HORNADAY JOINS FOYT.Byline: Tim Haddock Staff Writer At age 42, Ron Hornaday Ron Hornaday, Jr. (born in Palmdale, California on June 20, 1958) is a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver. He is the father of former NASCAR driver Ronnie Hornaday, and the son of Ron Hornaday, Sr., a two time Winston West Champion. Jr. gets to be a rookie all over again. The two-time NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Craftsman Truck Series and former Saugus Speedway champion from Palmdale will compete on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series as a driver for A.J. Foyt Racing in 2001, it was announced Friday at a news conference at Phoenix International Raceway Phoenix International Raceway, or just PIR, is a one mile tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It opened in 1964, as the new home of major open-wheel racing in the Phoenix area, replacing the track at the Arizona State Fairgrounds as an automobile racing venue. . Hornaday, a rookie on the NASCAR Busch Grand National Division, will drive the No. 14 Conseco Pontiac Grand Prix The Pontiac Grand Prix is an automobile produced by the Pontiac division of General Motors. First introduced as part of Pontiac's full-size model offering for the 1962 model year, the Grand Prix name has also been applied to cars in the personal luxury car market segment and the . He has won two Busch Series The NASCAR Busch Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR. It is NASCAR's "minor league" circuit (often compared to Triple-A baseball), and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big league" circuit, the Nextel Cup. races this season and is second in rookie points. He has also competed with Winston Cup drivers, most recently as a replacement driver for Terry Labonte Terrance Lee Labonte (born November 16, 1956, in Corpus Christi, Texas) is a former NASCAR driver. Labonte was introduced to the sport through his father, who had worked on racecars as a hobby for his friends. this season. ``Racing's racing, no matter how you look at it,'' Hornaday said from Phoenix, where he will compete today in the Busch Series Outback Steakhouse 200. ``The competition level is the toughest I've ever seen. The transition will be more mental than physical.'' One of the big changes Hornaday will be making is the switch from Chevy to Pontiac. Hornaday has spent most of his NASCAR career racing Chevy engines, including this year in the Dale Earnhardt Inc.-owned NAPA Auto Parts Monte Carlo. ``It will be a plus for us,'' Hornaday said. ``A lot of guys are switching to Dodge. So we should get a lot of help from (Pontiac).'' Hornaday said he won't have a chance to set test dates and start planning for next season until after the Phoenix race at the earliest. There is still one more race after Phoenix, the season-final Hot Wheels.com 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 11. |
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