Hornish Scores Top-10 After Starting from Pole Position
November 17, 2013
THE RACE
Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami
Saturday, November 16, 2013
THE RESULTS
The No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford
Driven By: Sam Hornish Jr.
Starting Position: 1
Finish Position: 8
Status: Running
Driver's Points Position: 2
THE RACE REVIEW
• Sam Hornish Jr. and the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustang earned their fourth pole of the 2013 season and elected to start the 200 lap event on the outside of the front row.
• The Penske Ford Mustang was dominant over the opening laps of the race as Hornish led 37 of the first 38 laps.
• As the race progressed, Hornish reported that his Penske Ford was too free on corner entry, tight in the center of the turn and then too free on exit.
• The veteran driver held steady in the top-six as the race ran without a caution for the first quarter of the 200 lap event.
• The Penske Racing pit crew would make several big adjustments over the course race to improve the handling of the Ford Mustang.
• While battling a loose condition Hornish held strong in the top-five for much of the race.
• At fiery wreck late in the race brought an unusually lengthy caution. The field would run 13 laps of caution as the racing surface was cleaned.
• The final restart took place at lap 195 with Hornish scored in the third position. During the ensuing laps the No. 12 would be shuffled back as the field packed up three abreast dicing for position.
• Hornish fought his way back up to eight-place as the checkered flag fell.
• With the result, Hornish and No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts team finish second in the final series standings just three points behind winning driver, Austin Dillon.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
SAM HORNISH JR.
NO. 12 ALLIANCE TRUCK PARTS FORD
TAKE US THROUGH YOUR RACE.
“We had it for most of the night and I knew that Austin was obviously trying to take care of everything and make sure that he made it to the end, and then you had that late caution and a lot of guys had tires. That last restart the inside row didn’t get going very good and we got gobbled up because we had two cautions there right in a row where it allowed the guys that took tires to be able to get up to the back of us and we just couldn’t hold on. Then I looked in my mirror and I saw the 3 and the 33 running side-by-side there and I was like, ‘Well, that’s gonna make it pretty hard for anybody to pass Austin (laughing),’ so that’s the name of the game and hat’s off to everybody over at Richard Childress Racing. All of these guys that work at Team Penske did a great job for me. I wish that we would have been able to bring it home, but this was a great opportunity and I am proud of our whole team. I wish we could have done more for everybody at Alliance Truck Parts and the Wurth Group and Penske Racing for helping us out so much. We gave it our best shot all year long and just came up three points short. I am grateful to everyone that contributed to this program.”
Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami
Saturday, November 16, 2013
THE RESULTS
The No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford
Driven By: Sam Hornish Jr.
Starting Position: 1
Finish Position: 8
Status: Running
Driver's Points Position: 2
THE RACE REVIEW
• Sam Hornish Jr. and the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustang earned their fourth pole of the 2013 season and elected to start the 200 lap event on the outside of the front row.
• The Penske Ford Mustang was dominant over the opening laps of the race as Hornish led 37 of the first 38 laps.
• As the race progressed, Hornish reported that his Penske Ford was too free on corner entry, tight in the center of the turn and then too free on exit.
• The veteran driver held steady in the top-six as the race ran without a caution for the first quarter of the 200 lap event.
• The Penske Racing pit crew would make several big adjustments over the course race to improve the handling of the Ford Mustang.
• While battling a loose condition Hornish held strong in the top-five for much of the race.
• At fiery wreck late in the race brought an unusually lengthy caution. The field would run 13 laps of caution as the racing surface was cleaned.
• The final restart took place at lap 195 with Hornish scored in the third position. During the ensuing laps the No. 12 would be shuffled back as the field packed up three abreast dicing for position.
• Hornish fought his way back up to eight-place as the checkered flag fell.
• With the result, Hornish and No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts team finish second in the final series standings just three points behind winning driver, Austin Dillon.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
SAM HORNISH JR.
NO. 12 ALLIANCE TRUCK PARTS FORD
TAKE US THROUGH YOUR RACE.
“We had it for most of the night and I knew that Austin was obviously trying to take care of everything and make sure that he made it to the end, and then you had that late caution and a lot of guys had tires. That last restart the inside row didn’t get going very good and we got gobbled up because we had two cautions there right in a row where it allowed the guys that took tires to be able to get up to the back of us and we just couldn’t hold on. Then I looked in my mirror and I saw the 3 and the 33 running side-by-side there and I was like, ‘Well, that’s gonna make it pretty hard for anybody to pass Austin (laughing),’ so that’s the name of the game and hat’s off to everybody over at Richard Childress Racing. All of these guys that work at Team Penske did a great job for me. I wish that we would have been able to bring it home, but this was a great opportunity and I am proud of our whole team. I wish we could have done more for everybody at Alliance Truck Parts and the Wurth Group and Penske Racing for helping us out so much. We gave it our best shot all year long and just came up three points short. I am grateful to everyone that contributed to this program.”