News

Sam Hornish Jr. – No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
TUMS QuikPak 500
Martinsville Speedway
October 19, 2008

News and Notes
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, will make his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Martinsville Speedway in the TUMS QuikPak 500 this Sunday. Earlier this season, Hornish secured a 28th place finish at the unique .526-mile oval.
• Hornish will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition debut this weekend at Martinsville Speedway as driver of the No. 4 Penske Truck Rental Dodge in conjunction with Bobby Hamilton Racing. Chris Carrier will serve as crew chief for Hornish for this race.
• Hornish is currently ranked second in the 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. He trails leader Regan Smith by only two points.
• Hornish and the No. 77 Mobil 1 team are currently 37th in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner points standings, 143 points out of 35th place following the race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
• Hornish made his animation and preschool television debut as the voice of the narrator in the new series Roary the Racing Car, which premiered on Sprout on Monday, October 13. The show follows the adventures of Roary™, a bright, loveable and energetic single-seat race car, and his amazing and diverse group of race car friends at the Silver Hatch race track.

Upcoming Events
10/19/08: Hornish will sign autographs at his souvenir trailer from 9:45 - 10:15 a.m. on Sunday.
10/30/08: Hornish will host the fourth annual Sam Hornish Jr. Celebrity Bowling Tournament during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway on October 30, 2008. Over the past three years, the tournament has raised $307,000 to benefit the Texas chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities.

Chassis Chatter
PRS-563: The primary car for the Mobil 1 team this weekend was raced by Hornish this past September at Richmond International Raceway (finished 38th) and New Hampshire Motor Speedway (finished 30th).
PRS-562: The back up car for this weekend was last raced by Hornish at Dover in June, where he secured an 18th place finish.

Sam Hornish Jr. on Martinsville Speedway
“The biggest challenge of Martinsville Speedway is not overdriving and getting into the corners too deep. If you do that, then you give up a lot of time on corner exit. It’s a Karate Kid approach to driving. You try to be fluid and avoid any sudden movements.

“This team has made substantial improvements to its short track program over the course of this season. I’ve heard that it’s like a light switch at Martinsville when you finally understand the nuances of the track. It just clicks for you. I’m hoping that happens for us this weekend.”

Crew Chief Travis Geisler on Martinsville Speedway
“Martinsville Speedway has certainly earned its reputation for tough short-track racing. The unique ‘paper-clip’ shape of the track poses challenges for both drivers and teams.

“The biggest challenge is being able to get the race car through the tight corners and then being able to accelerate down the drag strips that connect them. The Mobil 1 Dodge is ready for battle this weekend and our team is excited about getting back to one of NASCAR’s most historic race tracks.”

2008 Rookie-of-the-Year Standings
Pos. Driver               Points
1.    Regan Smith        191
2.    Sam Hornish Jr.    189
3.    Patrick Carpentier 182
4.    Michael McDowell   169
5.    Dario Franchitti       97