Hornaday speaks from the heart at truck banquet
By Jeff Gluck
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
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DAVID GRIFFIN / NASCAR SCENE /
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HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - When it came time to make his acceptance speech as NASCAR's 2007 Craftsman Truck Series champion, Ron Hornaday Jr. was intent on speaking from the heart.
So he "winged it" with unscripted remarks and a half-page of notes at Monday night's series awards banquet at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino.
Hornaday recalled signing with Kevin Harvick Inc. by writing his first contract on a napkin with a Sharpie. He was that intent on racing for Harvick, his friend with whom he shares a deep bond.
"You have no idea what it means in my heart to have a buddy like that to race for," he said.
Hornaday, 49, won this third championship on Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and has no plans to slow down anytime soon, even though he's not getting any younger - which was evident in his holiday plans.
"I just can't wait to get home for Thanksgiving to watch my granddaughters try to cook a turkey with grandma here," Hornaday said, pointing to his wife, Lindy. "What are you laughing at? We're grandparents. I have to hear it from Harvick all the time, now I have to hear it from you guys, too?"
Hornaday made it clear that he had respect for rival and friend Mike Skinner, with whom he had battled down to the final race. But he couldn't resist one last tweak at his chief competitor.
As NASCAR President Mike Helton stood onstage to give Hornaday his 2007 championship ring, Hornaday took one glance at the jewelry, turned toward Skinner in the audience and said in reference to the ring: "Skinner, it's cool."
The championship was the first for KHI, and team owner DeLana Harvick said her husband had been so emotional after Friday's race that it was only fitting he give the acceptance speech.
"I've been a part of championships before, but for DeLana and I, winning championships was something we could only dream about when we started KHI in 2001," Kevin Harvick said. "We [started] with a few guys at night working on our trucks. That has turned into 80 full-time employees, and our goal of winning races and championships has turned into a reality."
Crew chief Rick Ren came to the podium to accept his first championship after 18 years in the sport.
"I've waited my whole career to give this speech," he said.
Those in attendance were entertained by the rock band Fuel and comedian Craig Shoemaker, whose bits included getting Harvick, Hornaday, Ren and Speed commentator Rick Allen to make machine gun noises as if they were little kids fighting an imaginary army battle.
To the delight of the crowd, Shoemaker ripped each one's impressions, saying that Harvick's gun imitation sounded like a sprinkler and Hornaday's sounded like the cowardly lion.
Willie Allen was awarded rookie-of-the-year honors, while Johnny Benson was named most popular driver for the second straight season.
"Two years in a row," said Benson, who seemed taken aback. "It was a surprise last year and an even bigger surprise this year."
In another repeat, Toyota Racing Development CEO Jim Aust accepted the manufacturer's championship for the second consecutive year.
- Mentioned Drivers:
- Johnny Benson
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