 10 caution periods that slowed 44 laps.
Hornaday's margin of victory was 0.629 seconds over runner-up Matt Crafton in the 219-mile race.
"I know I stunk up the show for the fans, but I wanted to win real bad," said Hornaday, who led 107 of 146 laps, including the final 32.
He has won two straight races to push his series-best total to 51.
"He did all the work," Hornaday said of crew chief Bruce Cook. "The truck was good when we unloaded it, and he made all the right calls during the race."
Hornaday, 53, a native of Bakersfield, Calif., was on a few missions.
He has raced in the series since it began in 1995, and this was his first win at Las Vegas in 11 tries.
He also moved to within 21 points of leader Austin Dillon with four races left. Hornaday could become the first driver to win five championships and is the only one in the top five who owns a title.
Perhaps most important is that team owner Kevin Harvick Inc. has announced it will not field teams in NASCAR next year, leaving Hornaday in need of a ride for 2012.
"I just need three friends with a million dollars each," he said.
Dillon rallied from a spin and crash on the second lap to finish 17th and retain the points lead. Johnny Sauter finished third and gained six points on the leader and trails by five.
Las Vegan Brendan Gaughan, who started 21st, ran in the top five for most of the day. His truck developed handling problems late in the race, and he finished ninth for his sixth top-10 run.
Jeff Wolf is a freelance reporter. He can be reached at (702) 406-8165 or nitrorodeo@gmail.com.
