Hornish trying to make NASCAR debut this week

He’s failed to qualify six times, but still has a ride for next season.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Six times already Sam Hornish Jr. has tried to make it into NASCAR’s main event, and all six times he’s been sent home.

The failure has only made him want it more.

The three-time Indy Car Series champion is moving to NASCAR in 2008, joining the mass exodus of open-wheel stars fleeing to America’s most popular racing series. He told The Associated Press he will drive the No. 77 Dodge next season for Penske Racing with Mobil 1 as the sponsor.

“I’ve tried to qualify for these Cup races, and it’s kind of lit a little bit of fire in me to see if we can’t get to the point where I am competitive,” said Hornish, who will try again to make his Nextel Cup debut this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.

“I am a much better racer than I am a qualifier, and if I can just get in, I feel confident I can figure it out.”

The 28-year-old Hornish has been flirting with NASCAR since last season, but this jump was not guaranteed. Team owner Roger Penske left it in Hornish’s hands, and his inability to make races had many wondering if Hornish would go back to Indy cars for one more season.

Instead, the most prolific American driver in open-wheel right now chose NASCAR, but said leaving the other formula was “one of the more difficult decisions” he’s ever had to make.

“There are so many things that I have elected to do that are a lot easier,” he said. “I feel like this is something that is a new and unique challenge for me.

“It may or may not be the right way to look at it, but I feel like I accomplished just about everything in Indy cars. I got to do more than I ever thought I would.”

Penske will officially introduce Hornish as the third driver for his NASCAR team on Saturday night at the Penske Racing Museum in Phoenix. He’ll join a team that already fields cars for Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman.

Hornish will join Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti and Jacques Villeneuve as former Indianapolis 500 winners and IndyCar series champions now racing in NASCAR’s top series. Patrick Carpentier is also moving to NASCAR after a long open-wheel career, and AJ Allmendinger fled Champ Cars for NASCAR this season.

Scott Speed, who spent the last two years in Formula One, has also migrated to stock cars and will drive in the low-level ARCA Series next year to prepare for NASCAR.

Hornish knows he needs seat time, and there’s speculation that Penske will swap the points Busch has earned this season to ensure Hornish makes the first five races of next season.