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Speaker - Sam Hornish Jr
Driver of the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
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Sam Hornish Jr., one of the most successful drivers in the recent history of open-wheel racing, will continue to refine his stock car racing skills behind the wheel of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger in 2009. The Automobile Club of Southern California also joins the team in 2009 as primary sponsor of the No. 77 car for five races this season.
The 29-year-old Hornish remembers growing up racing with his father while his mother helped run the family business in his native Ohio. Advancing through the racing ranks en route to the IndyCar Series, Hornish credits the support of his family for the unprecedented success he achieved at a young age. In 2008, Hornish accepted a new challenge in his racing career, making the full-time switch to stock cars while competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He returns for his sophomore season in NASCAR’s elite series driving the Mobil 1 Dodge for Penske Racing this season.
Hornish began racing go-karts at age 11. His winning tradition began four years later when he emerged victorious in 19 of 55 starts en route to the World Karting Association’s U.S. Grand National Championship. In 1996, Hornish moved to Formula Ford cars, spending more then two seasons in the U.S. Formula Ford 2000 Series before progressing to the Toyota Atlantic Championship.
Hornish entered the IndyCar Series in 2000. He quickly caught the eye of Panther Racing, which went on to hire him for the team’s 2001 IndyCar Series campaign. That decision was rewarded immediately when Hornish claimed victories in his first two starts with the team, ultimately winning the series crown in his rookie season. In a total of 15 starts in 2002, Hornish earned five victories and 11 top-five finishes. His stellar season was capped by his second consecutive IndyCar Series Championship.
After the 2003 season, in which he posted three victories, Hornish’s lifelong dream came true when Team Penske invited him to join its squad for the 2004 season. Hornish quickly proved himself by winning his debut race with the team for his 12th career IndyCar Series victory. His victory marked the first time an Indy car driver won in his inaugural run in the history of Penske Racing. The pairing proved productive with the IndyCar Series’ winningest driver excelling on its winningest team.
In his second season with team Penske, Hornish earned two victories and finished third in the series championship.
In 2006, Hornish added the crown jewel to his resume by winning the Indianapolis 500. He captured the win from the pole, making a pass on the final stretch of the final lap to steal the win from rookie Marco Andretti in a finish for the ages. Hornish would go on to record four poles and three more race wins that year, on his way to his third career IndyCar Series Championship and the first-ever series title for Penske Racing. At the end of the 2006 season, Hornish made his initial foray into stock car racing, making a pair of NASCAR Nationwide Series starts for Penske Racing.
In 2007, Hornish competed in multiple NASCAR Nationwide Series races and two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events as he began his much-anticipated transition from open-wheel to stock cars. In addition, he competed in his final season in the IndyCar Series, earning a race victory for his seventh consecutive season and finishing fifth in the series driver standings.
To this day, Hornish remains one of the most decorated drivers in IndyCar Series history. He stood on the podium 47 times and produced 62 top-five finishes in 116 IndyCar Series starts. Hornish is still the series’ all-time leader in wins (19) and laps led (3,428). Known for his late race passes, Hornish has been involved in four of the top-10 closest finishes in IndyCar Series history, winning three of them.
After reaching the highest levels of achievement in open-wheel competition, Hornish announced his full-time commitment to stock car racing in November 2007, focusing solely on the new challenge of competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Hornish competed as a rookie contender in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and garnered attention with strong performances in the season-opening Daytona 500 and the much-celebrated Sprint All-Star Race, where he was one of two participants to race their way into the event filled with the sport’s most notable drivers. Hornish earned three top-15 finishes with a season-best result of 13th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He also competed in a total of eight Nationwide Series races with four top-15 finishes. Hornish finished a close second in the 2008 Sprint Cup Series Rookie-of-the-Year standings.
Although Hornish is a world-class racer, he has not forgotten his roots and still spends his free time bowling and playing poker with his hometown friends and family. Like most drivers, Hornish enjoys anything involving speed. He is an avid motorcycle enthusiast, riding his Harley Davidson “Fat Boy” motorcycle whenever he has a chance.
Hornish also enjoys customizing vehicles in his 5,400-square-foot garage in Defiance, Ohio. His collection includes a 1930 Model A Ford, a 1951 Mercury, a 1955 Chevrolet Del Ray, a 1965 Cadillac Coupe de Ville and a 1967 Chevrolet pick-up truck. A 2003 Chevrolet Silverado is Hornish’s most recent completed custom vehicle, equipped with air-ride suspension, 22” wheels and an audiovisual
system hooked up to a 17” monitor and a PlayStation 2 console. His personal vehicle stable also includes a 2009 Dodge Ram 2500, a 2007 Acura TL, a 2008 GMC Sierra, a 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV, a 1977 Kenworth W900-A semi truck and a 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z-06 he received for winning the 2006 Indianapolis 500.
Hornish not only enjoys racing and working on life-size cars, he’s also an avid radio control car enthusiast, with a collection of more than 15 cars and trucks that he’s built. The highlight of his “garage” is a fully-functional Hornish Brothers semi-truck complete with lights, authentic sounds, vibration and, of course, a powerful motor. The truck is modeled after the fleet owned by his family’s company, Hornish Brothers Inc.
A self-proclaimed movie buff, Hornish has built a 225-square-foot media room in his home to showcase his collection of over 350 DVDs.
Hornish currently resides in Napoleon, Ohio with his wife Crystal and daughter Addison. The family also maintains a residence in Mooresville, N.C.
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