CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Sam Hornish Jr. is finally back in the Sprint Cup Series after a four-year absence, in a ride Richard Petty Motorsports insists it is committed to fielding for the entire year.
RPM has 26 unsponsored races as it heads into next month’s season-opener. Twisted Tea will sponsor the Daytona 500 and the July race at Daytona International Raceway, and team co-owner Andrew Murstein is willing to provide some funding through his Medallion Bank.
Hornish replaced Marcos Ambrose in the No. 9 Ford, and is teammates with Aric Almirola, who made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship last season.
RPM director of operations Sammy Johns said he’s moving forward as if the organization will have two full-time cars all season, despite the lack of sponsorship for Hornish. RPM said Almirola’s car is fully funded.
“If we do our job, the rest of it will take care of itself,” he said. “Richard and Andy have not told me to check up, and I’m not checking up. We’ve added new employees, we’ve made huge investments in equipment, we are moving forward.”