rpm.espn.com: Sam Hornish Jr.

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Friday, December 7

Sam Hornish Jr.
By Jack Arute
ESPN.com

Team: Panther Racing
Nationality: United States

STATS

Year
Rank
Wins
Poles
Top 5
Top 10
Money
Best finish

2001 1 3 2 11 12 $1,467,025 1st, three times

Career 3 2 12 14 $1,988,975 1st, three times

Hornish
Hornish Jr.

2001 Recap
The Good: After a limited rookie season in questionable equipment, Hornish converted his promise into the Indy Racing League title, the first for him and Pennzoil Panther Racing. Hornish finished out of the top-10 only once all season and won three races during the season. He is well on his way to open-wheel stardom.

Season Highlight: Hornish started the season with back-to-back wins at Phoenix and Homestead, Fla. to become the youngest winner in American open wheel history. The 21 year old, who replaced Scott Goodyear on the Panther Racing Team, quieted skeptics early and maintained his consistency throughout the entire season.

The Bad: If there was a flaw in Hornish's style it was subtle. His spotter and mentor, Pancho Carter, spent a lot of time working with Hornish on his passing techniques.

Season Lowlight: After qualifying 13th for his second Indianapolis 500, Hornish spun his car early in the race and found himself four laps off the pace. Hornish's 14th place finish was his lone finish out of the top-10 during the season.

"I'm still completely stuck on the fact that if I wouldn't have screwed up at Indy, I would have won that race," Hornish said.

Hornish
Sam Hornish Jr., front, steered Panther Racing to the 2001 Indy Racing League championship.

Key Stat: Hornish completed 2,643 of the 2,650 laps scheduled at IRL races in 2001 for a competition rate of 99.7 percent. He finished in the top 10 in every race -- except Indy.

2002 Outlook
What needs to be done: More of the same from last season. Hornish admits his performance levels increased by 50 percent last season over his rookie year. He says the team provided him with the best equipment possible.

Eddie Cheever Jr. says he would race side-by-side with Hornish on any track with complete confidence. His skills surpass his age -- 22.

Prediction: Obviously, Hornish is one of the favorites for the 2002 IRL championship. The only concern comes from reports that Panther Racing is considering a second team.

"As long as they don't break up my team," Hornish said. "If you look at the last two IRL champions, their teams have been single-car outfits."

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