Top 35: Hornish in, McMurray out

The goal for Sam Hornish Jr. in Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway was simple: Be invisible.

If Hornish managed to stay out of trouble during the race, then he and his No. 77 Penske Racing team would have a chance at making the top 35 in owners points and locking themselves into the next race at Martinsville Speedway.

Mission accomplished. It wasn’t pretty, but Hornish wasn’t involved in any accidents and brought his Dodge home in 29th place. With Jamie McMurray’s troubles, Hornish and his team moved up to 35th in the owners standings.

“I probably got bumped a little bit more than I bumped anybody else just because we weren’t as quick as we’d like to be," Hornish said. “The left-rear quarter panel sure shows it. It was a tough day for us, but we finished and I think we’re in the top 35 in points, so it makes us feel a little bit better about going into Martinsville." Scenedaily.com