Hornish will not return to the #9 in 2016

Sam Hornish Jr.'s racing days appear numbered

Richard Petty Motorsports team owner, Richard Petty, was interviewed by the media at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday and mentioned that Sam Hornish Jr., current driver of the #9 Ford for RPM, will not return to the car in 2015. Some of the Q&A's:

Q) WHERE ARE YOU WITH THE 9 CAR FOR NEXT YEAR? DO YOU HAVE A DRIVER YET?
Petty: "No, we're still working on what we're gonna do with the 9 car and crew and all that stuff. Things are looking up. We've got some stuff coming down the pike, but we don't have it corralled yet."

WILL SAM BE BACK NEXT YEAR?
Petty: "No, I don't think so."

Q) DO YOU WANT A VETERAN OR A YOUNG GUY?
Petty: "We've got to look at sponsorship as much as anything else. It's a combination deal. We can't just go with a driver and then not have the money, and we can't go with just the money and not have a driver, so it's gonna be interesting."

Q) HOW CONFIDENT DO YOU FEEL THE OWNERSHIP GROUP WILL HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE WITH NASCAR THAT GIVES YOU LONG-TERM VIABILITY BEFORE NEXT YEAR?
Petty: "The one deal that NASCAR has, they have slowed down and we're talking to them and they're listening. Will they do anything or not? We'll just have to wait and see, but there have been a couple of pretty interesting suggestions the RTA has made, so it's gonna be a long, drawn out deal. We're not gonna get everything we want, and they're not gonna get everything they want, but if we can get a start, then I think the RTA can really help NASCAR and I think NASCAR can help the RTA. It's a combination. We can't hurt each other. If we do, we're killing each other."

Q) ANY CHANCE YOU WOULD GO TO ONE CAR NEXT YEAR?
Petty: "No, we're a two-car team." Ford PR