January 4, 2010
Photo courtesy of Autostock
In 2009, Sam Hornish Jr. completed his sophomore season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with strong results. One of the most successful drivers in the recent history of open-wheel racing, Hornish has transitioned successfully to stock cars, achieving several new career milestones with an eye on greater results for the 2010 season.
"This season was all about putting everything that I had learned during my rookie year into practice on track," said Hornish. "It took a year for me to adjust to the length of stock car races which are much longer than IndyCar races. It affects your mindset and the strategy you use for the race. You have to focus on being patient, on positioning yourself so that you are there to race at the end when it matters most."
Hornish captured his first NASCAR Cup Series top-10 finish at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) in April with a ninth-place result en route to a total of seven top-10 finishes for the year.
"We started the No. 77 team from scratch in 2008 with a new driver, crew chief and crew," said Hornish. "I always said if we kept narrowing it down, changing pieces of the puzzle and trying to get all the right people in the right places, we could be competitive. Our efforts paid off in Phoenix when we got our first top-10. I was real happy that it happened there. I have a lot of fond memories at that track (Hornish's first IndyCar Series victory came at PIR)."
Hornish continued his forward momentum by scoring his first NASCAR top-five finish with a fourth-place result at Pocono Raceway followed two weeks later by a fifth-place showing at Michigan International Speedway.
"At lap 130 in Michigan, I was very mad because it seemed like we did about everything that we could possibly do wrong," said Hornish. "That's where being patient really comes into play. The races are long enough that you have to look at them in terms of separate runs between pit stops. You can adjust the car for the first 140 laps and race hard for the last 60 laps. It was a big day for me to get my first top five at Michigan, my home track. It felt pretty darn good."
In an impressive display of on-track performance, Hornish earned his first NASCAR victory in the non-points earning Sprint Showdown at Lowe's Motor Speedway in May. The qualifying event for the All-Star Race, Hornish made a brief visit to Victory Lane before transferring directly into the marquee race where he finished 16th overall.
"What a great night. I was really happy how everything worked out for us," said Hornish. "I wish we wouldn't have had to race our way in to the All-Star Race again, but it felt good. The Mobil 1 Dodge was excellent all night and it was a total team effort. I love running at Lowe's Motor Speedway, there's just something special about it. That was the first time I'd won anything in a stock car, it was pretty special."
Overall, Hornish displayed marked improved in his second year in NASCAR's premiere division. He recorded two top-fives, seven top-10s and 14 top-20 finishes along with 10 top-15 starts in 2009, competing in both the Mobil 1 Dodge and in the Auto Club Dodge at select events.
"I feel that 2009 was a season of tremendous growth for the entire No. 77 team," said Hornish. "We went from a rookie season without any top-15 finishes to having a year with seven top-10 and two top-five results. We have run consistently better this year and I am excited for the 2010 season to begin. I have learned so much as a driver and the team has really come together as a cohesive group, so I feel that there are great possibilities for us next season."
