Hornish claims first Nationwide win at Phoenix

Sam Hornish Jr. scored an emotional win in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Wypall 200 at the newly repaved and modified Phoenix International Raceway ahead of Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski, while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. all but clinched the series championship.

Hornish won both his first and the last IndyCar race held at Phoenix, in 2001 for Panther Racing and 2005 for Team Penske, respectively. Now he has scored his first NASCAR win in his 32nd career Nationwide start and 10th this season, as the third 2011 first-time winner (Stenhouse, Trevor Bayne) and second in a row after Bayne won last week in Texas.  

“We had a good car all day and we just tried to take our time,” Hornish said. “(Crew chief) Chad Walter made a great call with two tires and 70 to go. It feels so great to be racing Brad, Carl at the end for the win! We've been on and off all year.”

Hornish is closing on a return to full-time competition in Nationwide for 2012, after several years trying to make it from his transition into the sport from IndyCar after the 2007 season.

“Every 10 years I get to come to victory lane for the first time in a different car,” he said. “It brings back a lot of memories to the Pennzoil car. It really means a lot to us. I sure hope it doesn't hurt at all! Alliance (Truck Parts) is working hard to get us where we need to be. It's been a tough couple years waiting to get a checkered flag. As excited as I am for this, I can't wait to see my girls tomorrow.”

Keselowski in second said Hornish deserves to be rewarded for paying his dues, and would be a definite title contender in 2012.

As for the 2011 campaign, Stenhouse finished fifth, while chief title rival Elliott Sadler was eliminated in a crash late in the going. He leads now by 41 points over Sadler, and it would take an early retirement coupled with a Sadler win to overcome the deficit.

With 25 laps to go, Sadler made a pass to the inside of Jason Leffler and Aric Almirola by cutting across the paved apron at turn 2. That slowed his momentum as he moved back onto the racing line, and while he slowed to give Leffler enough room, Leffler hit him in the back and knocked him out of the race. Almirola and Morgan Shepherd, the 70-year-old having his best run of the season running 17th, were also involved as the race was red flagged.

“The 38 (Leffler) ran me right in the back,” Sadler said. “There's not much respect for guys; he hit square in the rear. He's not running for anything. I cleared him and gave him extra room to try not to crowd him. Everybody's going below the apron, as it gives guys more room. I thought I was doing the right thing to get away and not crowd them up. I had the line and got run in the back. It's very frustrating, as you work all season long, and it goes away in a split second.”

It marked the second time in as many weeks a Kevin Harvick Inc. driver faced title elimination by being contacted, although the Sadler/Leffler contact was during the race compared to the Kyle Busch intentional takedown of Ron Hornaday Jr. in last weekend's Camping World Truck Series race under yellow at Texas. Leffler expressed remorse for the mistake in his interview.

“I was racing him, and he stopped sooner than expected, but ultimately it's my responsibility,” Leffler said. “I take full responsibility. It was a mistake on my part. I feel real bad for his guys. The last thing I want to do is affect the championship. He slid up in front of me, and I know he was trying to give me more room. I'm not putting any blame on him. It wasn't on purpose.”

Barring a disaster for Stenhouse in the final race, he'll claim the 2011 title next Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.