News

No. 12 AVIS Dodge Team News and Notes
• On Saturday Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the No. 12 AVIS Dodge Challenger, will make his third NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) start at Chicagoland Speedway - he finished eighth there in the summer race. Hornish has three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) starts at Chicagoland with his best result of 24th coming in 2010. He also has seven IZOD IndyCar Series (IICS) starts at the venue, which includes two poles (2002 & 2006) and two victories (2002 & 2004)
• This weekend the No. 12 Penske Dodge will compete flying the AVIS colors. AVIS pledges to "ensure a stress-free car rental experience by providing superior services that cater to our customers' individual needs...always conveying the 'We Try Harder®' spirit with knowledge, caring and a passion for excellence."
• AVIS has created a series of events which are exciting race fans throughout the U.S. with the Avis-Penske Pit Crew Challenge. The events include a friendly challenge between Avis Pit Crews and the Penske Racing Pit Crew servicing Avis vehicles, of course. The next event will be this Thursday, September 13 at Chicago O'Hare Airport, 10000 Bessie Coleman Drive in Chicago, IL.
• This weekend will mark Hornish's 58th NNS start - he has scored one victory, one pole, 10 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes in series competition
• After 25 races, Hornish and the No. 12 AVIS Dodge team are ranked fourth in the NNS Championship point standings.
• This weekend the No. 12 AVIS Dodge Challenger will race chassis PRS-221, which Hornish drove to an eighth-place finish at the last Chicagoland race
• Here's a fun fact - Hornish will be interacting with and assisting AVIS customers this weekend at their Chicago O'Hare airport location
• Penske Racing has 362 all-time race victories with 100 NASCAR wins and 422 pole positions overall, including 127 NASCAR poles.
• Follow Hornish at @PenskeRacing, @SamHornish, www.penskeracing.com, www.samhornish.com and on Facebook - www.facebook.com/penskeracing and www.facebook.com/pages/Sam-Hornish-Jr
• #PenskePride - each race weekend have the opportunity to Tweet @PenskeRacing pictures showing their support of the Penske Racing organization, their favorite Penske Racing driver(s) or teams in unique and creative ways, using the hashtag #PenskePride. The best weekly photo will be named Fan Photo of the Week. At the end of each month, a Fan Photo of the Month will be selected from the weekly winners. The best monthly photos will be voted on by @PenskeRacing followers to be named Fan Photo of the Year. The winner of Photo of the Year will receive the Ultimate Penske Racing Fan Experience including tickets and hot passes to the 2013 NASCAR All-Star Race, autographed items and a tour of the Penske Racing facility with a Penske driver

Sam Hornish Jr. comments about this weekend's Dollar General 300 - "We are looking forward to this weekend at Chicagoland. At our two most recent Nationwide Series races there we were better than we finished so this time around we are really focused on putting it all together. We are in the final stretch of the season and it is time for us to take the next step towards challenging for the championship. The AVIS Dodge Challenger is a sharp-looking machine and it should be strong this weekend at Chicagoland."

Crew Chief Chad Walter comments about this weekend's Dollar General 300 - "We've always run very well at Chicago, but we just haven't been able to put the finishes together that we are completely capable of. Chicagoland Speedway is one of the typical mile-and-a-half tracks where track position is paramount, and quick pit stops are an absolute must. We've got some work to do to get ourselves back in the Championship chase, and I think Chicago is a place where Sam and the AVIS Dodge can gain some ground."