Hornaday clinches 4th Truck title

AVONDALE, Ariz. – It was a clean sweep for Kevin Harvick Inc.

Team co-owner Kevin Harvick won Friday night’s Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway in dominating fashion.

He also got a bonus as the driver of his No. 33 Chevrolet, Ron Hornaday, wrapped up his record fourth Camping World Truck Series championship.

Regardless of the outcome of next week’s season finale at Homestead, Fla., Hornaday has clinched this year’s championship. He also won titles in 1996, 1998 and 2007. At 51, Hornaday is the oldest champion in NASCAR’s three national series.

His title-clinching fourth-place finish Friday is only the second time since the series’ inception in 1995 that the Truck championship has been clinched prior to the final race of the season.

Hornaday has a 215-point advantage over Matt Crafton.

“Matt is a heck of a racer,” Hornaday said. “They really turned their program around and gave us a heck of a battle this year.

“I got one up on (Jack) Sprague (a three-time champion), finally. It’s been a fun battle with Jack and I wish he was back here racing.”

Hornaday won his first two Truck titles with Dale Earnhardt Inc. He joined KHI in 2005 as the organization’s first full-time driver and has now won two of the past three championships.

“We put Ron in the truck in 2005 and really didn’t have our stuff together,” said Harvick. “Finally, in 2007 we built a team that could keep up with the driver. It’s a lot of fun to see it evolve and come together.”

Hornaday said there is still work to be done. His No. 33 team has a 60-point lead over Billy Ballew Motorsports’ No. 51 for the owner’s title, which will be decided next week.

“When you drive Kevin and DeLana’s equipment you feel like you're 18 years old,” Hornaday said. “The trucks they give me make you feel like a hero.”

Kyle Busch finished second, Aric Almirola was third and pole-winner Johnny Sauter was fifth.

The race featured five lead changes among four drivers and there were seven cautions covering 26 laps.

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