News

Sam Hornish Jr. – No. 77 Penske Truck Rental Dodge Charger
Coke Zero 400
Daytona International Speedway
July 5, 2008

News and Notes
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Penske Truck Rental Dodge Charger, returns to Daytona International Speedway this week, intent to build upon his impressive debut at the 2.5-mile tri-oval this past February in the 2008 Daytona 500. In February, Hornish ran in the top-10 throughout much of the day and captured a 15th place finish at his first-ever NASCAR restrictor plate race.
• Hornish has a total of two career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at superspeedway venues. He has an average start of 28 and finish of 25; with a career-best start of 19th and finish of 15th, both in the 2008 Daytona 500.
• Hornish and the No. 77 team are currently 34th in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner point standings following last Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The team sits 100 points outside of 30th place.
• Hornish currently leads the 2008 Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year standings by five points over second-place driver Regan Smith.

Upcoming Events
7/5/08: Hornish will be on hand to sign autographs at his souvenir trailer on Saturday, July 5 from 4:30 to 5 p.m.

Chassis Chatter
PRS-503: This primary car for this weekend was last raced by Hornish in the 2008 Daytona 500, where he captured a 15th place finish. It also served as the backup car for the No. 77 team this past April at Talladega.
PRS-578: The backup race car for this weekend is a brand new car.

Sam Hornish Jr. on Daytona International Speedway
“I love Daytona International Speedway. After competing in the Daytona 500, I have a new perspective on racing there. We had a really car and should’ve had a top-10 finish.

“I’m happy where we ran there in February. The No. 77 Dodge ran better in the heat of the day; it was a top-five car. Now that it is July, the weather down in Daytona will warmer and I think we should run even better. We’ve really turned a corner as a team and are excited to pick up where we left off in February.”

Crew Chief Chris Carrier on Daytona International Speedway
“I’ve personally been waiting for our return to Daytona. The Mobil 1 team ran well there in February in both the qualifying race and the Daytona 500. We are bringing the same race car and I think that we are going to be very competitive.

“Since we are in the top-35, our primary focus when we unload will be race trim. Sam (Hornish Jr.) really impressed me with his drafting ability in Daytona and Talladega and he seems very comfortable out there. Overall, I’m looking forward to July and feel that these will be good races for us.”

2008 Rookie-of-the-Year Standings
Position  Driver                  Points
1.          Sam Hornish Jr.     162
2.          Regan Smith         157
3.          Patrick Carpentier  129
4.          Michael McDowell   110
5.          Dario Franchitti       97