BUSCH: Phoenix: Ron Hornaday preview

Ron Hornaday

NOTES:

* Points battle

With a 13th place finish at Memphis Motorsports Park, ACDelco Chevrolet driver Ron Hornaday closed the gap in the hunt for the NASCAR Busch Series championship. Hornaday, a two-time NASCAR Southwest Tour (1992, '93) and NASCAR Truck Series Champion ('96, '98), is tied for third place, just 35 points out of first position. In fact, the 49 points separating the top-five make it the closest NBS points battle with four races to go in the history of the series.

* What ya haulin?

The ACDelco transporter will unload chassis No. 36. It is the same "drop-snout" Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Hornaday raced to a seventh place finish at Richmond International Raceway in September and a fourth place finish at Memphis, two weeks ago.

* "My favorite tracks are the ones I win at."

PIR has been one of Hornaday's favorite tracks since he first set foot in the land of the rising sun. Hornaday scored multiple wins at the track in the NASCAR Southwest Tour and Winston West. Hornaday also won back-to-back NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series spring events in 1998 and '99.

* Testing, Testing, 1.2.3

The ACDelco Chevrolet team spent Monday testing at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, NC., preparing for next weeks NBS event at 'The Rock". The team was rained out on Tuesday. Hornaday said the test was one of the best he has ever had at the track. "The test went really well. It was definitely the fastest I have ever been at "The Rock."

Ron Hornaday comments on Phoenix International Raceway(PIR)

What are your thoughts on racing at Phoenix International Raceway?

"Phoenix is like a home away from home. We won a lot of NASCAR Southwest Tour, Winston West and Truck Series races. We also came close several times in the Busch Series. I just really like the track and figured out the best way to drive it. I don't want to give out my secrets though. The fans at Phoenix are some of the best. They always welcome me and we are having our fan club picnic this weekend as well."

"We should have a great car at PIR. The No. 21 (RCR) team tested there and they got some great information from that test. I feel like we can win there. That's the goal. If we finish anywhere outside the top-five, it will be a huge disappointment."

You are now third in points with three races to go. Is the pressure increasing?

"There was pressure at Daytona when we started this season. Championships are a way of life at RCR. Richard told me when he hired me that he expected a championship, so we're just trying to hold up our end of the deal. Actually, it isn't that the pressure is getting greater. It's that with three races to go, there is no room for mistakes. With five to go, if you screw up and have a bad day, you know you can still get it back. But at three to go, you have to be on your game. There is no more room for error. I will tell you this. I really like our chances."