Hornish Battles His Way to a Third-Place Finish
August 18, 2013
THE RACE
Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (2.25 mile road course, Lexington, Ohio)
Saturday, August 17, 2013
THE RESULTS
The No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustang
Driven By Sam Hornish Jr.
Start Position: 8
Finish Position: 3
Status: Running
Current Driver's Points Position: 1
THE RACE REVIEW
· Hornish started the event from the eighth position on the grid based on his Saturday morning qualify effort during which he lapped the 2.25 mile road course in 84.685 seconds at 95.989 miles per hour.
· It was apparent early in the race that the No. 12 Ford Mustang was very fast as he logged numerous fastest laps he Hornish drove his way to third place by lap 19.
· Hornish assumed the lead at lap 26 as the Penske Racing pit crew gained their driver a position during the first pit-stop of day. The veteran driver would lead go on to lead three laps, earning a valuable point before giving up the top spot to teammate AJ Allmendinger.
· Hornish would maintain a consistent presence in the top-three for most of the race, though he would drop back a few positions as the field cycled through green flag pit stops and on a couple of restarts.
· While Hornish had great long green flag speed, his Ford Mustang was not as good on the restarts and the short runs, yet the veteran driver held on for a strong third-place finish.
· This marks the third consecutive race that Hornish has been scored as the highest finishing Nationwide Series regular driver, as well as his third consecutive top-three finish.
· With the result the Hornish and the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford take over the top spot in the driver’s championship standings. They have held the number one position on three different occasions this season over a span of nine races. The driver of the No. 12 Penske Ford leads second-place competitor, Elliot Sadler by 13 points.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
SAM HORNISH JR.
ANOTHER TOP-THREE FINISH AND THE POINTS LEAD, TELL US ABOUT YOUR DAY.
“It was another great day for this Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustang team. The pit crew gave me outstanding service all day long and our race strategy was perfect. Our Mustang was strong the on the long runs, but we were not that good on the restarts and the short runs, and there were a lot short runs towards the end of the race. It was a really good race, and since it was in my home state, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride because of the incredible turnout and all of the support for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital. We feel good about getting the points lead. It is a testament to the determination of this team. This is our third consecutive top-three finish, and we feel like we are getting stronger with each race. We are already looking forward to Bristol next weekend. Congratulations to AJ and the Discount Tire team, they had a great car and deserved the win.”
Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (2.25 mile road course, Lexington, Ohio)
Saturday, August 17, 2013
THE RESULTS
The No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustang
Driven By Sam Hornish Jr.
Start Position: 8
Finish Position: 3
Status: Running
Current Driver's Points Position: 1
THE RACE REVIEW
· Hornish started the event from the eighth position on the grid based on his Saturday morning qualify effort during which he lapped the 2.25 mile road course in 84.685 seconds at 95.989 miles per hour.
· It was apparent early in the race that the No. 12 Ford Mustang was very fast as he logged numerous fastest laps he Hornish drove his way to third place by lap 19.
· Hornish assumed the lead at lap 26 as the Penske Racing pit crew gained their driver a position during the first pit-stop of day. The veteran driver would lead go on to lead three laps, earning a valuable point before giving up the top spot to teammate AJ Allmendinger.
· Hornish would maintain a consistent presence in the top-three for most of the race, though he would drop back a few positions as the field cycled through green flag pit stops and on a couple of restarts.
· While Hornish had great long green flag speed, his Ford Mustang was not as good on the restarts and the short runs, yet the veteran driver held on for a strong third-place finish.
· This marks the third consecutive race that Hornish has been scored as the highest finishing Nationwide Series regular driver, as well as his third consecutive top-three finish.
· With the result the Hornish and the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford take over the top spot in the driver’s championship standings. They have held the number one position on three different occasions this season over a span of nine races. The driver of the No. 12 Penske Ford leads second-place competitor, Elliot Sadler by 13 points.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
SAM HORNISH JR.
ANOTHER TOP-THREE FINISH AND THE POINTS LEAD, TELL US ABOUT YOUR DAY.
“It was another great day for this Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustang team. The pit crew gave me outstanding service all day long and our race strategy was perfect. Our Mustang was strong the on the long runs, but we were not that good on the restarts and the short runs, and there were a lot short runs towards the end of the race. It was a really good race, and since it was in my home state, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride because of the incredible turnout and all of the support for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital. We feel good about getting the points lead. It is a testament to the determination of this team. This is our third consecutive top-three finish, and we feel like we are getting stronger with each race. We are already looking forward to Bristol next weekend. Congratulations to AJ and the Discount Tire team, they had a great car and deserved the win.”