Team owner Roger Penske said Saturday he hasn’t decided if he’ll move #2-Kurt Busch’s points to Sam Hornish Jr. to guarantee the driver a spot in the first five races of next season. Hornish is leaving the IndyCar Series for a full NASCAR schedule next season, but his #77 Mobil 1 Dodge won’t be one of the 35 cars locked into the first five races of the year. As a former series champion, Busch has a provisional that he could fall back on should he fail to qualify on speed. “We have a number of options and we’re looking at all of them … we’ll see,” Penske said at Phoenix International Raceway. “This isn’t all about the first five races. This is about a long career for a great race car driver and someone who has delivered for us for a long time at Penske Racing.”(ESPN.com/AP)(11-11-2007) UPDATE: While deeming it unlikely next year, when Sam Hornish Jr. will be learning the ropes in NASCAR, neither the driver nor team owner Roger Penske is ruling out an eventual return to the Indianapolis 500 for the 2006 winner. Penske also said it’s almost certain he will shift #2-Kurt Busch’s points to Hornish to ensure the rookie starts the first five races next season but needs to clear it with Busch’s team and sponsors first.(Indianapolis Star)(11-12-2007)
