Sam Hornish Jr. is just the right driver for Roger Penske. He's smart, he listens and he has those special racing talents available just when he needs them. source: paddocktalk.com - FEATURE by Anne Proffit Hornish reminds many of Rick Mears as he became the Rocketman; he should also bring back some memories of Greg Moore, because his pathway will likely parallel those originally set in motion for the late, great Canadian open wheel driver. Back in 1999, when Penske put new plans in place for the open wheel racing sector of his multitude of businesses, the objective was to take his newly signed driver, Moore, equip the youngster with a CART championship and ease him into the world of stock car racing. At the time, Jeff Gordon was at his apex, and other open wheel stars like Tony Stewart were starting their illustrious careers in NASCAR. It was wise for Penske to think of taking his CART aspirations and [eventual] successes over to the stock car side. The Captain could see that CART's finances and politics were becoming less than attractive for potential sponsors and the series continued to lack a great race that would define its history, as the Indy Racing League has with the Indianapolis 500. At the Fontana finale in October 1999, Penske requested a meeting with PPG representatives to talk about increasing their participation in Penske's NASCAR teams. PPG Industries was the naming sponsor of CART/Champ Car during that era and were about to sign a new contract to continue that reign. Penske offered PPG a primary sponsorship for an added Cup car, in addition to the partial backing already on Rusty Wallace's stock car.
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