News

SAM HORNISH JR.
No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
Watkins Glen International – Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen     
August 9, 2009

Mobil 1 Team News and Notes of Interest
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, earned his first top-five finish in NASCAR Cup Series competition last weekend with a fourth-place showing at Pocono Raceway. The solid performance marked the fifth top-10 finish for Hornish in his sophomore season.
• Crew chief Travis Geisler is scheduled to participate in NASCAR Night at Black Rock Speedway on Friday, as he will compete in a celebrity charity race to benefit Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) and Milly’s Pantry. A former NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, Geisler grew up racing go-karts and dirt Late Models before advancing into the NASCAR Weekly Series racing Late Models. The last year he raced in that division, Geisler won seven of his 17 races and finished second in the series point standings.
• 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 for the No. 77 team.
• Hornish will be on hand to sign autographs at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer on Sunday, August 9 from 10:30 - 11 a.m. EDT at Watkins Glen International.

Sam Hornish Jr. on Watkins Glen International
“After earning our first top-five finish last weekend at Pocono Raceway, the Mobil 1 team is ready to race this weekend at Watkins Glen International. We had a strong run going  at Infineon Raceway (in the first road course race of the year), racing in the sixth position before being spun in turn seven. We tested at Road Atlanta last week and I am happy about our chances to run well at the Glen.

“The corners at Watkins Glen are fast and lead into the straightaways, so it is all about momentum. Brakes, track position and fuel strategy will also be crucial this weekend. There is a fine line between aggressive and smooth driving on a road course. You want to advance but you need to remain on the course to avoid damaging the tires and splitter.”

Crew Chief Travis Geisler on Watkins Glen International
“The Mobil 1 team and I are looking forward to heading up to New York for the race this weekend in Watkins Glen. We had a good race going at the last road course when some bad luck took us out of contention. We recently tested at Road Atlanta in preparation for this weekend and it went really well. With fuel strategy and track position being so important, I really like the challenge of making the right calls for road course races. We have some good momentum after our first top-five finish last week so hopefully we can build on that.”