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.
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