Racing Hornadays share special bond

SPARTA, Ky. -- Ronnie Hornaday didn't see much of his father growing up.

Dad was gone with the sun and in the shop until well past bedtime, serving up a non-verbal lesson to his namesake that an unyielding commitment was required to make a career of racing. From infancy, Ronnie Hornaday was instilled with a simple philosophy -- to make it, you had to live it.

And if you choose to live it, live it all out, all the time.

That's what Ron Hornaday did. It's all he'd ever known. As a child, he'd been badly burned on the neck by a coffeepot, and the resulting scars served as fodder for other children to tease him. Subsequent bitterness fueled a raging internal fire. He'd work harder than everyone else, do whatever it took to silence the mockery.

Racing was his outlet, an avenue that set him apart from others. He was better than everyone else. He was praised for his prowess. So he poured his life into it.

And while his hands turned wrenches deep into the night, his mind was on his children. This is nothing new. Racing families often take a back seat to the racecar. Hornaday wanted his children to know how much he loved them, but he couldn't say it. He's never been able to say it.

"I'm a dad that should really show a little bit more loving," Hornaday said. "I'm the type of guy that when my kids get hurt I get really mad. It's one of them things where I can't show the affection. I show it in a different way and it's hard to show them my love."

Though words of affection don't come easily, Hornaday is a genuinely loving individual. For years, he's housed aspiring racers rent-free. Among those that shacked up on his couch were Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson. He even gave Johnson a Late Model car once.

"My Dad is a very giving person, who would do anything for anybody," said Ronnie. "He's very trustworthy. He's been bitten because he trusts people so much. Now, he doesn't show much emotion, so when he does show emotion, you know it's big. He always thinks the best of somebody until they cross him.

"I've never seen him say no to a single person in the world that showed him they wanted it. He doesn't say 'I love you.' He doesn't hug you. But if he loves you, you know he loves you. That's my Daddy."

It took time before Ronnie fully accepted his father's willingness to help others. He wanted his father's love and acceptance.

"I was really jealous of a guy named Sean Monroe. I felt, as a kid, that (Monroe) was taking our father/son relationship away from us," Ronnie said. "My dad lives racing, all day, every day. And this kid came in, had plenty of talent.

"He showed he really wanted it, so my dad did everything he could in the world to help that kid. I'll be honest, that was kind of hard for me. I wanted that (relationship). I was afraid he was taking that from me."

These days, Ron is a Busch Series mainstay and Ronnie hopes for the same. Racing has forged a bond between father and son, one that is closer now than ever before.

"I'm getting to an age and a point now where I can actually say something and not sound stupid," Ronnie laughed. "I've been around racing long enough, and worked on enough cars to where I've learned to do the majority of things on a racecar. That's made us closer, because it's something we both enjoy talking about a lot. It's cool. I can sit down and have a conversation with him about it and not sound stupid."

He is far from stupid. Following the advice of his father, Ronnie learned to build cars from the ground up. Every piece. Every part. Though impressive, that aspect has become taxing because he's actually having to do it. Rides are few and far between these days, so Ronnie is only able to run selected races.

He hopes to field a Busch Series car at Dover. Maybe Darlington and Atlanta, too.

"I've never gave him a 100 percent chance," Ron said of his son. "If he could get into a team like some of these other kids have, he'll do well. Right now he's the crew chief, driver and mechanic. That's tough. He definitely has the desire to do it, and as long as he has that desire he'll do it. He knows racing is what he wants to do."

Just like his dad did.

Decades ago, Ron Hornaday committed his life to racing. But he didn't truly follow his heart, didn't make the crucial move to North Carolina, until his children were grown. It was always about his kids first.

"I probably could have chased my career a long time ago, up and moved my family to North Carolina. But my kids were definitely the first priority," Hornaday said. "Putting shoes on their feet and getting them to school, I knew they came first.

"We spent a lot of time chasing my racing career, but the kids were always picked up from school, came down the shop, got greasy and learned all that stuff. My kids always came first. Then Dale (Earnhardt) called me to drive the Truck and I chased my dream. My kids were grown up, daughter was married, so it was my time to chase this dream."

His dream has since come true. He's been quite successful at every level, posting record numbers in the Craftsman Truck Series in winning two championships. These days, he pilots the Dr. Pepper Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series, and continues to grow closer with his family with each passing day.

"I know I need to show my kids I love 'em more -- grab 'em every once in a while and give them a big hug," Hornaday said. "I remember when Adam Petty got killed (in 2000). That really opened my eyes a lot. Since then, we've been going to dinner once a week just to say, "Hey guys, we love you.'"

"Sure, he wasn't around all the time when we were younger, but I wouldn't change a thing," Ronnie said. "There's a lot of things about my dad that people don't see. He's a great person, a very hard working and trusting person who gives everyone a chance. That's rare. Most people would love to have a dad like mine."