News

Sam Hornish Jr. – No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
LifeLock.com 400
Chicagoland Speedway
July 12, 2008

News and Notes
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, had another successful run in the making last weekend at Daytona International Speedway. After qualifying in the 42nd position, Hornish was running 13th on the final lap of the Coke Zero 400 when he was collected in a late-race incident. He finished the race in 29th place.
• This will be Hornish’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. However, he has a total of seven IndyCar Series starts at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval. From 2001 through 2007, Hornish scored two wins, two poles, six top-five and seven top-10 finishes.
• Hornish and the No. 77 Mobil 1 team are currently 35th in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner point standings following Daytona.
• Hornish is currently in second place in the 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings after his performance at Daytona International Speedway. He trails leader Regan Smith by a mere three points.

Upcoming Events
7/12/08:  Hornish will be on hand to sign autographs at Chicagoland Speedway at the Mobil 1/Penske Racing souvenir trailer on Saturday. He will appear from 2:45 to 3:15 p.m., prior to the LifeLock.com 400.

Chassis Chatter
PRS-568: The primary car for this weekend was raced by Hornish earlier this season at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
PRS-562: The backup car for this weekend was raced by Hornish at Phoenix and Dover earlier this season.

Sam Hornish Jr. on Chicagoland Speedway
“Chicagoland Speedway has always been a great place for me to go either because I celebrated an IndyCar Series win or clinched a championship there.

“I’m excited to race there in a stock car this weekend. The track is somewhat similar to Lowe’s Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway, and I’ve enjoyed racing at those tracks, too. We had a lot of success recently at Charlotte and we are bringing the same car to Chicago this weekend. Hopefully, we can build upon that success and finish strong on Saturday night.”

Crew Chief Chris Carrier on Chicagoland Speedway
“I’m excited about the first night race at Chicagoland Speedway. I hope it is a big hit with fans because there is something special about racing under the lights on a Saturday night.

“For a while, Chicago was pretty much a one-lane race track. Over the last four races, it has progressively become a multi-groove track, which provides for much better racing. Chicagoland Speedway is fast, and with the banking, it carries a lot of speed. Overall, it produces really good racing for the fans and teams alike.”

2008 Rookie-of-the-Year Standings
Position    Driver                  Points
1.            Regan Smith        167
2.            Sam Hornish Jr.    164
3.            Patrick Carpentier 140
4.            Michael McDowell  119
5.            Dario Franchitti      97