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Fontana: Sam Hornish Jr preview

News and Notes * Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, had an impressive debut in the Daytona 500 last weekend. After starting in the 19th position, Hornish Jr. ran solidly in the top 10 for a majority of the ...

Edited: Feb 21, 2008, 4:35 AM

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News and Notes

* Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, had an impressive debut in the Daytona 500 last weekend. After starting in the 19th position, Hornish Jr. ran solidly in the top 10 for a majority of the race, finishing a respectable 15th place.

* The three-time IndyCar Series Champion was the top-finishing rookie in the Daytona 500. He is the current leader in the 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year points standings.

* Hornish Jr. has one Nationwide Series start at California Speedway that came in February 2007. He qualified in the 16th position but was involved in an accident on lap 132. He finished the race in the 36th position.

* Hornish has four IndyCar Series starts at California Speedway with an impressive record of two wins and four top-five finishes.

* Hornish Jr. will make his 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series debut next weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Chassis Chatter

PRS-531: This weekend's racecar is a brand new chassis.

PRS-508: The back-up car for this weekend was last driven by Kurt Busch at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July 2007. Busch started on the outside pole and ultimately finished the race in 21st place.

Sam Hornish Jr. on California Speedway

"I ran the Nationwide Series (formerly Busch Series) race here last year. We didn't get the finish we wanted but we ran strong all day until we were involved in a late-race accident. During practice in California, we are going to work on race set-up. Knowing that we are in the top 35 and do not have to qualify on time really gives us the opportunity to get better throughout practice without having to focus solely on qualifying runs. I look forward to continuing the momentum we have coming off of Daytona."

Crew Chief Chris Carrier on California Speedway

"We had a really productive test in California a few weeks ago. We worked hard to get Sam comfortable in the car and focused on turning laps. By the end of the two-day session, we had really made gains in our intermediate program. I am comfortable that we will have a solid weekend in California. If we can complete all the laps, we should finish in the front half of the field. That would be a great boost to this brand new team."

-credit: pr

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