By Dick Mittman
Roger Penske, savoring his 14th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race victory May 28 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, had a simple explanation for why he signed then 24-year-old Sam Hornish Jr. for the 2004 racing season.
“I hired him because he beat us like a drum,” Penske said after Hornish edged third-generation driver Marco Andretti by .0635 of second in an incredible inside pass at the line that had the huge crowd shouting through the roofs of the grandstands.
“Today was exactly why he came to this team.”
Marco Andretti, who came within a blink of the eye of becoming the first teen-ager to win the world’s most famous auto race, received his own accolades.
“I think America should celebrate,” said Eddie Jones, Marco’s engineer, who held the same position with 2005 winner Dan Wheldon. IndyCar Series Merchandise
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“There’s a rising young American star, and he’s an Andretti. I think his potential is limitless. If Marco could emulate his grandfather (1969 Indy champion Mario), I think he would be doing very good.”
After foreign drivers had won seven of the last nine Indy 500’s, this race had Americans occupying the top three positions, as Michael Andretti finished third, behind his talented son.
Both Hornish and Marco Andretti have many years ahead of them. Hornish is only 26 and was born and reared in the small northwestern Ohio town of Defiance. Marco is the first to follow his grandfather and father and compete at Indy, and he upheld the Andretti legend with honors.
Actually, Marco passed his father following a restart and did everything he could to hold off the hard-charging Hornish without a mighty crash. Hornish, though, would not be denied forcing the Andretti’s, father and son, to finish two-three instead of one-two.
“Having Marco out there racing the way he did, it was a dream,” Michael Andretti said. “I was pretty impressed with him. I was really impressed with the way he drove. Patience. Like a champion.”
Michael led four laps and pushed his career total to 430.
Penske, who plans to continue returning to the Indy 500 for more years to come, has had such great drivers in the past as Mark Donohue, Bobby Unser, Rick Mears, Al Unser, Al Unser Jr. and Helio Castroneves. Castroneves, Hornish’s teammate and two-time Indy champion, and Buddy Ricer tangled on Lap 110 and that left it up to Sam.
“He is a fantastic oval driver,” Penske said. “At the end the driver won the race.”
The victory came despite a premature start from Hornish’s second-to-last pit stop with the fuel hose still engaged. Penske took blame for what could have cost Marlboro Team Penske its final shot at winning. Hornish had to take a 60-mph cruise through the pits under green as a penalty and came out in seventh place. “I figured I had come all this way, I’d give it one shot,” Hornish said about his final dash down the main straightaway. “The car was right where it need to be and the gears where I wanted them to be. On the last lap coming down to the finish, I was going over him if I had to.
“I hadn’t run again him all day till the last three laps. That’s when the chips were on the table. I think he did everything he could do. It wasn’t enough.”
Hornish has been a master of these dashes to the finish line while winning two IRL championships driving for Panther Racing and owner John Barnes for three seasons.
Barnes, whose driver, Vitor Meira, finished 10th, said Hornish is special.
“He just is,” he said. “He drives 10/10ths every lap, I don’t care if it’s sideways, straight, whatever. He’s just a great race driver. And he’s with a great team. Penske Racing is, without a doubt, the best team in motorsports. It’s a good combination.
“I think the biggest thing is his tenacity. He has a great feel, and he drives the thing. He does whatever it takes to go around the track. He’ll correct in the corner 10 times and never complain about it. He just drives hard. I think his dad brought that out in him.”
Hornish broke in with PDM Racing and car owner Paul Diatlovich in 2000 at age 20. He moved to Panther Racing the next season and when Penske beckoned, Barnes didn’t have the resources to keep him.
“When it first happened we were disappointed,” Barnes said. “But Roger can give him so much more than we can, or could at that point. Sam’s like a son. So we obviously want to see the best for him that we can possible see. He’s where he needs to be.”
Marco Andretti was blunt about his finish.
“Second is nothing here,” he said.
“It does feel awesome and, you know, I can’t complain. I almost won the Indy 500 my first year in it. It’s just the way as a competitor I don’t want to finish second. I don’t want to wait for next year.”
“Next year” never came for his father. It only came once (1969) for his grandfather in 29 tries. It never arrived for his Uncle Jeff or his Uncle John.
Still, as Danica Patrick displayed in the 2005 race (fourth place, eighth this race), Marco’s arrival on the worldwide racing scene gives open-wheel racing a tremendous boost with some brilliant young talent.
“I think we got to see Marco’s potential today,” engineer Jones said.
“I’m not sure I’ve witnessed the growth of a driver like Marco this month of May. It’s beyond words, actually. It’s staggering."
