News

Sam Hornish Jr. – No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
Pocono 500
Pocono Raceway
June 8, 2008

News and Notes
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, captured his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top-20 finish in a row at Dover International Speedway. After starting in 16th, Hornish raced his way into the top-10 before a pit road violation cost the No. 77 team track position. He was able to recover from the deficit and secure an 18th place finish.
• Following Dover, Hornish and the No. 77 Mobil 1 team are 33rd in the 2008 NASCAR Cup Series owner points standings. The team sits just 40 points outside of 30th position.
• Hornish is currently tied for the lead in the 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings alongside Regan Smith.
• This will be Hornish’s first time competing at Pocono Raceway. Hornish recently completed a two-day, NASCAR-sanctioned test session at the 2.5-mile tri-oval.
• Last weekend, Team Penske driver Ryan Briscoe won the IndyCar Series event at The Milwaukee Mile, giving Penske Racing its 300th win since Roger Penske became a car owner in 1966. 

Upcoming Events
6/8/08: Hornish will be signing autographs at his souvenir trailer at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 8, 2008 from 11 to 11:30 a.m.
6/15/08: Hornish will celebrate his first Father’s Day on Sunday, June 15, 2008. Daughter Addison Faith was born just prior to Daytona Speedweeks, on February 4, 2008.

Chassis Chatter
PRS-571: This primary car for this weekend was tested by Hornish at Pocono Raceway in May 2008.
PRS-563: The backup car for this weekend recently served as the backup for the No. 77 team at Richmond International Raceway, Darlington Raceway and Dover International Speedway.

Sam Hornish Jr. on Pocono Raceway
“I am really proud of the hard work and efforts of this Mobil 1 team over the past few weeks. The results are showing on track and I’m real happy that we’re finally starting to get the finishes that we should be getting.”      

“I tested at Pocono in an ARCA car and we participated in the two-day NASCAR test as well. The seat time at the track has been invaluable because I have never raced there. I feel that the tests were productive and that Sunday will be another good day for our team. The track is fast and each turn is different so as a driver, you have to be able to adapt quickly.”

Crew Chief Chris Carrier on Pocono Raceway
“We had a very productive test with Sam (Hornish) at Pocono Raceway last week. He did a great job becoming acclimated to the track. We try to work on big picture items during testing and I feel that we will have a strong race on Sunday.

“Pocono is a unique track in that none of the turns are the same. You have to figure out which turn the car is strongest in and realize that you may have to give a little in the other turns to be your best overall.”

2008 Rookie-of-the-Year Standings
Position  Driver                   Points
1.          Sam Hornish Jr.     127
2.          Regan Smith         127
3.          Patrick Carpentier  90
4.          Michael McDowell   73
5.          Dario Franchitti      72