News

Kentucky 300
Kentucky Speedway
Saturday, September 21, 2013

THE BROADCAST

TV

Saturday

Kentucky 300 7:30pm ET ESPNEWS

RADIO

Race 7:00pm ET PRN & SiriusXM

THE CARS

No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustang
Driver: Sam Hornish Jr.

No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang
Driver: Ryan Blaney

THE NEWS & NOTES

No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustang

• LEADING FROM THE FRONT: Hornish has consistently been the top finishing NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) regular driver over much of the season, which has paid dividends as he leads the series standings for the fifth consecutive week. He has now held the top spot for 13 of the 26 races this year.
• CLOSE TO HOME: This weekend will be the home race for the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustang engine tuner Brad Thompson, who is from Hodgenville, KY.
• STRONG FINISHES IN THE STRETCH: Over the last nine events, Hornish has accumulated six top-three finishes, with three of those coming on intermediate tracks.
• KENTUCKY QUALITY QUALIFYING: In his three previous NNS starts at Kentucky, Hornish owns a 3.3 starting average and a 5.7 average finish.
• NEEDS ONE TO MAKE THREE: Hornish has tasted victory at Kentucky Speedway as he notched two wins at the venue during his open-wheel days (2001 & 2006).
• TIME TO SIGN: Hornish will be participating in the Nationwide Series autograph session at the Fan Hospitality Zone on Saturday from 2:30 - 3:30pm.

THE Q & A

SAM HORNISH JR., NO. 12 ALLIANCE TRUCK PARTS FORD MUSTANG
YOU HAVE BEEN STRONG ON THE INTERMEDIATE TRACKS THIS SEASON. IS THIS YOUR WEEKEND TO CAPITALIZE?
"We have been strong on the intermediate tracks this year. Our Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustangs have had speed, and we have been executing well over the second half of the season. We still have a little room for improvement in terms of getting the car where we need it to be at the end of the race, so we can go after the win. We have to be smart and yet still have the tempered aggression that it takes to win. The points battle is so close that we have to be mindful of whom we are racing. We've come a long way, but a lot can happen over the next seven races."

THE NEWS & NOTES

No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang

• BLANEY IS BACK: For the second time in the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) season, Ryan Blaney is back behind the wheel of the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang. His previous start came at Iowa Speedway in June after rain postponed the start of the race until Sunday, making scheduled driver Joey Logano unable to participate due to his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series obligations at Pocono Raceway. Blaney started in the rear of the field due to a driver change and rallied back to a strong, ninth-place finish.
• FAMILIAR TERRITORY: Blaney has four career NASCAR starts at Kentucky Speedway. In his two NNS starts, he has two top-15 finishes. He also has two starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) where he has one pole, two top-15 finishes and has led a total of 41 laps.
• DRIVEN TO DRIVE: Blaney has recorded 14 NNS starts over the 2012 and 2013 seasons. In those 14 starts, he has earned seven top-10 finishes, including a second-place finish at Texas in the fall of 2012.
• HOMETOWN TUNER: The Discount Tire team engine tuner Tommy Chandler hails from Owensboro, KY.

THE Q & A

RYAN BLANEY, NO. 22 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD MUSTANG
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GETTING BACK BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE DISCOUNT TIRE FORD MUSTANG?
"It's been awhile since I've had the chance to work with this Discount Tire team. Iowa seems like it was so long ago, but I'm excited to get back behind the wheel. We finished ninth last year when we came to Kentucky, and I'm confident we can get another top-10, if not a top-five finish. This team has a total of nine wins this season with three different drivers and they are fighting hard to win the Owner's Championship, and I hope I can add to those victories and get them a little bit closer to that title."