IndyCar
IRL: Team Penske Pit Notes 2004-02-05
Marlboro Team Penske Pit Notes February 5, 2004 Sam Hornish Jr. in Houston for Super Bowl Two-time IndyCar Series Champion Sam Hornish Jr. was in the Lone Star State this past weekend so that he could attend Super Bowl XXXVIII. Not only did Sam ...
Edited: Mar 27, 2008, 5:32 AM
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Marlboro Team Penske Pit Notes
February 5, 2004
Sam Hornish Jr. in Houston for Super Bowl
Two-time IndyCar Series Champion Sam Hornish Jr. was in the Lone Star State this past weekend so that he could attend Super Bowl XXXVIII. Not only did Sam get to go to the big game, he also had the opportunity to rub elbows with other personalities from the sports and entertainment worlds.
Hornish Jr. stayed at the Hotel ICON, which was the epicenter of Super Bowl activities and a central location for celebrities who were in town for the game. Among the star-studded guest list were Paris and Nikki Hilton, Ice Cube, Jimmy Fallon and David Arquette.
In addition, Hornish Jr. spent his evenings at some of the hottest parties during the weekend including the Maxim Magazine Party, Sports Illustrated Party and the PlayStation 2 Lounge at Hotel ICON. Overall, the weekend was a great way for the newest member of Marlboro Team Penske to get in the middle of all the excitement at one of the year's biggest events.
"Houston was a lot of fun and I got to go to some really cool parties," said Hornish Jr. "I also walked the red carpet at a couple of them. Having my picture taken by all the photographers and camera crews was certainly something new for me. I never thought I'd walk a red carpet, but this past weekend I did a number of times!"
Aside from experiencing the hot Houston nightlife, Sam made sure he didn't overlook the real reason he was there - Super Bowl XXXVIII. "What a great game," said Hornish Jr. "I mean, you couldn't have asked for anything more exciting. The Patriots and Panthers both played extremely well, and it was quite an experience to be there. Now, I definitely can't wait until next year!"
ROGER PENSKE HOSTS DETROIT CONTINGENCY IN HOUSTON DURING SUPER BOWL
While Sam Hornish Jr. was party hopping throughout Houston during Super Bowl weekend, Roger Penske was hosting several important dignitaries from the Detroit area, the site of Super Bowl XL. Penske, the Chairman of the Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee, entertained the Mayor of Detroit, staff from the Detroit Police Department as well as the rest of the Super Bowl XL Host Committee during the game and throughout the weekend.
CASTRONEVES IN PEOPLE EN ESPANOL'S 25 HOTTEST BACHELORS ISSUE
Marlboro Team Penske driver and 2001 & 2002 Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves is featured in People En Espanol's special "25 Hottest Bachelors" issue on newsstands now. The 28 year-old Brazilian is featured along with 24 other Latino bachelor's including Wilmer Valderrama, Adam Rodriguez and Jeff Garcia.
"What an honor to be considered one of the 25 hottest bachelors," said Castroneves. "I guess when you do something that you love, you have passion. And when you have passion, that's sexy!"
DE FERRAN RECEIVES AWARD AT THE TEXAS MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME CEREMONY
Former Marlboro Team Penske driver and 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran was presented with the 2003 Texas Motor Speedway Sportsmanship Award at the Texas Hall of Fame Inaugural Gala held at Texas Motor Speedway on January 27, 2004. The award is presented to a driver who has shown great character and cooperation with both media and fans throughout their career.
MARLBORO TEAM PENSKE TESTS AT HOMESTEAD
Last week, Marlboro Team Penske was at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the pre-season open test in preparation for the 2004 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series® season-opening Toyota Indy 300 on Sunday, February 29. The two-day test allowed Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr. to run the #3 and #6 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Toyotas respectively. In total the Team ran 689 laps and recorded top speeds of 216.491 mph (Castroneves) and 216.474 mph (Hornish, Jr.).
"Marlboro Team Penske had a good two day test here at Homestead-Miami Speedway," said Castroneves after the second day of the test. "We were able to work on both qualifying and race set-ups and I think we have a good, consistent race car. The track is very smooth and the banking should make for a very exciting race. It will probably be like Kansas or Chicago with a lot of side-by-side racing. I look forward to coming back here at the end of February as this is a 'hometown' race for me and a lot of my friends and family come out to cheer me on."
"I'm pretty happy with what we accomplished over the two day test," said Hornish Jr. "We were able to try a number of things and I think we're well prepared for the race. I look forward to coming back to Homestead-Miami Speedway at the end of February for my first race with Marlboro Team Penske."
-mtp-
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