Hornish to Start 24th at Martinsville Speedway

October 22, 2010


MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 22, 2010) – Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, scored a 24th-place starting position for the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Drivers Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski qualified in 25th and 29th place, respectively.

Hornish posted a fast-lap time of 19.691 seconds at a speed of 96.166 mph during qualifying at the .526-mile, paperclip-shaped oval. The effort secured the 24th overall starting position for the No. 77 Dodge team.

“The Mobil 1 Dodge was strong in practice earlier today, but it seemed like the track lost grip by the time we qualified this afternoon,” said Hornish. “We were a little loose on entry and tight in the center of the corners but I feel we have something to work with in practice tomorrow. This track is demanding on both the car and driver, but I feel like I am learning more about what I need to do to run well here at Martinsville.”

The Tums Fast Relief 500 will air live on Sunday, October 24 on the ESPN television network beginning at 1 p.m. EDT. Race coverage will also be broadcast live on MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.