Sam Hornish Jr. looking to gain points in Kansas

Midway through the season, it looked as though Sam Hornish Jr. had the points championship locked up. However, following a 17^th place finish at Dover, Hornish sits only four points ahead of Austin Dillon.

Though don’t worry, Hornish isn’t sweating it because he knows that he’ll be strong this weekend in Kansas.

“Kansas is one of the tracks that we have run better than we have finished,” Hornish commented as he finished ninth last year. “It has changed a lot over the years, and with the resurfacing they did there last year it is fast. This weekend is going to be a good one for us as our intermediate track program has been solid this year, and our Alliance Truck Parts Ford has shown consistent speed.”

In the last nine races, Hornish has finished inside of the top six in seven of them. He had a 12^th place finish at Bristol back in late August.

Though looking at the intermediate tracks alone, Hornish has inside the top nine positions in the last six. The last five have seen the driver of the No. 12 Ford Mustang finish inside of the top four.

“We know what we have to work on, and we plan on making the most of it come Saturday,” Hornish added. “We are coming down the stretch for the championship and every position counts.”

In that respect, crew chief Greg Erwin notes that due to track position being key, it will be important to have a good qualifying run.

Hornish has qualified well all season, currently showcasing an average starting spot of sixth. In the last five races, Hornish has qualified in the top six, including a pole at the last intermediate track – Kentucky Speedway.

If Hornish can keep the solid top fives coming to close out the year, he could very well pick up his first NASCAR Championship. However, if he does slip at all, Austin Dillon is right there, ready to grab the opportunity and capitalize.