Dale Earnhardt Inc. has given up on trying to put two-time Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish Jr. in a stock car. DEI executive vice president Ty Norris said Hornish, whose contract with Panther Racing expires after this season, was never more than mildly interested. “I think he’s real comfortable in his open-wheel career,” Norris said. “We’ve moved on, and so has he.” DEI and Panther, which share Pennzoil as a sponsor, had discussions last year about Hornish running a limited number of NASCAR Busch Series and Winston Cup events. Panther co-owner John Barnes was against the idea. “We couldn’t get the release, so we dropped it,” Norris said. “But I think when Sam thought about racing almost 40 weekends a year, plus 10 or 12 tests, he was happy to stay where he’s at.” Hornish, however, has not ruled out a shot at NASCAR in 2004. He said his future will be clear next month. Panther plans to test several drivers in September, at the least searching for a second driver to complement Hornish. Barnes said the list will include Dave Steele, Ed Carpenter, Mark Taylor, Tomas Enge and “a couple of drivers in CART.” Panther also will be looking at IRL veteran Billy Boat, Barnes said( Indianapolis Star )(7-18-2003)
