Coming up short in 2008 fueled Kevin Harvick Inc., Ron Hornaday to 2009 title
(Left to right): Lindy Hornaday, Kevin Harvick Inc. driver Ron Hornaday and team co-owners DeLana and Kevin Harvick pose with their 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship truck Monday. // David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
Related stories: Kevin Harvick Inc.'s Ron Hornaday wins 2009 Truck series championship
Ron Hornaday credits Kevin Harvick Inc. with driver's fourth career Truck title
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Driver Ron Hornaday and all of Kevin Harvick Inc. celebrated the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship Monday night for a job well done from February to November.
Actually, it was a job well done from November to November, those involved say.
This championship was a full year in the making. Hornaday, crew chief Rick Ren, team co-owner Kevin Harvick and other team members held a meeting in the days following the 2008 awards ceremony - about finishing seven points behind champion Johnny Benson.
It was a meeting to talk about how they would get on stage for the 2009 banquet. And there they were on stage Monday night at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel for the joint awards banquet of the Nationwide and Truck series, shedding at least part of the disappointment of 2008 that helped fuel them to the championship in 2009.
“After losing in 2008 the championship by seven points and seeing the disappointment in everyone’s face, we sat down as a group … during the offseason to put a game plan together,” Harvick said on stage. “And it paid off as the 33 team had an incredible year … It has been a season of constant adjustments, and I want to thank each and every person at KHI for their hard work, commitment and dedication.”
Ren and Hornaday had teamed to win the 2007 title, so losing the 2008 title by just a slim margin left a sour taste in their mouths.
“Last year, after coming up seven points shy of winning the championship, Ron, all the guys and myself had a meeting, and we were determined more than ever to win the championship this year,” Ren said. “We wanted to make fewer mistakes this year than we did in 2008. And you know what? It worked out really well for us. … This is kind of a dream come true.”
It not only was Hornaday’s second championship in three years but also his record fourth series title. He had won his first two titles in the 1990s driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
“I’ve got to thank [the Harvicks] for the equipment they gave me,” Hornaday said. “[We’ve] got to build me another trophy case.”
Hornaday’s team was awarded $380,000 from Camping World as part of the season-ending prize fund.
“Ron Hornaday, I want to thank you for giving me everything you’ve got every lap of practice, every lap of qualifying and every lap of the race,” Ren said.
At 51 years old, Hornaday became the oldest NASCAR national touring series champion. He certainly did it in style with six victories (including a series-record five consecutive wins), 15 top-fives and 20 top-10s in 25 races. His final margin in the standings was 187 points over ThorSport Racing’s Matt Crafton.
“As for Ron, what can you say about a 51-year-old grandfather?” Harvick said. “He gives us everything he has, whether it’s practice, qualifying or the race. You’ve put yourself in an elite group of champions, and we wouldn’t be here without you.”
The awards ceremony will be televised several times by Speed, which will first show it at 7 p.m. EST Dec. 4 in a two-hour show prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony.
