Sam Hornish Jr. Back in Sprint Cup Series Action Next Year

Good for Sam!  It’s been a while.

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Source: www.jayski.com

Hornish Jr. to RPM’s #9 to replace Ambrose? UPDATES: The rumored replacement for Marcos Ambrose in the Richard Petty Motorsports #9 Ford ride for next year now looks like it will be Sam Hornish Jr. Speculation is the former Indy Car star and current Joe Gibbs Racing part-time Nationwide Series driver will get another shot at a full-time Sprint Cup ride next year when Ambrose returns to his native Australia.(Motor Racing Network)(10-6-2014)
UPDATE: NASCAR driver and former IndyCar Series star Sam Hornish Jr. will move fulltime to the Sprint Cup Series with Richard Petty Motorsports, the Observer and ThatsRacin.com have learned. An official announcement of Hornish’s hire to replace Marcos Ambrose beginning in the 2015 season could come as early as Wednesday, multiple sources confirmed. Ambrose is returning to his native Australia. This would Hornish’s second fulltime stint in the Cup series. He struggled in his first go-around which was with Team Penske. In three-plus seasons, Hornish had eight top-10 finishes in 108 starts. In recent seasons he has found success running in the Nationwide Series, where he finished second in points last season and fourth in 2012. An RPM spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.(Charlotte Observer)(10-7-2014)
UPDATE 2: Richard Petty Motorsports announced that three-time IndyCar Series Champion turned NASCAR winner, Sam Hornish, Jr. will join the storied organization to drive the #9 Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2015. Hornish, Jr. joins RPM from Joe Gibbs Racing where he competed part-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season scoring one win and four Top-Five finishes in only eight starts. Hornish, Jr. has competed in three full seasons in the Sprint Cup Series as well as two full seasons in the Nationwide Series for Penske Racing where he finished second in points in 2013 by a mere three markers. In 2014, Hornish, Jr. has made the most of his time behind the wheel while driving a partial Nationwide Series schedule at Joe Gibbs Racing with two poles and a win. He is now ready to rejoin the Sprint Cup Series with RPM. “This is a great opportunity to join Richard Petty Motorsports and the No. 9 Ford team in the Sprint Cup Series,” said Hornish, Jr. “Owners Richard Petty, Andrew Murstein and Doug Bergeron have built this organization into a championship-contending team with world-class sponsors and partners. Many people have noticed to the progress being made here and I’m ready to build off this momentum. My goal is to put the #9 team in victory lane in 2015 and be a competitor in ‘The Chase’.” The #9 team will continue to be led by Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer who has three Sprint Cup Series wins to his credit. Co-Owner Richard Petty is proud to welcome Hornish, Jr. to the team. “Sam is a really good fit for RPM and will be a great addition to the team,” said Petty. “He’s a family man who fits well with our core values and he will be a great ambassador for our partners. Sam’s also proven that he can win races and compete for a championship. He came into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with a steep learning curve from open wheel racing, but has shown in the Nationwide Series that he is a winner. We feel that he can get the #9 team to Victory Lane and compete in ‘The Chase’ for us.”(Richard Petty Motorsports)(10-8-2014)

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