Part-Time Racer/Full-Time Student

As a college student, I'm relatively busy. That has always made me curious how college athletes are able to balance school with practice/games/social life/and possibly work.

In high school, I played softball. That was manageable for me because games and practice didn't interfere with classes, and we never traveled too far (so, it wasn't late when we got home).

However, being a college athlete means that you are probably going to miss several classes during your sport's season. Meaning, you miss lectures, class discussions, exams...

"I love what I do, and it's
worth every bit of work I put into
it and more," said Ryan Ellis.

Yet, college athletes are able to make up the work because there is usually an understanding between the coaches and the professors, and absences are excused.

What if you play a sport that doesn't represent the college--racing, for instance?

Ryan Ellis, part-time driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, grew up around racing.

His father and his father's father raced, and it was natural for him to fall in line: "Before I could walk, I would crawl over to my Power Wheels Jeep and drive around the house.

When I was four, my parents got me my first quarter midget," said Ellis.

Since then, he has been working his way up the racing ladder.

In addition to being a part-time driver, Ellis is also currently a business-marketing major at George Mason University.

Ellis's main career goal is to reach the highest level of NASCAR, and that is why he chose his major: "I believe the most successful drivers today are either great engineers or great marketers. The best drivers are both," he said.

As sponsorship has become a huge part in all facets of racing, Ellis believes that his marketing background will help him receive (and maintain) the funding to eventually become a full-time driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Because he is an athlete in a sport that does not directly represent his university, it has been difficult for Ellis to keep up with his classes.

"Some professors do not allow me to make up exams if I am out of town and ultimately, that is the reason I am still in school," he said. "I have had to drop six or seven classes because I was out of town for a race, and the professor would not allow me to reschedule an exam. If it weren't for that, I would have graduated a year ago."

Ellis hasn't let this get him down. Driving full-time in NASCAR is his dream, and he is willing to do what it takes to make racing his number one priority.

While it may be argued that classes should come first, Ellis makes note that "there are only so many opportunities to make it in this sport.

"I'm very lucky to be at the level I am, and I'll do anything to stay here," he said.

The quote in Ryan Ellis' email signature said it best: "Racing is life... everything before and after is just waiting." -- Steve McQueen

Sam Hornish, Jr.: The Transition

Last week, the NASCAR Nationwide Series was in Dover, and Hornish finished p17. This drops Hornish's lead over Austin Dillon from a margin of 15 points to only 4.

The NNS field races at Kansas Speedway tomorrow. Only five races remain until the 2013 champion is crowned.

As I mentioned last week in my post about Sam Hornish, Jr.'s early racing career, this would be Hornish's first NASCAR Nationwide Series win if he can hold off Dillon.

Sam Hornish, Jr. isn't new to winning championships, however. He previously raced in the IndyCar Series, and won three championships (2001, 2002, and 2006) before making the transition to NASCAR.

The Transition

Hornish started racing in the IndyCar Series in 2000. In 2004, he joined the Penske Racing team.

Toward the end of the 2006 season, Hornish and Penske announced that Hornish would race in the final two NASCAR Nationwide Series (then the Busch Series) races, as well as select races in the 2007 season while remaining full-time in IndyCar.

Hornish finished 36th in Phoenix and 43rd in Homestead in 2006.

Although not a great start in NNS, keep in mind that he was new to the series.

IndyCar and NASCAR are by no means similar, and Hornish had to overcome that obstacle: "In an IndyCar, you have data which the driver and engineer can look at to see what the car is doing," he said.

"In NASCAR," on the other hand, "the driver has to feel everything the car is doing, then tell that to the crew chief. That makes the people aspect of it much more important in NASCAR than in IndyCar. The crew chief has to understand what the driver is saying and what he means," said Hornish.

Sam Hornish, Jr. continued to be a part-time driver in the Nationwide Series until 2012, when he made the move permanent.

In his first full season, Hornish finished 4th in the points.

NASCAR and IndyCar visit some of the same tracks--Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Texas Motor Speedway, for example.

Meaning, Hornish has had the opportunity to race on these tracks in both series. While this may seem like an advantage, Hornish said the only advantage is knowing your way around the track.

It's nice "being familiar with the track, but the cars are so different that it doesn't really help too much" as far as transferring data from one series to the other, he said.

Regardless, Hornish clearly hit his stride when he became a NASCAR Nationwide Series regular.

Memorable Wins

Having raced in both series, Hornish has been able to make it to winner's circle at a variety of tracks. A couple of these wins stand out:

"In IndyCar, the Indy 500, of course," he said.

The Indianapolis 500 is the most prestigious race on the IndyCar circuit, and Hornish earned the coveted win in 2006 by a margin of only 0.0635 seconds over Marco Andretti. He became the first driver to take the lead on the race's final lap in the process.

"It was a childhood dream of mine to make the race, so to win it was amazing beyond my wildest dreams," Hornish said.

To watch the incredible 2006 finish, you can find it here.

As far as in NASCAR, Sam Hornish, Jr.'s most memorable win came shortly after his good friend, Dan Wheldon, passed away in an IndyCar accident at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011.

"The (2011) Phoenix Nationwide Series race was memorable for me as it came at a great time. We were running a partial schedule, trying to put something together for next year. It was also just a few weeks after Dan Weldon died, so he was in my thoughts that day as we celebrated," he said.

If you haven't been watching the NASCAR Nationwide Series races, now is the time! Tune in tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN to watch the Sam Hornish, Jr. vs. Austin Dillon battle heat up.

Thank you, Sam, for the interview!

Sam Hornish, Jr.: The Beginning

The NASCAR Nationwide Championship has become a battle of two: Austin Dillon vs. Sam Hornish, Jr.

Sam Hornish, Jr., driver for Penske Racing, is currently leading Austin Dillon in the points standing by a margin of 15 points. Regan Smith is in third, 45 points behind Hornish.

Hornish has been on a roll of good finishes recently. In seven of the past ten races, he has finished in the top-4.

If Hornish can maintain his lead for the final six races, he will earn the first Nationwide Championship of his career.

A driver doesn't wake up one day and become a potential champion. How did Hornish get started?

The Beginning

Hornish made the decision to race go-karts when he was eleven: "My dad and I used to go to the races a lot when I was a kid, and we thought we would try the go-kart thing just for fun," said Hornish. "I ended up doing pretty good in my first race, and I liked it, too."

In 1993, Hornish joined the World Karting Association and won seven races that season.

The following year, he improved. He won several WKA championships, including the U.S. Grand Championship, the Canadian Grand Championship, and the U.S. Junior Grand Championship.

Even at a young age, it was clear--Sam Hornish, Jr. was good.

Although he had talent, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. It was hard to "find the funding to keep going on," he said. This is a common obstacle for most drivers.

Another concern for Hornish was "trying to find the right team and situation that would allow [him] to continue to improve as a driver.

"It is a constant process of moving up--every time you proved that you can win at one level, you then have to move up to the next level and do it all over again," he said.

This didn't stop Hornish. He worked his way up to the IndyCar Series, and in 2004, Hornish joined forces with the Penske Racing team.

It seemed to be the perfect match.

Through Penske Racing, he was able to meet his racing inspiration: Rick Mears.

Mears' record is impressive to say the very least. He is a four-time Indy 500 winner, as well as a three-time IndyCar champion.

"[Rick Mears] was one of my favorites growing up," said Hornish. "He always seemed to let his driving do the talking.

"When I came to Team Penske, I got to know him...getting to know him has really been pretty cool," he said.

In 2006, Hornish began making his move from IndyCar to NASCAR. He continued to drive for Penske Racing through the transition, this year marking his 9th year with the team.

*Check back next week for Sam Hornish, Jr.'s transition from IndyCar to NASCAR.

Pro Stock Car: Which track is the most difficult?

The NHRA will visit their last stop on the Western Swing schedule this weekend. Listening to Dave Reiff and Mike Dunn talk in Denver about how difficult Bandimere Speedway is for all categories, it made me wonder...which track is most difficult on the NHRA circuit?

I recently took to Twitter and asked Vincent Nobile, driver of the Mountain View Tire/NAPA Auto Parts Pro Stock Car, which track is the most difficult for the Pro Stock Car category.

I thought Vincent might choose one of NHRA's bumpier tracks, like Wild Horse Motorsports Park (formerly Firebird International Raceway) in Phoenix, Arizona or Thunder Valley in Bristol, Tennessee, because it is rough on the cars.

I was wrong!

"Definitely Denver," said Nobile. He said it is because of the "drastic elevation change."

The elevation of Bandimere Speedway is 5,800 feet above sea level, meaning the air is much thinner than it is at other tracks. The thin air causes the cars to lose down force, which makes them run slower.

Because of this, Nobile said that Denver "calls for a totally different setup than what we normally use."

Allen Johnson took home the trophy on Sunday, Jul. 21 at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Denver at Bandimere Speedway, but Vincent was victorious in Sonoma.