Hornish Jr. considers switch to NASCAR (cont'd)

Q: Your career best finish on a road course in the IRL came recently at Watkins Glen International, second to Scott Dixon. Do you wish you could've been in a stock car when the Busch and Cup Series' ran at The Glen last weekend? And what did you think about the Montoya-Harvick shove fest?

Hornish: What is it about The Glen that makes everyone want to fight? I guess when the IRL is there, it's always hot and humid up there and everyone's adrenaline is going. Maybe if we could get a 70-degree day things would be different. But that was an exciting race. A couple of guys seemed to have spent more time in the grass than on the track (laugh), but the new COT is producing some exciting races, more action packed and really equals up the competition. We were actually hoping to get a road course race done this season but the schedule conflicted.

Q: With a total of five Busch Series races where your best finish came in Atlanta, 15th, how would you grade yourself thus far?

Hornish: I don't know -- there's definitely possibility to do better. In Atlanta I also had problems with pit stops; that hurt us so I guess I'd say the "C" range. We've shown promise to be higher but for whatever reason we couldn't post higher results. I'm pretty critical on myself. We have a lot less practice and I think we will get better results if we get more time to run consistently.

Q: The IndyCars have speed limiters so you can stay on the gas, push a button and the car slows automatically heading down pit road. That's not the case in a stock car, no speedometer, and drivers get dinged for speeding on pit road, uh, including you Sam. You're somewhat of a Speed Racer on pit road...

Hornish: That part is different for sure and I'm learning how to control myself down pit road, there's no miles per hour gauge in the stock car. Pretty much all my green flag stops, I've gotten a penalty for [speeding]; Nashville, Daytona, Atlanta, Phoenix, about every green flag stop I've gotten one, maybe there's one or two where I haven't (laugh). I can't tell ... I have to pay attention to the tac. It's definitely a fun thing we like to talk about, it's probably just me, but I try to blame someone else (laugh). You can't take all the blame yourself. I guess that's me paying my dues.

Q: Are you constantly reminded that even though you've garnered three IRL champions and an Indy 500 victory, you have yet to accomplish feats such as a Cup championship and a Daytona 500 victory?

Hornish: Obviously I want to be the first guy to win the Brickyard 400, Indy 500 and Daytona 500 and there's a lot of opportunity for that. You have to come over here and set yourself some lofty goals, it keeps it interesting and exciting. I want to come over and be competitive.

Q: Which car is harder to drive, the IndyCar or the stock car?

Hornish: I don't think either one is harder or easier. Obviously I've learned the ins and outs of the IndyCar, but I still have a lot to learn how about stocks.

Q: In your transition to potentially full-time Cup racing, what would you say has been the most valuable learning experience?

Hornish: The biggest thing for me is seat time. Also getting out there and running in the Busch Series and learning about the Cup drivers, but the thing that will have helped out the most is seat time.

Q: Talking about the difference in the race schedules, NASCAR's 36 versus the IRL's 17, does that concern you?

Hornish: People forget that we are at Indy for three weeks, plus the 11 to 15 stock car weekends that we will have run and the Rolex 24 (Daytona). We've been running about 34 weekends this year so if I do decide to come, this year has been a good prep for the lifestyle we will have.

Q: What does your wife Crystal think about a potential switch?

Hornish: It's something we've talked about it and she will support me going either direction.

Q: The IRL schedule no longer allows the "Indy 500-Coca-Cola 600 double" anymore where drivers could opt to do both on the same day, your thoughts on not running the Indy 500?

Hornish: The Indy 500 [start time] reached a point where it changed on the schedule so maybe somewhere it will be different or change again. I won the Indy 500, the whole reason I started racing. If I wanted to quit tomorrow and never run [the Indy 500] again I could handle that. That will always be my biggest accomplishment.

Q: Do you think you can do what Juan Montoya has done and has he opened a lot of doors for other open-wheel drivers?

Hornish: I don't know after last weekend [Watkins Glen International] that's a door you don't want opened. A lot of drivers are interested in what's going on over here but you can't judge yourself against anyone until you do it. I have to continue to move forward, I can't judge myself of anyone else.

Q: What driver do you admire most in NASCAR and what driver would you compare yourself to? Matt Kenseth maybe? Quiet but good!

Hornish: I don't know. You could say that. I have the best respect for Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. The way I look at it, you can't compare yourself to others until you go try it. It's hard to compare yourself to another driver without taking yourself down or someone else down. I'm going to be the best I can be.

Q: Who from the open-wheel ranks is coming to NASCAR next? Dario Franchitti?

Hornish: You wonder how many actually will come. Some say they are, but I don't know, I haven't even seen any get in the first test. It's a long process. Dario ... I don't see that happening.