News

Sam Hornish Jr. – No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
LifeLock 400
Michigan International Speedway
June 15, 2008

News and Notes
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, considers Michigan International Speedway (MIS) his “home track” - he grew up in Defiance, Ohio, a mere 65 miles from the Brooklyn, Mich. facility.
• Hornish has a total of seven starts at the two-mile D-shaped oval in the IndyCar Series, ARCA and NASCAR Nationwide Series, resulting in four top-five and six top-10 finishes.
• Hornish and the No. 77 Mobil 1 team are currently 35th in the 2008 NASCAR Cup Series owner points standings. The team sits 65 points outside of 30th position.
• Following the race at Pocono, Hornish is ranked second in the 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, trailing leader Regan Smith by three points.
• Hornish will celebrate his first Father’s Day on Sunday at MIS with wife Crystal and four-month-old daughter Addison Faith.
• Hornish will test at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Cal. this week in preparation for the upcoming Toyota/Save Mart 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series road-course event.

Upcoming Events
6/15:  Hornish will be signing autographs at his souvenir trailer at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 15, 2008 from 10:45 to 11:30 a.m.
6/15: 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-556: This primary car for this weekend was last driven by Hornish at Texas Motor Speedway in April 2008.
PRS-531: The backup car for this weekend was last raced by Hornish at California Speedway in February 2008.

Sam Hornish Jr. on Michigan International Speedway
“I’m really looking forward to this weekend in Michigan. To spend Father’s Day close to home with my family and my dad is very special to me. I remember going to Michigan International Speedway as a child with my dad and some of my fondest memories are from there.

“Hopefully this weekend’s race will go well. We are looking to rebound after last weekend in Pocono. California and Michigan have always been two of my favorite tracks. The racing tends to be pretty exciting at Michigan and I can’t think of a better Father’s Day than running well in front of my family and friends.”

Crew Chief Chris Carrier on Michigan International Speedway
“The race at Michigan International Speedway is a great spectator race because the field can run three and four wide. With the race being so close to Detroit, the hub of American automobile manufacturing, there is an element of pride that comes with racing there.

“Sam (Hornish Jr.) has competed in both the ARCA and Nationwide Series there in the past, so he has some stock car experience at Michigan. That combined with his IndyCar Series experience should lead to a pretty good day for our team.”

2008 Rookie-of-the-Year Standings
Position   Driver                  Points
1.           Regan Smith        137
2.           Sam Hornish Jr.    134
3.           Patrick Carpentier 99
4.           Michael McDowell  84
5.           Dario Franchitti     80