News

Sam Hornish Jr. – No. 12 Penske Truck Rental Dodge Charger
Carquest Auto Parts 300
Lowe’s Motor Speedway
May 24, 2008

News and Notes
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the No. 12 Penske Truck Rental Dodge Charger for Penske Racing, will once again pull “double duty” this weekend, competing in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Cup Series events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He will also run the upcoming Nationwide Series race at Dover International Speedway (5/31).
• The Carquest Auto Parts 300 will be Hornish Jr.’s fifth Nationwide Series start of the 2008 season. With a total of three top-15 finishes, he has an average start of 23.5 and an average finishing position of 14.5 in 2008. His best finish came at Darlington Raceway with an 11th place spot.
• In a total of seven intermediate track starts in Nationwide Series competition, Hornish Jr. has an average starting position of 17.5 and an average finish of 25.
• Penske Racing is just one win shy of reaching the milestone of 300 victories since 1966 across a variety of racing series, including the NASCAR Cup Series, IndyCar Series, American Le Mans Series and more.

Upcoming Events
5/23/08: The 2008 Penske Racing Fan Fest will be held at Penske Racing Headquarters in Mooresville, N.C.  Hornish Jr. will be on hand to sign autographs from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

5/31/08: Hornish Jr. and the No. 12 team are slated to run the upcoming Heluva Good! 200 Nationwide Series race at Dover International Speedway.

Chassis Chatter
PBC-020: This weekend’s race car was tested this month by Hornish Jr. at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

PBC-019: The backup car for this weekend was also recently tested by Hornish Jr. at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Sam Hornish Jr. on Lowe’s Motor Speedway
“I’ve spent a lot of time at Lowe’s Motor Speedway over the past couple of weeks testing in the Cup and Nationwide Series as well as competing in the All-Star Race. I think the extra seat time will benefit our efforts in both races this weekend.

“I am really proud of our Nationwide Series team this season. We have finished inside the top-20 in every start we have made this year. In Darlington, we finished 11th and almost had our first top-10. I think it is only a matter of time before that happens and I am confident in our overall chances at a strong run this weekend.”

Crew Chief Matt Gimbel on Lowe’s Motor Speedway
“We had a very productive Nationwide Series test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway last week. Our goal from the beginning has been to help Sam (Hornish Jr.) acclimate himself to different tracks as he completes his transition to the Cup Series. I feel that we have been successful in doing that.

“We have been consistent in Nationwide Series competition this year and I think we are going to have a strong run this weekend. I look forward to the Penske Truck Rental team earning its first top-10 of the season and that could very well happen at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.”