Sam Hornish Jr. NSCS Bristol Motor Speedway Preview
August 17, 2010
SAM HORNISH JR.
No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
Bristol Motor Speedway – Irwin Tools Night Race
August 21, 2010
Mobil 1 Team News and Notes
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, was in the midst of a strong run during the spring race at Bristol Motor Speedway in March before encountering an electrical issue. In the final stage of the event, Hornish had raced his way to just outside the top-10 in the running order when the No. 77 Dodge began to lose power. Hornish was briefly forced behind the wall for repairs and rejoined the race before he finished in the 32nd position.
• In NASCAR short-track competition, Hornish has captured a total four top-10 and eight top-15 finishes across the Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Hornish earned his first top-10 result in the Cup Series with a ninth-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway (April, 2009). His best finish at Bristol came in August of 2008, when he finished 14th in the Nationwide Series event at the .533-mile, high-banked oval.
• 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 Bristol, track position is important because passing is difficult. You'll see lots of side-by-side racing and bumping because aerodynamics are less of a factor here and drivers know that dings won't hurt their car's performance. In addition, teams want to pit as little as possible. Learn more at http://bit.ly/b6Jboq.
• Hornish will be on hand to sign autographs at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 21 from 4 – 4:30 p.m. EDT.
Sam Hornish Jr. Quotes
What are your thoughts about this weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway?
“During the last two races at Bristol Motor Speedway, we were running inside the top-10 with less than 50 laps to go and then had problems cost us a good finish each time. That being said, I feel like Bristol is a place that was very difficult for me when I first came over here and began running stock cars, but it’s somewhere that I have really grown to enjoy. I’m looking forward to running there again because I feel that we've got great opportunities at Bristol with the Mobil 1 Dodge.”
Describe Bristol Motor Speedway from a driver’s perspective…
“Racing at Bristol is a unique experience. You're doing the pace laps and going slow getting ready to start the race and you look out the left-hand window and you can see inside the car below you. Not to mention that you're over on the left side of your seat, which is different than it is in the race. To me, the pace laps are one of the neatest things about Bristol because you realize how banked the track really is.”
Crew Chief Travis Geisler Quote
What are your thoughts on this weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway?
“Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the most demanding tracks on the schedule. There is so little room for error on track and in the pits that having a smooth race is very difficult. We have had good cars at Bristol the past few races and have not been able to get the result we expected because of issues within the last 75 laps of the race. We hope to seal the deal this week and have a good race with the Mobil 1 Dodge. Saturday night will be some of the most intense racing you will see anywhere and we are ready to go.”