Looking ahead to 2005 with Team Penske
source:
irl.racing-live.com
By anyone else's standard, 2004 was a productive
IndyCar Series season for Marlboro Team Penske. Bookend victories, a combined 21
top-10 finishes, five pole positions and more than 800 laps led were turned in
by Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr.
They both finished in the top 10 of the standings and pulled in more than $1
million each in prizes. But it wasn't enough to quench the determination and
spirit that drove Hornish to consecutive IndyCar Series championships and
Castroneves to back-to-back Indianapolis 500 victories.
"Nobody has higher expectations for me than I do for myself," Hornish said. "I'm
not satisfied with anything less than the best; every time I race I give 110
percent and do whatever it takes to win."
While 'disappointing' is a relative term, everyone associated with the
history-rich Penske Racing group expects more this season.
"My goals for 2005 are to capture my first Indianapolis 500 and my third IndyCar
championship," Hornish said. "I'm in my second year with Marlboro Team Penske so
the 'growing pains' of the first year and getting to know everyone are over."
Hornish, who qualified fourth or better nine times, led 11 races for a total
of 301 laps and extend his series record to 2,151. He became the first driver to
win his maiden race with a Penske Racing team, and enters the Toyota Indy 300 on
March 6 with three victories in four races on the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami
Speedway oval.