Ron Hornaday, Jr. Going Back Home to Race in Toyota All-Star Showdown

Who says you can't go back home again, because that's just what Ron Hornaday, Jr. will be do when he runs in the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.

The Toyota All-Star Showdown is a two day event, being held Jan. 23-24, it's a post-season race event, very prestigious and will feature some great short-track racing.

The event gives the drivers in the NASCAR Camping World Series East and West, will be well represented and it gives them a chance to shine, at what some call the Daytona 500 of short-track racing.

Horn has made 46 career starts in the Camping World Series West, between 1989 to 2001 and nearly won the championship in 1994.

His dad was a two-time champion in the series, back when it was known as the NASCAR Winston West Series.

"I've always wanted to run it," Hornaday said. "It's been a great series. That's how I got noticed in the earlier days when I was racing Winter Heat on TV." (toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com)

While Horn has gone onto have a dominating career in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as a three-time champion, he's also run in 179 races in the Nationwide Series, made 45 starts in Sprint Cup and is also a two-time champion in the former NASCAR Southwest Tour.

Horn ran in the first race held at the track in 1999. He finished fourth and while it's been ten years, he still feels he knows the track.

"I remember it like it was the back of my hand, because it was racing just like Tucson where I kind of made a name for myself," he said. "It's a triple-groove racetrack, where you can run the top, middle, and bottom." (toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com)

Horn expects the track to race the same, but he knows it will be a very competitive race and a tough one at the sixth annual event.

Horn will be joined by the following drivers from the NASCAR Camping World Series East & West: reigning champions Matt Kobyluck and Eric Holmes, 2007 West champion Mike Davis, past top rookie winners Jason Bowles, Peyton Sellers, Jeff Barkshire, and Austin Dillon; and Iowa combine race winner Brian Ickler.

Horn is originally from Palmdale, Calif. So he'll be racing in front of a bunch of old friends, family, and his long-time fans.

The Toyota All-Star Showdowns will also will include the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series with Late Model and Super Late Model races.

Horn is also going to run a Super Late Model race for David Jackson, a car builder he's known from his early years of his racing career.

"The first car I ever bought was from Dave Jackson," Hornaday recalled. "It's been about 25 years, since I drove one of his cars. It's going to be neat. I really appreciate them bringing a car out for me and the opportunity to drive out there. It's going to be fun. I'm really looking forward to it." (toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com)

Speed TV will be airing all the racing action at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, both days at 7 p.m., that's a Friday and Saturday night, so you can mark it on your calendar.

I've already told my wife, don't plan anything those two days because I'll be watching Speed both nights enjoying some great racing action and cheering for Horn.

Hope he has a great time, enjoys racing back home again where his legendary career first started, and I will be writing a follow up on how he does.

Lastly, with the coming 2009 Cup season around the corner, looks like I'll be watching Speed more this year, when the trucks are running may even start writing about a bunch of different racing series.

Of course it will depend on whether or not Bobby Labonte ends up Cup racing in 2009.

Source: toyotaspeedwayatairdale.com

Photo Credit: from Ron Hornaday's myspace page