SAM HORNISH, JR.
No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger
Talladega Superspeedway – Aaron’s 312 April 16, 2011
No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Team News and Notes
. Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger, will make his third start of the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) season this weekend in the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway.
. From 2006 to 2010, Hornish made a total of 20 Nationwide Series starts, scoring five top-15 finishes. Hornish also captured one top-five, three top-10 and eight top-15 starting positions while competing in a limited NNS schedule over the five-year period.
. This weekend will be the third outing for Hornish and crew chief Chad Walter, who will call the shots for the No. 12 Dodge team during Saturday’s race. Walter served as crew chief on the No. 12 Penske Racing Nationwide Series team in the past as he helped guide driver Justin Allgaier to top-six championship finishes in each of the last two seasons.
. Hornish heads to Talladega with some good momentum after starting and finishing 16th at last weekend’s NNS race at Texas Motor Speedway.
. This will be Hornish’s first NNS race at Talladega Superspeedway and his sixth start at this track overall.
Sam Hornish Jr. comments on this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300
“I love restrictor-plate races because they are very mentally challenging, you are constantly thinking ahead and trying to position yourself to be in the lead draft at the end of the race. They remind me of the 1.5-mile races in the IndyCar Series because many of them came down to making your move at the last possible minute. Our Alliance Truck Parts Dodge should be strong this weekend. Having the opportunity to race two weekends in a row allows me and the crew to get into a rhythm. We’re looking to have a big weekend, although, Talladega has always been a wildcard race and it always will be. It’s like a chess game where you are trying to figure out what to do as the race progresses to position yourself correctly.”
Crew Chief Chad Walter comments on this weekend’s race
“Talladega is always an exciting, hold your breath kind of race. We are going there with a car that had success last season at Daytona and we feel strong in our chances to have a good qualifying effort and a solid race. The Alliance Truck Parts Challenger should be very easy to spot in the tight racing confines of the Super Speedway style drafting. We look forward to continuing to build momentum with our new team and sponsors.”
