2008 Spin:
One of the most decorated open wheel drivers in recent history is set to conquer the world of stock cars in 2008. Sam Hornish Jr., 2006 Indianapolis 500 champion and three-time IndyCar Series titlist, will man the new No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge in pursuit of NASCAR Sprint Cup’s Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors in 2008.

The 29-year-old Defiance, Ohio, native will team with veteran crew chief Chris Carrier in his maiden voyage around the bullrings of NASCAR.

“It’s going to be great working with Chris and (race engineer) David (Elenz) because they have so much experience at this level of racing,” said Hornish Jr. “As I complete the transition to Cup racing, it’s great to have such a veteran support staff to rely on.”

Hornish also has the luxury of relying on teammate Kurt Busch’s 2007 owner points. Roger Penske made the decision to transfer Busch’s points to the No. 77 team over the offseason to ensure the team would be guaranteed a starting spot in the season’s first five events. Busch will have a Past Champion’s Provisional to fall back on were he to encounter any problems in qualifying.

Hornish and Carrier’s jobs at this point are clear-cut: Keep the car in the top 35 while the Cup rookie learns how to thrive within the parameters of the series.

Carrier, who has worked with a Who’s Who List of NASCAR drivers such as Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Allison and Harry Gant realizes it’s just a matter of time before a driver with Hornish’s raw talent acclimates himself to the bulky stocks:
"I've been fortunate to work with a number of great drivers through the years,” Carrier said. “I think that experience will help as we work with Sam to reach his goals in NASCAR."

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