Crew Chief Kevin Manion Returns to “Home Track” with New Team
In eight Cup Series starts at the mile track, Hornish has two Top-10 finishes and scored his best finish of eighth in the 2009 summer race. He’ll look to top his best finish in the series this weekend. Hornish has two starts in the XFINITY Series, earning one Top-Five and two Top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 5.5.
Kevin “Bono” Manion, Crew Chief of the No. 9 Ford, considers Loudon his home track. A native of Boylston, Massachusetts, Manion has 18 Cup Series starts on his home turf, accumulating five Top-Five and six Top-10 finishes.
Fans have two chances to meet the driver of the No. 9 Ford this weekend. Hornish and Twisted Tea will be at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Concord, NH (8 Loudon Road) from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday, July 17. On Saturday, July 18 Hornish will be signing autographs at the Shaw’s in Concord, NH (20 D’amante Drive) from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET.
“I’ve always enjoyed going to Loudon. I’ve had some good finishes there. It’s one of those tracks that you really have to stay on top of. With the rubber build-up on the track, the conditions are always changing from the beginning of the weekend to the race and even from the start of the race to the end. You just have to be on your toes to make sure you’re putting together the best strategy and making the best adjustments to deal with the changing track conditions.
“I’m looking forward to having Shaw’s with us for both of the New Hampshire races. RPM continues to bring new sponsors to the team and it’s great that Shaw’s is making the most out of their partnership. They’re getting their customers involved and one lucky fan will get to have dinner with The King.”
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
