Hornish to start MIS 200

BROOKLYN, Mich. - Three-time IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish Jr. will begin Friday's ARCA Re/Max 200 at Michigan International Speedway at the front of the pack.

Hornish took the pole Thursday with a speed of 186.205 m.p.h.

Hornish Jr., who lives in Napoleon, Ohio, about an hour from the track, will compete in the Firestone Indy 400 on Aug. 5 at MIS and will try to qualify for the NASCAR Busch Series Carfax 250 two weeks later.

"We knew we were going to run the Busch race," Hornish said. "The team didn't really have any plans to come and run this race. I started bugging them. They said, `That's the only off week in about three and a half, four months. Are you sure you want to do that?' It's a race. I said, I'll go try it out."

This will be Hornish's first career start in the ARCA Re/Max Series. Other open-wheel drivers who have competed in ARCA include Juan Pablo Montoya, Paul Tracy, Christian Fittipaldi and Danny Sullivan.

"It'll be good practice for the Busch race when we come back," he said. "I knew it would just be good to get some seat time, and only being an hour away from home, it's really a place I like to come and run at. To be able to run here three times this year should be quite a lot of fun."

Hornish, driving the Roger Penske-owned No. 27 Mobil 1 Dodge, ruined Erin Crocker's chance to take the pole. She had the second-fastest time (183.556), ahead of Rous h Fenway developmental driver Erik Darnell (182.491).

"I have a lot of respect for him and what he's done in the IndyCar Series," Crocker said. "But stock cars _ it's a whole different world. I've raced against him in the Busch Series and ARCA before. I know he's going to be good, and Penske's going to provide him with a good car. To me, it's competition. It's a challenge."

Hornish has never won at MIS, but he has two open-wheel victories at California, the sister track to MIS.

Would Penske like to see him in a Cup car in the future?

"I don't know what Roger's main priority is," Hornish said. "I think that a lot of times he might be trying to make me happy by having me do this.

"Right when we first started talking about me coming to Penske Racing, there was always that talk about possibly doing some Busch racing, some stock car racing down the line. I think it's something Roger just likes to be part of. It's trying something new. It's great that he's allowing me to do it. A lot of guys aren't fortunate enough to dabble in it to see if it's something they enjoy doing."

Hornish said people are starting to pressure him on his plans.

"We haven't really had that big sit-down," he said. "It's not only my decision. Comes down to the team, as well."