News

SAM HORNISH JR.
No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
Michigan International Speedway – Carfax 400 
August 15, 2010

Mobil 1 Team News and Notes
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, hails from nearby Defiance, Ohio and considers Michigan International Speedway (MIS) his home track. Hornish has 13 starts at MIS across four different racing series and he has amassed a total of five top-five and seven top-10 finishes. His best Cup Series result came last season when he finished fifth in the August race at the two-mile oval located in the Irish Hills of Michigan.
• Hornish had a solid top-15 run last weekend at Watkins Glen International. He earned a 14th-place finish for his best NASCAR result at the 2.45-mile road course.
• Each week Mobil 1 crew chief Travis Geisler offers fans a glimpse into car setup for each racetrack on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit at washingtonpost.com. Geisler reports that at Michigan, fuel mileage is a top priority and tires tend to lose grip over the long run. Learn more at http://bit.ly/9jdb4y.
• On Tuesday, August 10, Hornish and Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski will appear at the Mobil Express Lube at 48156 Van Dyke Avenue in Shelby Township, Mich., from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT.
• Hornish will be on hand to sign autographs at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, August 15 from 9:30  – 10 a.m. EDT.

Sam Hornish Jr. Quotes
You hail from northwest Ohio. Does Michigan International Speedway feel like a home track to you?
“The great part about this mid-summer stretch of races is that we are able to spend time at home in Ohio. There are several tracks that are about a three-hour drive from our house and that allows us to spend time with family and friends. Michigan is one of my favorite places to race, although I wish our finishes in NASCAR could be better. I’ve had success in the IndyCar Series at Michigan and I would love to have a strong run there this weekend.”

Michigan International Speedway is a big, roomy track. Does that suit your driving style?
“If your car is not perfect during a run, you can hunt around for a good line on track and there is plenty of room to pass at Michigan International Speedway. Because it is such a big track, the outcome of the race always seems to come down to fuel mileage. I feel that this Mobil 1 Dodge team plays that game pretty well, as well as any other team. If we have a strong car and the race comes down to fuel mileage, I feel that Sunday could be a really good day for us.”

Crew Chief Travis Geisler Quote
What are your thoughts on this weekend’s race at Michigan International Speedway?
“We always have a little extra motivation to run well at Michigan because it is in Dodge’s backyard as well as our owner and driver. We have had a couple of good weeks of qualifying and finishing in the top 15 and we hope to improve upon that this week. The track is great for racing with all the different line options through the corners. It will be important for Sam to move around during practice to ensure that the car is comfortable in the different lines so that he can make passes more easily during the race.”