News

Date: May 10, 2013

TV: Friday - 7:30pm ET ESPN2

Radio: Live on MRN and SiriusXM at 7:00pm ET

Driver: Sam Hornish Jr.

The No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustang
Primary Chassis: Last Raced:
Backup Chassis: Last Raced:

• SECOND TO ONE: After being involved in one of the big ones at Talladega Hornish fell to second in the series standings. This is the first-time this season that he's not been atop the of Nationwide Series standings.

• ASYMMETRIC FANCY: While he claims no favorite, Hornish does like tracks which are different from one end to the other. Darlington combines two elements that he enjoys - four distinctly unique corners and an intermediate track classification.

• QUARTERLY REPORT: Hornish is enjoying the best start of a season in his NASCAR career. Having already earned a victory, led 254 laps, scored four top-five and six top-10 finishes.

• SOUTHERN TRADITION: Crew chief Greg Erwin recalls coming to Darlington with his family as a small child. Having attended Clemson University, he considers Darlington a home track and says that winning at The Lady in Black would be a dream come true.

SAM HORNISH JR., NO. 12 ALLIANCE TRUCK PARTS FORD
WHAT CHALLENGES DOES DARLINGTON PRESENT?
"Darlington is the most mentally and physically challenging track on the schedule. I look forward to it for that reason. It's also has one of the richest histories of all the tracks we visit. This makes it a must win race in my opinion. The Alliance Truck Parts Mustang we are racing this weekend is the same chassis we ran at Las Vegas, and we feel good about our chances."

GREG ERWIN, CREW CHIEF NO. 12 ALLIANCE TRUCK PARTS FORD
WHY IS DARLINGTON SPECIAL TO YOU?
"Darlington is my favorite place that we race. Winning at this track would mean more to me than it would anywhere else. I've been close to getting the win before and that makes me want it just that much more. Darlington is a truly unique oval, and it's tremendously challenging. We always want the Alliance Truck Parts Ford to win, but this place is noteworthy which adds to the desire."

BRIAN CAMPE, ENGINEER NO.12 ALLIANCE TRUCK PARTS FORD MUSTANG
WHAT IS IT ABOUT DARLINGTON?
"Darlington has an incredible history, and it's one of those tracks that everyone wants to say that they've won. We're excited to go back as we feel as though it is one of our better venues. Sam does well at this type of track, and our intermediate program has been strong. This is the perfect place to put the Alliance Truck Parts Ford into victory lane."

Driver: Joey Logano

The No. 22 Penske Truck Rental Ford Mustang
Primary Chassis:PRS-244 Last Raced:Las Vegas 2013
Backup Chassis:PRS-246 Last Raced:New Chassis

• A SUCCESSFUL RETURN: Joey Logano returned to the NASCAR Nationwide Series last weekend in dramatic fashion. While making his first start of the season behind the wheel of the No. 22 Ford Mustang, Logano nearly pulled off the win in a photo-finish, coming in second by a matter of inches. Logano and the No. 22 team dominated the race during the afternoon and evening, leading the most laps in the event.
• AGAIN A DEFENDING WINNER: On the strength of nine wins over the course of the NASCAR Nationwide Series last season, Logano comes into the Darlington race once again as the defending race winner. Logano led just four laps, but was able to take advantage of the race on a late restart to grab the victory.
• CHAMPIONSHIP OWNER'S POINTS: With his second place finish, Logano was able to vault the No. 22 Penske Ford team up two positions in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner's point standings. The No. 22 will be shared by Logano, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney this season.
• LOTS OF TRACKS: Darlington is one of 13 different tracks that Logano has won on during the course of his 18-win NASCAR Nationwide Series career. Logano has also taken home the checkers at Daytona, Talladega, Bristol, Kansas, California, Dover, Charlotte, Chicagoland, Kentucky, Michigan, Nashville and Phoenix.

JOEY LOGANO, NO. 22 PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL FORD
HOW WAS YOUR FIRST RACE WITH THE 22 TEAM LAST WEEKEND?
"I feel like the weekend couldn't have gone any better. The only thing better would have been if we could have gotten the victory. We had a fast enough car to win, I just made a small mistake on the last lap that cost us. We were the best car out there all day long. I feel like I let the guys down. But they are behind me, and I think our first run together went about as well as could be expected for sure."

HOW DIFFERENT WILL THIS WEEKEND FROM LAST WEEKEND?
"There is absolutely nothing similar about Talladega and Darlington over than the fact that you turn left on both of them. This weekend will be a true test of our team and how well me and Jeremy Bullins (crew chief) can work together. You need a decent handling car at Darlington to have a shot at the win. The guys that get a car that can handle will be the ones racing for the win. So I'm pretty pumped to go there and see what we can do. It's one of my favorite tracks. I'd love to make it two in a row this year."