No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Challenger Preview - Richmond
April 26, 2011
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Challenger, will make his fourth start of the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) season Friday night in the Bubba Burger 250 at Richmond International Raceway.
• Hornish has made a total of 23 Nationwide Series starts since 2006. The former IndyCar Series champion has produced seven top-15 NNS results during that span. He has also captured one top-five, three top-10 and nine top-15 starting positions while competing in a limited NNS schedule over the last five plus years.
• This weekend marks the fourth outing for Hornish and crew chief Chad Walter, who will call the shots for the No. 12 Dodge Team during Friday night's race. Walter served as the crew chief on the No. 12 Penske Racing Nationwide Series team in the past and helped guide driver Justin Allgaier to a top-six championship finishes in each of the last two seasons.
• Hornish heads to Richmond with momentum after finishing 13th in the NNS race at Talladega Superspeedway on April 16.
• This will be Hornish's third NNS race at Richmond International Raceway and his ninth NASCAR start at this track overall. Hornish last ran a NNS race at Richmond in the spring of 2008 and finished 15th.
• Hornish will visit injured soldiers at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VAMC in Richmond, Va. on Thursday, April 28.
Sam Hornish Jr. comments on this weekend's Bubba Burger 250
"I couldn't be more excited for this weekend's race at Richmond. It's one of my favorite tracks and I have had a lot of success here, both in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the IndyCar Series, so I was thrilled when I saw I would get the opportunity to race here again in the Nationwide Series. The last time I ran a PPG-sponsored Dodge was at Pocono a few years ago and we came home fourth, which has been the best NASCAR finish of my career. I am hoping that the momentum and luck can carry over to this weekend for the No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Challenger."
Crew Chief Chad Walter comments on this weekend's race at Richmond
"I love Richmond. It is hands-down my favorite track that we will go to this season. As a crew chief, it is very challenging so I can only imagine the challenges that it brings to a driver. It doesn't get much better than racing on a Friday night at Richmond. Our No.12 Olympic Paints Dodge looks awesome and I can't wait to see it under the lights. The fans here are always passionate about their short track racing and we can't wait to unload our Dodge Challenger and show them what we have."