| MICHIGAN
INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Sunday,
July 30, 2006 on ABC
SAM
HORNISH JR. MAKES PIT STOP AT WHITE HOUSE
Source:
Michigan International Speedway
WASHINGTON,
D.C. – It's certain that of the tens of thousands
of people who will be at Michigan International Speedway for the
July 30 Firestone Indy 400, a large percentage could correctly name
George W. Bush as the President of the United States. It's also
quite certain that out of those masses of people, a much smaller
number would be able to say that they've had the chance to meet
the holder of the Oval Office. After July 18, Sam Hornish Jr. can
consider himself an important part of that small yet prestigious
group.
Hornish,
the champion of the 90th Indianapolis 500 and current IRL IndyCar
Series® points leader, was in Washington, D.C. recently with
his wife Crystal, Penske Racing owner Roger Penske, Indianapolis
Motor Speedway Chief Executive Officer Tony George, and the rest
of the Marlboro Team Penske contingent to meet Bush at the Eisenhower
Executive Office Building in honor of Hornish's May victory at Indianapolis.
After a
formal photo with the Borg-Warner Trophy, Bush and Hornish discussed
the 26-year-old Ohio native's historic first Brickyard win, Hornish's
first in seven tries at Indianapolis.
"You
had a close one there, how close was it?" Bush asked.
"A
little too close for me," Hornish replied.
"I've
had a few close races before, too, and my attitude is first is first,"
Bush said.
While Hornish
admitted that he didn't say everything that he wanted to say to
President Bush, he'll soon get his chance to do some talking on
the track behind the wheel of the No. 6 Marlboro Team Penske Honda.
After racing at Milwaukee this weekend and at the Firestone Indy
400 in the backyard of his hometown on July 30, Hornish will have
just three races left until the season closes. If Hornish can maintain
his slim points lead over Scott Dixon and teammate Helio Castroneves,
he'll secure his third IndyCar Series championship and catch everyone's
attention all over again.
Hornish's
whirlwind tour has kept him incredibly busy since his Indianapolis
win, and even with the visit to Washington, it's not over yet. Wednesday,
July 26 will mark "Sam Hornish Day" in his hometown of
Defiance, Ohio, located just 70 miles from MIS. A parade will be
held in the driver's honor and his hometown friends will get the
chance to see him at home one last time before he goes north to
Michigan and reaches for his first victory on the two-mile oval.
Though he
holds two IndyCar Series championships, Hornish has yet to win at
Michigan International Speedway in four starts. His highest finish
of second came in 2003 when he was edged at the line by Alex Barron
by 0.0121 seconds, the closest open-wheel finish in MIS history.
In the four IndyCar Series events at MIS, Hornish is one of just
two drivers (along with Scott Sharp) to have finished in the top
10 in every race.
Even as
Hornish encounters the thrilling high banks of MIS and a surely
exciting conclusion to the season, he understands that topping his
visit to Washington will be pretty difficult to do.
"There aren't too many things you can do in life where you
get to go to the White House," Hornish said. "It's a pretty
important day in my life."
Guests who
wish to purchase fan hospitality packages – and secure the
best remaining seats for MIS’s premier events – may
call 1-800-354-1010. Guests who have already purchased tickets and
would like to upgrade to a fan hospitality package are encouraged
to contact the MIS Ticket Office at 1-800-354-1010.
The following hospitality packages remain
for the 2006 season:
-Legends Club, IRL IndyCar Series Firestone Indy 400 (July 30)
-Victory Lane Club, NASCAR Busch Series Carfax 250, (August 19)
-Victory Lane Club, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series GFS Marketplace 400
(August 20)
Tickets for the IRL IndyCar Series Firestone Indy 400 delivered
by Domino’s Pizza are available by calling 1-800-354-1010
or by visiting www.MISpeedway.com.
Children 12 and under are free to all Firestone Indy 400 weekend
activities.
Return
to our 2006
IRL FIRESTONE INDY 400 Index.
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