News

SAM HORNISH JR.
No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
Phoenix International Raceway – Subway Fresh Fit 600 
April 10, 2010

Mobil 1 Team News and Notes
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, earned a 13th-place finish two weeks ago at Martinsville Speedway while battling a stomach ailment. The finish marks the fifth top-15 result in the past 12 short-track races for Hornish and the Mobil 1 team.
• Phoenix International Raceway is a significant track in Hornish’s racing career. The “Jewel of the Desert” was the site of his first IndyCar Series win (3/18/01), his first race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (11/11/06), his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut (11/11/07), and his first top-10 in Cup Series competition (04/18/09).
• In 50 Cup Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway, Penske Racing has a total of one win, with former driver Rusty Wallace, and six pole positions. The organization has 13 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes overall at the one-mile tri-oval track.
• Hornish will sign autographs at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer at Phoenix International Speedway on Saturday, April 10 from 1:15 – 1:45 p.m. MST.

Sam Hornish Jr. Quote
Why do you prefer tracks like Phoenix International Raceway?
“I like places like Phoenix that are different; places that you have to compromise what you do to the race car. I’m not sure why but it works well for me. The more unique a track becomes, the more I enjoy it.

“Phoenix has been good to me in the past. We got our first top-10 in the Cup Series there last year and ran well in the fall race. I always feel like we can get a top-10 finish at Phoenix. We’ll have to see what we can do there this year. Both ends of the track at Phoenix are so different that you have to pick which end is better and focus your efforts on that corner without hurting the other too much.”

Crew Chief Travis Geisler Quote
Describe your thoughts for this weekend’s race at Phoenix International Raceway…
“The Mobil 1 team has had good cars lately but has had some mechanical setbacks.  With a 13th-place finish at Martinsville, we hope the early season bugs are worked out. Phoenix is a good race track for us and this race last year is where we got our first top-10 finish. The race starts at 4:30 local time so it will be very important to build adjustability into the car to accommodate the changing track conditions. Usually, rear spring rubbers work well in this scenario.”