Sam Hornish Jr. has let Penske Racing officials know he is interested in driving the #22 Sprint Cup car full time if AJ Allmendinger’s suspension becomes lengthy. Allmendinger was ‘temporarily suspended’ by NASCAR prior to Saturday night’s Sprint Cup race at Daytona International Speedway because he failed a drug test. He has requested a test of the ‘B’ sample of the test he took the previous week at Kentucky. If that test comes back negative, Allmendinger will be re-instated. If that test supports the ‘A’ test, which typically is the case, then Allmendinger would have to go through NASCAR’s Road to Recovery program that likely would keep him out at least through the rest of this season. Hornish was a last-minute replacement for Allmendinger at Daytona, finishing 33rd after a blown tire midway through the race all but ended his night. He was tabbed on Monday to drive this weekend at New Hampshire. ‘This is definitely not the way that I would like to do it,’ Hornish said of getting back in a Cup car. ‘But at the end of the day, I feel like with the way things have been in racing lately, I feel like you take what you can get at this point and time.’ Hornish said he texted team owner Roger Penske on Sunday morning to let him know he was available if Allmendinger’s suspension lingered the rest of this season and into 2013. He was adamant it was not out of disrespect to Allmendinger, whose contract ends after this season. There has been speculation that Nationwide sponsors, led by Alliance Truck Parts, might follow Hornish into Cup next year. But there are no guarantees like there would be with #22 sponsored by Shell Pennzoil, which sponsored Hornish during his IndyCar championship runs in 2001 and 2002. He said Penske won ‘t make a decision on the rest of the 22 schedule until the ‘B’ sample results are in ‘ likely by the end of this week ‘ noting there will be plenty of time because Cup has as week off after this weekend (ESPN).
AND other drivers supposedly under consideration for the #22 ride in 2013 if Allmendinger doesn ‘t return to the ride include Trevor Bayne, currently driving part time in the NNS for Roush Fenway Racing and in Sprint Cup Series part time for #21 Wood Brothers Racing and Joey Logano, who is likely out of the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing ride after this season with Matt Kenseth supposedly taking over the #20 Toyota with Home Depot and Dollar General remaining as the sponsors for the #20 JGR team.(7-10-2012)
