FORT WORTH, Texas (November 2, 2009) – Prior to last year, Ron Hornaday Jr. could only dream of hoisting a trophy in Victory Lane at Texas Motor Speedway as he was winless in his previous 10 starts. Late-race accidents and missed opportunities plagued his hopes of winning at “The Great American Speedway!”

Fast forward a season and the perils of Hornaday Jr. are now a thing of the past. Hornaday Jr., in his fifth season with Kevin Harvick Inc., now owns two TMS victories after sweeping both races last season, joining Brendan Gaughan as the only NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers to sweep both events at TMS. On the cusp of winning his fourth career Camping World Truck Series championship as he sits atop the points standings with a 202-point lead over second-place Matt Crafton, a victory in the WinStar World Casino 350k could further cement his bid for a fourth championship. 

“This really has been a dream season,” Hornaday Jr. said of his season that includes a truck series record five consecutive victories. “We have been really fortunate this season. I just hope we can keep it up and run hard until the end of the year and hopefully earn another championship.”

Prior to Hornaday Jr.’s season sweep last year, a victory at Texas Motor Speedway seemed impossible. In the 2007 Chevy Silverado 350k, he looked poised to earn his first win but a late-race crash resulted in an 18th-place finish. Earlier that season in the Sam’s Town 400, he led a race-high 117 laps only to finish fourth. Hornaday Jr. had led a combined 355 laps during his 10-race winless stretch until his luck changed. 

He mastered the 1.5-mile speedway last year, establishing a record for most laps led by a winner with 140 during June’s Sam’s Town 400 and followed his summer performance by leading the final 40 laps of the Chevy Silverado 350k for the season sweep. In his return to TMS in June for the WinStar World Casino 400, he led a race-high 55 laps but finished 19th after a pit road penalty put him a lap down.

Hornaday Jr. credits the team’s turnaround at TMS to the diligence in improving the truck’s setup.

“I always say that my favorite tracks are the ones I win at and Texas ranks right up there with them,” he said. “The track has really matured and it’s a lot of fun to race on. My crew chief Rick Ren and the team have really gone to work and found a good setup for Texas.”

With three races remaining on the schedule, Hornaday Jr., a 10-year series veteran, understands the importance of each race. He has to look no further than last season when he finished just seven points behind series champion, Johnny Benson.

“Texas can be a turning point, but we are taking each race one at a time and trying to use our notes and run the best we can,” Hornaday Jr. said. “Every single one of them is important when it comes down to the end.” 

Tickets for the WinStar World Casino 350k remain and are available by calling the TMS ticket office at (817) 215-8500 or by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.