News

SAM HORNISH JR.
No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Shelby American
February 28, 2010

Mobil 1 Team News and Notes
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, earned a top-20 finish last season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after running in the top-10 for much of the race. Last weekend in California, Hornish finished 16th in the Auto Club 500 and now sits 26th in the 2010 driver point standings.
• Hornish has been strong at intermediate tracks like Las Vegas Motor Speedway since his move to NASCAR in 2008. In 20 total starts at intermediate-track venues, Hornish has five top-20 finishes along with a non-points victory in the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• In 29 Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Penske Racing has a total of three top-five and 18 top-10 finishes, along with one pole position.
• Hornish will sign autographs at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, February 28 from 8:45 – 9:15 a.m. PT.

Sam Hornish Jr. Quote
What are some of the keys to success at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
“Las Vegas is a tough track. You need to have a good-handling race car out there because the tires that we race are really hard and don’t wear off. You have to keep the car running well and have good pit stops all day long.

“The Las Vegas race was good for the Mobil 1 team last year. It was the first race that we ran inside the top-10 most of the time and felt that we had a car capable of finishing near the front. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the finish we should have, but we still got a top 20 out of it. I want to learn as much as I can to help myself and my teammates. Hopefully, we can get a Penske Racing car to Victory Lane this weekend.”

Crew Chief Travis Geisler Quote
What are your thoughts on this weekend’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
“Heading into Las Vegas this weekend, our team has the opportunity to build on our good run at Auto Club Speedway. Early in the season, it is always exciting to get to the different types of tracks and see the results of your efforts over the winter. Las Vegas is a fast, high-banked intermediate track where we can really get a good read on our intermediate program. 

“In order to be fast at Las Vegas you have to get back to the throttle early in the corner. This means the car must continue to turn though the center of the corners while accelerating. I look forward to this weekend and hope we can continue to improve our position in the point standings with our Mobil 1 Dodge.”