Phoenix II: Sam Hornish Jr qualifying report

Hornish to Start 12th at Phoenix International Raceway

AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 13, 2009) - Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, will start the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway from the 12th spot on Sunday.

Hornish topped the speed charts during Friday's practice session running a fast-lap time of 26.889 seconds at a speed of 133.884 miles per hour. The 24th competitor to make a qualifying attempt, Hornish posted a fast-lap time of 26.881 seconds at a speed of 133.924 miles per hour capturing the 12th starting position for the No. 77 team.

"I got everything out of the Mobil 1 Dodge that I could today," said Hornish. "The car was really good in practice earlier and we didn't make many changes before qualifying. We were just too tight in the center of the turns. I'm really proud of the guys on the Mobil 1 team and hopefully we will have another strong run in Phoenix this Sunday."

-credit: pr