Busch, Hornaday honored as 2009 series champions

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Winning a NASCAR championship lands a driver in a select fraternity, and that was never more evident than in ceremonies to honor Kyle Busch and Ron Hornaday during Monday night's combined 2009 Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series banquet at the Loews Miami Beach hotel.

While team owner Kevin Harvick described Hornaday as joining "an elite group of champions" with his fourth title, Busch's Nationwide crown allows him to gain equal footing with older brother Kurt, the 2004 Cup champion.

DeLana and Kevin Harvick

• Different sides of defense

The top drivers, crew chiefs, owners and sponsors in each series were honored during the season-ending black-tie event, with the spotlight on the 51-year-old Hornaday, the oldest driver ever to win a national touring series title, and the 24-year-old Busch, who was chided for having 11 runner-up finishes to go with his nine wins.

"I want to thank a 51-year-old grandfather who gives us everything he has, whether that's in practice, qualifying or the race," Harvick said of Hornaday. "You've put yourself in an elite group of champions, and we wouldn't be here without you. But at the end of the day, the most important thing to DeLana and I is your friendship."

Busch poked a little fun at himself during his acceptance speech, claiming that NASCAR's new valet parking option was the main reason for his early departure from the car at Bristol. He also credited ESPN's pit reporters for keeping him in shape during his many comment-less post-race runs from the car to his motorhome. He even talked about setting a record for runner-up finishes in 2009, which landed him a crew chief in the process.

"There was a time this year when I finished second," Busch said. "I guess 11 of them. And I finished second to Joey Logano at Nashville, Kentucky, Chicago, Kansas -- oh, I did beat him at Loudon. Seriously, isn't 11 second-place finishes a bit much? What's a guy got to do to beat the new kid on the block? Oh, that's right. Take Dave Rogers and put him on his Cup program."

It was a night for trophies, checks and speeches. Toyota's Lee White kicked off things by accepting a pair of manufacturers' championships. Ricky Carmichael and Brad Keselowski were chosen by fans as the Most Popular Drivers in their respective series, with Keselowski mentioning that he recently had the opportunity to meet NASCAR president Mike Helton, off-handedly referring to his simmering, season-long feud with Denny Hamlin.

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• Championship gear: Kyle Busch | Ron Hornaday (Continued)