Ron Hornaday Faces 'Uphill Climb' for Fifth Straight Win This Weekend

What do Ron Hornaday Jr. and the Waukee, Iowa girls' track and field team have in common? Winning four in a row, a remarkable feat in any sport.

The track and field team was four-time consecutive regional champions while Hornaday made NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history last weekend at Indianapolis with his fourth consecutive victory. He now heads to Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, one of only eight tracks on which he has not yet won.

Hornaday's accomplishment is just as impressive, if not more so, than similar ones in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series because the competition consistently is so tight in the Truck Series. The depth of the talent pool is second-to-none with veterans such as Hornaday, Mike Skinner, Rick Crawford and Todd Bodine, as well as young guys and rookies claiming their share of wins this year.

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Not only did Hornaday, a three-time Truck Series champion, notch four consecutive wins, he did it on a wide of variety of tracks – tight short tracks and superspeedways – showcasing the strength of his Kevin Harvick Inc. team. They have a legitimate shot at making it five in a row Saturday, but in a break from the norm for this group, it's going to be more of an uphill climb than usual. Hornaday holds two top-five finishes in four starts at the 1.33-mile concrete oval, he has yet to visit Victory Lane.

But Hornaday has hunger and desire on his side with his eye on the Gibson guitar that serves as the track trophy. He even paid a recent visit to artist Sam Bass' shop to take a look at the guitars, whetting his appetite for the coveted prize.

Nashville will be a big hurdle for this team, but if they can clear it, it's hard to deny the California native a spot among the greatest Truck Series competitors of all times. He's certainly making a case for the distinction, although it's tough to single out one because several drivers have excelled in such spectacular fashion, including Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, who all went on to have successful Cup careers.

In fact, Hornaday's victory at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indy put him in an elite class of only three drivers over the age of 50 to score five wins in a single season, grouping him with the likes of Harry Gant and Joe Ruttman. That's pretty good company.

But Hornaday, the points leader, doesn't have much company in the championship battle right now, the first time in about 10 years that the leader can enjoy some breathing room at this juncture in the 25-race season. The Truck Series prides itself on incredibly intense points battles throughout the year with drivers often separated by single digits.

Unfortunately for Hornaday, I don't think he'll have this cushion down the stretch because guys like Matt Crafton, Skinner and Bodine are holding their own and will give him a heated run for his money. These teams haven't fallen on their faces - Hornaday is just winning everything lately. But there is no way he can keep up this pace amidst the fierce competition. There is a ravenous desire to win in the Truck Series because it boasts a hard-working, blue-collar and blood-thirsty atmosphere. These other guys must win to keep their jobs and pay their bills, and you can bet they will be doing just that.

They also will be secretly hoping for a little bad luck to befall the No. 33 team because some of Hornaday's success this season was bolstered by good fortune. By no means do I discount the team's fortitude and talent, but they also haven't experienced much bad luck. Hornaday's crew chief, Rick Ren, is tied as the all-time winningest crew chief in the Truck Series and will hold a class of his own with one more trip to Victory Lane. Hornaday is a three-time champion with incredible resources and support from KHI, so all the pieces are together for that team.

But that's also the case with a lot of other teams, so luck does play a factor in situations such as this. However, Hornaday has an innate ability to remain calm in tense situations; to not smell fear; and to grab the lead and maintain it for the win in the closing laps. He's got the experience but he also needed some racing luck or four in a row would have been claimed before.

Hornaday could very well stake claim to a fourth championship this season and you'd be crazy to pick against him because he is the Jimmie Johnson of the Truck Series. We all know not to bet against Johnson until he gives us a reason to. With five wins this season, four consecutively, and 11 opportunities remaining, how could you bet against "The Professor"? By the same token, I'll wager the other Iowan track and field teams aren't betting against Waukee either.

Krista Voda is the host of NCWTS Setup, the popular pre-race program for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on SPEED, as well as a NASCAR pit reporter for FOX Sports. A veteran of the NASCAR garage, Voda also hosts The SPEED Report and was the first female to host a NASCAR pre-race show. She hosted Totally NASCAR and NASCAR Nation on SPEED, in addition to serving as a reporter and pre-race show host for AMA. Voda also has extensive experience in radio and local television and works as a sideline reporter for the NFL and BCS on FOX. For more information on Voda or to access the NASCAR on SPEED programming schedule, please visit www.speedtv.com.