Notes: Hornaday leads veteran charge in points

It's pretty easy to say Ron Hornaday had a good weekend.

The reigning series champion kicked things off at Kansas Speedway with one of the fastest trucks in practice. He took qualifying, capturing his second pole of the season. The driver of the No. 33 Chevrolet then dominated the race, leading 136 of 167 laps, most by a Kansas winner (read more).

Add another first to the mix. The win was Hornaday and crew chief Rick Ren's first at the 1.5-mile track.

"What Kevin and DeLana [Harvick] are doing at KHI, just putting the right people in the right places, it's an honor to race equipment like this. To sit on the pole and win this race was amazing," Hornaday said.

Ren echoed his driver's comments. "We unloaded and were fast. We had a really awesome truck," he said.

While the truck was good, it was a fuel gamble for the team as the cautions fell and the laps dwindled down. "I normally don't mention saving fuel to him, but I think he heard it more than ever this race," Ren said.

Hornaday has led laps in all five races so far this season. His Kansas win brings him to the top of the standings, 61 points over Rick Crawford.

Series veterans meeting challenge

It is clear there is up-and-coming talent in the Craftsman Truck Series with young drivers like Roush Fenway Racing's Erik Darnell (No. 99 Ford), Colin Braun (No. 6 Ford) and Germain Racing rookie Justin Marks (No. 9 Toyota) among them.

The almost 23-year-old Kyle Busch (No. 51 Toyota) is throwing his hat in the ring, too, throughout the season. Busch returns to the series at Lowe's Motor Speedway, where he's a double winner.

Sprague

But don't count out the other competitors. A glance at the point standings and race finishes proves the veterans are holding their own.

Strong performances during the weekend helped other seasoned drivers break into the top of the pack. Three-time series champion Jack Sprague (No. 2 Chevrolet) weathered a rocky start to the season, but finished second to teammate Hornaday at Kansas and moved to ninth in the standings.

Sprague is hungry for a win. "I am really proud of this team," he said. "To be able in just five races to come together and run as strong as we have says a lot about KHI and this team. I know we will get a win soon."

Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota), just shy of the top-10, is a three-time pole-sitter at Lowe's. He finished fifth at Kansas. The former series champion is definitely not out of contention.

In the Loop: Kansas review

It's hard to have a better day than the one Ron Hornaday had at Kansas Speedway. Statistically speaking, it's impossible.

Hornaday was perfect. He won his first of 2008 in a truly dominating fashion, notching a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0. He held race-best figures in Laps Led (136), Average Running Position (1.6), Fastest Laps Run (55) and was the only driver to run all 167 Laps in the Top 15.

Also notable during Saturday's race was the strong performance by rookie Colin Braun. The Roush Fenway upstart scored a third-place finish and ran up front throughout the 250-mile race. Braun had a Driver Rating of 118.5, an Average Running Position of 5.2, seven Fastest Laps Run and spent 164 of the 167 Laps in the Top 15.

Jack Sprague also chimed in with a season-best run. Sprague, finishing second, scored a Driver Rating of 121.0, an Average Running Position of 5.7, 20 Fastest Laps Run and spent 152 of the Laps in the Top 15.

Chad McCumbee was the only other driver to break the 100.0 barrier in Driver Rating -- he tallied a 103.1 Driver Rating in his seventh-place finish. He also earned a fourth-best Average Running Position of 7.4.

Craftsman Truck Series, etc.

• Scott Speed (No. 22 Red Bull Toyota) is finding his way toward Victory Lane. The driver, who made his debut with Bill Davis Racing in Kansas, won the previous day's ARCA Re/Max race at Kansas.

Braun

The former Formula One driver started the race from the outside pole position but found himself a lap down after he had to make a pit stop to fix his window net which had fallen. Awarded the Lucky Dog, he fought his way back to contention and took the checkered flag.

Speed continued his momentum in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 this past Saturday with an eighth-place finish.

• Colin Braun moved from fourth to first in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year battle (rookie standings). The rookie's third-place finish gives him a 5-point advantage over Justin Marks. Marks posted an 11th-place finish at Kansas.

Braun's performance is the best by a rookie since Roush Fenway Racing teammate Erik Darnell ran third in the 2005 season finale.

Donny Lia (No. 71 Chevrolet) and Brian Scott (No. 16 Chevrolet), likewise, had strong finishes among the top 15.