News

Sam Hornish Jr.
No. 77 Penske Truck Rental/AAA Dodge Charger
Talladega Superspeedway – Aaron’s 499           
April 26, 2009

Penske Truck Rental/AAA Team News and Notes of Interest
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Penske Truck Rental/AAA Dodge Charger, earned his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top-10 finish last weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. After starting the race from the 35th position, Hornish continually posted competitive lap times and steadily raced his way to the front to earn a ninth-place finish.
• Hornish has just one start at Talladega Superspeedway. A fan of restrictor-plate races, Hornish had a strong run going at the 2.66-mile tri-oval last spring, running inside the top-10 by lap 50, before a blown tire and engine woes relegated the No. 77 team to a 35th-place finish.
• Fans can now follow Sam Hornish Jr. on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SamHornish. Hornish provides followers with a glimpse inside his everyday life while keeping fans updated on the latest news from the No. 77 team.
• Last year, Hornish raced his way into the All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway with a second-place finish in the Sprint Showdown. With the All-Star Race fan vote underway, fans can vote for Hornish at www.nascar.com/promos/allstar.
• Hornish will be on hand to sign autographs at the Dodge display on Sunday, April 26 from 8:45 – 9:15 a.m. EDT at Talladega Superspeedway.

Sam Hornish Jr. on Talladega Superspeedway
“This will be only my second race at Talladega Superspeedway and I’m pretty excited about this weekend’s race. Last spring, the No. 77 Dodge was pretty good and we were racing up front for a while before a blown tire and then engine woes dropped us back to 35th by the end of the race.

“I really think that Penske Racing, as a whole, has made some decent gains in its speedway package with new race cars and the addition of the Dodge R6 engine. I know everyone at the shop has put a lot of work into making improvements across the board and I am excited to see what we’ve got when we unload in Talladega.”

Crew Chief Travis Geisler on Talladega Superspeedway
“After a great race last week, the No. 77 team is excited to get back to the track. I always feel like Talladega is a great opportunity to get a good finish if you can avoid the ‘big one’ and have a smooth day in the pits. Sam has done a great job in the previous drafting races.

“I think we should be able to work together with our teammates and get the Penske Racing team up front. We may have a yellow car this week with the Penske Truck Rental and AAA colors, but the most important thing may be what we don’t have to put on the car this year, the yellow stripes on the back bumper that denote rookie status.”