News

SAM HORNISH JR.
No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
Dover International Speedway – AAA 400     
September 27, 2009

Mobil 1 Team News and Notes of Interest
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, had a strong run in the making last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway before mechanical issues forced an early end to his day. Hornish had raced his way into the top-15 in the running order and he held that position before engine woes relegated the No. 77 team to a 37th-place finish.
• Hornish has three top-15 finishes, with two top-10 results, this season in short track competition. Hornish earned his first top-10 finish of the year with a ninth-place effort at Phoenix and he followed that up with a sixth-place showing at Richmond and a 13th-place run at the “Monster Mile.”
• Last May, Hornish rallied to overcome a two-lap deficit to finish 13th at Dover International Speedway after an untimely caution while on pit road put the Mobil 1 team in a deficit. Returning to lead-lap racing with just under 30 laps to go, Hornish advanced seven spots down the stretch to capture a top-15 finish.
• Fans can now follow Sam Hornish Jr. on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SamHornish. Fans can get a glimpse inside his everyday life while keeping up-to-date 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, September 27 from 9:30 – 10 a.m. EDT at Dover International Speedway.

Sam Hornish Jr. on Dover International Speedway
“The high-banked, concrete surface at Dover International Speedway allows for exciting side-by-side racing. It’s one of the more unique tracks we race and definitely a fan favorite that produces some great racing at high speeds. It’s a demanding track and it’s important to keep the car turning well through the center of the corners. You have to remain patient at a place like Dover and work to position yourself so that you can run hard at the end.”

Crew Chief Travis Geisler on Dover International Speedway
“With the high-banked surface at Dover International Speedway, the transition into the corner has been compared to driving up a two-story building as the car loads into the banking. This poses a lot of challenges to keep the car balanced from the entry to the middle of the corners. The track also tends to get tighter as the race goes on and rubber builds up on the surface. So, keeping up with the track is very important through the race. We had a good car for the first race at the ‘Monster Mile’ and we are looking forward to this weekend.”