NASCAR Truck

Dover: Ron Hornaday preview

RON HORNADAY Over the Hump Huntersville, N.C. (May 31, 2005) -- The GM Goodwrench team has had June 3rd marked on their calendar since the beginning of the season. It is an important date because now crew chief Wally Rogers can loosen up and ...

Published: Jun 2, 2005, 1:17 AM

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RON HORNADAY
Over the Hump

Huntersville, N.C. (May 31, 2005) -- The GM Goodwrench team has had June 3rd marked on their calendar since the beginning of the season. It is an important date because now crew chief Wally Rogers can loosen up and get his plan in motion. He told his team that if they could get through the race in Charlotte and still be in contention that they would be in good shape for the rest of the year.

"There are some tracks that we race at early in the season that I am not completely comfortable with," explained Rogers. "We have gotten past those, and now are looking pretty good as far as points go. We feel like we have caught some bad brakes early, and to only be 158 points off the lead just proves how hard this team has been working. It is now time for everyone to see what we have. Hornaday has bailed me out a few times already this season when we have not had things set up correctly. I told everyone that after we get through Charlotte we will be turning it up a notch."

The team will be looking to turn things around this weekend at Dover International Speedway after coming off of back to back 11th place finishes. "Some teams would be happy with finishes like that," said Rogers. "But we are not one of them. I am content, but not happy. We expect to win, or at least finish in the top-five and we haven't done that in several races. I think that Dover will be where we get it going again."

Points of Interest...

* Off the Hauler...Team GM Goodwrench will take chassis No. 008 to Dover International Speedway this weekend. This is the first time 008 has run this season, but last year the team used it five times with a best finish of seventh at Nashville Superspeedway on August 14, 2004.

* Track Stat...This will be first time Hornaday has run at Dover in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. It is not his first time ever racing there. He has run there in both Busch and Cup with a best finish of 6th place in 2002 and again in 2003.

* NCTS Points...After 7 races in the 2005 season, Hornaday sits sixth in points, with one win, two top-fives and three top-10 finishes. Hornaday now sits 158 markers out of first.

* Start time...Friday afternoon's MBNA 200 is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. EDT. TV coverage of the 200-lap event on SPEED Channel begins at 4:00 pm., with live radio coverage also beginning at 4:00 p.m. EDT on your local MRN Radio affiliate and on XM Satellite Radio -- channel 144. Remember times and dates of the race may change so check your local listings.

No. 6 GM Goodwrench Driver Ron Hornaday on Dover International Speedway...

How is Dover?

"I like Dover. It's a cool track. It has concrete high banks and fast corner speeds. It's one of those tracks that is self cleaning and stays consistent all day long. If there is a wreck, everything slides to the bottom. You see someone every year get loose and run up the track, hit the wall and then slide down and collect someone who is right in the racing groove at the bottom. But unlike some tracks it is near impossible to repair a vehicle from a Dover crash. These walls punish the driver and the trucks. Running up front is once again the key to staying out of trouble, and that RCR horsepower is important to drive up out of the corners. It really does give you the feeling of driving out of a hole. Dover is a track where you want to win, but if you can come out of the track with a top-five or top-10 and a clean race truck you will leave there happy."

You have never raced there in a truck, will there be much difference?

"Actually the racing should be pretty similar to racing a car. This is not a place where the draft plays a huge role. That is the biggest difference between racing a car and a truck and it shouldn't come into play too much. The main thing is to stay out of trouble. We will want to qualify well so we can start close to the front. This will be my first time running there in a truck, but after I get a few practice laps in I should feel comfortable."

Your crew chief Wally Rogers says that the hardest part for him is over with. Do you agree?

"If that is what he says than we should be in good shape. These guys have done a great job for me all season and I can't imagine him being able to do any better. Just a little bad luck has gone against us early, but we are in fine shape. I love Wally's attitude and that is great that he says the best is yet to come. We have finished just outside the top-10 the last two races and this is a really good chance for us to get back out front."

Any special preparations for Dover?

"There has really been no special preparations for Dover, but I think this GM Goodwrench team is prepared. They have been ready to go each week with a winning attitude and I don't see any reason that this week is any different. We look to be celebrating in victory lane this weekend with the No.6 Chevrolet Silverado."

-khi-

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