Hornaday Sets Record
07-24-2009 10:12 pm

(Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Ron Hornaday Jr. won Friday night's AAA Insurance 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. In the process, Hornaday became the first Truck Series racer in history to win four races in a row.

Last Lap Video from ORPHornaday prevailed over Mike Skinner, Aric Almirola and Dennis Setzer in a riveting finish at the Indiana short track. It was Hornaday's 44th career Truck Series victory.

Colin Braun started on the pole in the No. 6 Con-way Freight 200 Ford F-150 out of the Roush Fenway Racing stable, but he didn't stay there long, as second-qualifier Skinner put his No. 5 Exide Batteries Toyota Tundra into the lead by the end of Lap 1.

On Lap 3, Hornaday dropped Braun to third, his VFW.org Chevrolet taking off in pursuit of a fourth consecutive Truck Series race victory. But Skinner was having none of it.

By Lap 20, just 24 of the 35 trucks that started the race were still on the lead lap, because Skinner was setting a blistering pace. Ten laps later, Skinner's lead was 1.80 seconds over Hornaday.

The first caution flew on Lap 38 of 200, when 19-year-old Caitlin Shaw spun in Turn 1. When the race restarted on Lap 44, Skinner was still out front ahead of Hornaday and Braun.

Finally, on Lap 62, Hornaday passed Skinner, knocking him out of the lead for the first time all night. Braun went with Hornaday into second, and three laps later, Kyle Busch took over third in the Miccosukee Resorts Toyota.

It wasn't long until Busch dispatched Braun and closed on Hornaday's bumper.

Caution No. 2 came out on Lap 93, as Jason White's GunBroker.com Dodge began smoking heavily. Under caution, Tayler Malsam blew a right-front tire. The long caution period brought the whole field onto pit road  for service.

Busch won the race off pit road, coming back on track ahead of Todd Bodine, Johnny Sauter, Hornaday and Braun. But Sauter got busted for speeding on pit road, and had to go to the end of the longest line.

The race restarted on Lap 102, with Busch cruising off to a respectable lead quickly. But Bodine caught him by Lap 125, setting off a tremendous fight for the lead, which soon became a four-way battle as Hornaday and Braun joined the fray.

Finally, on Lap 146 Bodine took the lead, with Busch complaining that his right-front tire was chattering. Just after Bodine assumed the point, Hornaday muscled his way up to second place ahead of Busch and Braun.

With 40 laps to go, T.J. Bell spun on the frontstretch to bring out the third caution of the evening. After five laps of caution, the race restarted, and with 32 laps to go, Hornaday went high on the backstretch to recapture the lead from Bodine.

Bodine's night soon went from bad to worse. Bodine and Braun made contact on the frontstretch while fighting for second place with 29 laps left and Bodine went into the wall as a result, an unhappy outcome for the Ventrilo Toyota.

The green waved again with 23 laps to go and Hornaday ahead of Braun and Matt Crafton in the No. 88 Menards Chevy. Skinner moved up to third, and with 15 to go, the race appeared to be on.

Just as Skinner was about to pass Braun and take over second place, Ricky Carmichael's Monster Energy Chevy hit the Turn 3 wall, setting up yet another caution.

The race restarted with 10 laps to go, Skinner taking second from Braun on the restart and pulling Setzer with him into third place. Skinner held the lead on the high line, as Setzer and Almirola leaned on  Skinner.

But despite suffocating pressure, lap after lap after lap, Hornaday got it done and won his record fourth in a row, over Skinner, Almirola and Setzer.

Ron Hornaday Jr. won Friday night's AAA Insurance 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. In the process, Hornaday became the first Truck Series racer in history to win four races in a row.

Hornaday prevailed over Mike Skinner, Aric Almirola and Dennis Setzer in a riveting finish at the Indiana short track. It was Hornaday's 44th career Truck Series victory.

Colin Braun started on the pole in the No. 6 Con-way Freight 200 Ford F-150 out of the Roush Fenway Racing stable, but he didn't stay there long, as second-qualifier Skinner put his No. 5 Exide Batteries Toyota Tundra into the lead by the end of Lap 1.

On Lap 3, Hornaday dropped Braun to third, his VFW.org Chevrolet taking off in pursuit of a fourth consecutive Truck Series race victory. But Skinner was having none of it.

By Lap 20, just 24 of the 35 trucks that started the race were still on the lead lap, because Skinner was setting a blistering pace. Ten laps later, Skinner's lead was 1.80 seconds over Hornaday.

The first caution flew on Lap 38 of 200, when 19-year-old Caitlin Shaw spun in Turn 1. When the race restarted on Lap 44, Skinner was still out front ahead of Hornaday and Braun.

Finally, on Lap 62, Hornaday passed Skinner, knocking him out of the lead for the first time all night. Braun went with Hornaday into second, and three laps later, Kyle Busch took over third in the Miccosukee Resorts Toyota.

It wasn't long until Busch dispatched Braun and closed on Hornaday's bumper.

Caution No. 2 came out on Lap 93, as Jason White's GunBroker.com Dodge began smoking heavily. Under caution, Tayler Malsam blew a right-front tire. The long caution period brought the whole field onto pit road for service.

Busch won the race off pit road, coming back on track ahead of Todd Bodine, Johnny Sauter, Hornaday and Braun. But Sauter got busted for speeding on pit road, and had to go to the end of the longest line.

The race restarted on Lap 102, with Busch cruising off to a respectable lead quickly. But Bodine caught him by Lap 125, setting off a tremendous fight for the lead, which soon became a four-way battle as Hornaday and Braun joined the fray.

Finally, on Lap 146 Bodine took the lead, with Busch complaining that his right-front tire was chattering. Just after Bodine assumed the point, Hornaday muscled his way up to second place ahead of Busch and Braun.

With 40 laps to go, T.J. Bell spun on the frontstretch to bring out the third caution of the evening. After five laps of caution, the race restarted, and with 32 laps to go, Hornaday went high on the backstretch to recapture the lead from Bodine.

Bodine's night soon went from bad to worse. Bodine and Braun made contact on the frontstretch while fighting for second place with 29 laps left and Bodine went into the wall as a result, an unhappy outcome for the Ventrilo Toyota.

The green waved again with 23 laps to go and Hornaday ahead of Braun and Matt Crafton in the No. 88 Menards Chevy. Skinner moved up to third, and with 15 to go, the race appeared to be on.

Just as Skinner was about to pass Braun and take over second place, Ricky Carmichael's Monster Energy Chevy hit the Turn 3 wall, setting up yet another caution.

The race restarted with 10 laps to go, Skinner taking second from Braun on the restart and pulling Setzer with him into third place. Skinner held the lead on the high line, as Setzer and Almirola leaned on Skinner.

But despite suffocating pressure, lap after lap after lap, Hornaday got it done and won his record fourth in a row, over Skinner, Almirola and Setzer.