No. 77 Team Fails to Qualify in Homestead
November 14, 2008
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (November 14, 2008) – Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, did not qualify for the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday afternoon.
With the No. 77 team currently outside of the top-35 in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner points standings, Hornish was required to qualify for Sunday’s race on time. He posted a fast lap time of 32.072 seconds at a speed of 168.371 miles per hour, but the effort was not strong enough to secure a starting position for the Mobil 1 team.
“We were just a great deal tighter than what we were in practice,” said Hornish. “As soon as I touched the throttle the car started turning up the track and ended up scuffing the wall a little bit. It’s unfortunate, but the guys worked real hard on the Mobil 1 Dodge all year and put a lot of effort into it. This is not the result today that we needed, obviously.”
Coverage of the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway will air live on the ABC television network and MRN Radio on Sunday, November 16 beginning at 3 p.m. ET.
Pole: David Reutimann
Time: 31.462
Speed: 171.636
Penske Racing Teammates:
29. Ryan Newman
38. Kurt Busch