Hornish Moves Quickly to Make His Mark in IRL

Sam Hornish Jr. was expected to give new teammate Helio Castroneves a competitive push. Nobody was looking for it to happen so soon.

The Indy Racing League season opener turned into a Penske shootout, with newcomer Hornish passing his teammate on the last lap with a surprising inside move to win Sunday’s Toyota Indy 300.

“I just got the right move at the right time,” said Hornish, a two-time IndyCar Series champion and now a three-time winner in four tries at Homestead Miami Speedway.

Castroneves, who has yet to win a championship, smiled in Victory Lane and said, “Good job, Sam. This is going to be a long season.”

When Hornish heard what Castroneves said, he grinned impishly and said, “Yes, it is going to be a long season.”

The 200-lap race on the 1 1/2-mile oval was filled with passing and two- and three-wide racing that kept fans on their feet.

The Toyota-powered Marlboro Team Penske cars dominated early but slipped back into the pack as accidents and pit stops shuffled the 19-car field several times.

Hornish took the lead on Lap 173 from Tomas Scheckter, the driver who took his spot at Pennzoil Panther Racing when Hornish moved to Penske to replace the retired Gil de Ferran.

Castroneves moved into second place on the next lap and took the lead from his new teammate on Lap 176.

Both made their final pit stop on Lap 180, along with Dan Wheldon. And Wheldon beat both veterans back to the track.

Wheldon took the lead at the end of the flurry of green flag stops on Lap 183, trailed by Tora Takagi, Castroneves and Hornish.

The two Penske drivers quickly dispatched Takagi and went after Wheldon’s Andretti Green Racing entry, sandwiching him on Lap 188 with a three-wide move -- Hornish at the top of the banking and Castroneves on the bottom.