News

Sam Hornish Jr. - No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger

Samsung 500

Texas Motor Speedway

April 6, 2008

News and Notes

• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, posted a 28th place finish last weekend at Martinsville Speedway. The team currently ranks 36th in car owner point standings, trailing 35th place by three points. Hornish Jr. remains 35th in the Sprint Cup season driver point standings.
• Hornish Jr. is currently third in the 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, trailing both Dario Franchitti and Regan Smith by three points.
• Hornish Jr. has a total of three intermediate-track starts in Sprint Cup Series competition with an average start of 27.3 and an average finish of 34.3.
• Hornish Jr. has a total of 15 IndyCar Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway. In that series, he has a total of three wins, two poles, seven top-5 and eight top-10 finishes.
• Hornish Jr. will be honored with the Texas Motor Speedway Sportsmanship Award at the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Gala on Wednesday, April 2, 2008, in recognition of his annual celebrity bowling tournament benefiting Speedway Children's Charities. Over the past three years, the tournament has raised $308,500. Penske Racing Director of Marketing Wally McCarty will accept on Hornish Jr.'s behalf.

Upcoming Events

4/2/08: Hornish Jr. will receive the 2008 Sportsmanship Award by the Texas Motor Speedway Hall of Fame.

4/20/08: Hornish Jr. and the No. 12 Penske Truck Rental team will head south of the border for the NASCAR Nationwide Series road course event in Mexico City, Mexico.

5/23/08: The annual Penske Racing Fan Fest will be held at the Penske Racing Headquarters in Mooresville, N.C.

Chassis Chatter

PRS-556: This weekend the Mobil 1 team is bringing a brand new race car to Texas Motor Speedway.

PRS-559: The backup car for this weekend is also a brand new race car.

Sam Hornish Jr. on Texas Motor Speedway

"I enjoy racing at Texas Motor Speedway and have done very well there in the IndyCar Series with wins and poles. We are pulling ‘double duty' this weekend and the extra seat time should really help us in the Cup race on Sunday.

"Even though I know the track at Texas, there are differences between Indy Cars and stock cars. Understanding what the car is doing and what it needs to be better is the most important thing. We have been improving our intermediate program with each race and I am confident that we will qualify and run strong in Texas."

Crew Chief Chris Carrier on Texas Motor Speedway

"Texas Motor Speedway is fast track and things can happen quickly there. Drivers need to be alert and have quick responses should something happen on track. I think Sam's (Hornish Jr.) driving style is perfectly suited for Texas. Besides, he has an impressive record there in the IndyCar Series with three wins.

"This track is similar in many ways to Atlanta Motor Speedway. Both are 1.5-mile intermediate tracks. We had a really good run in Atlanta a few weeks ago. I am confident that we will qualify on time in Texas and race strong in order to regain our position in the top 35 in the owner points standings."

2008 Rookie-of-the-Year Standings

Position Driver Points

1. Dario Franchitti 60

1. Regan Smith 60

3. Sam Hornish Jr. 57

4. Patrick Carpentier 28

5. Michael McDowell 9

6. Jacques Villeneuve 1