Hornish not counting out Indy 500

Sam Hornish Jr., a three-time Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion and winner of the 2006 Indianapolis 500, is making his debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this year.
He has spent most of his professional racing career in open-wheel race cars. This will be his first full season in a stock car, joining Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman at Penske Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Roger Penske also owns a two-car team in the Indy Racing League.
But Hornish told reporters at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where all the Cup teams were testing Monday, that the Indianapolis 500 was the reason he became interested in auto racing. And given the opportunity, he would race in the Indy 500 in May, despite a grueling NASCAR schedule.

Sam Hornish Jr., a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver for Penske Racing, says he's not ruling out entering the Indianapolis 500.
Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

"If it was up to me, I would," Hornish said. "It really depends how things are going over here. I think Roger and I have talked about it a couple of times. There's obviously nothing set."
Few NASCAR Cup drivers have even attempted to race the Indy 500. The schedule these days hardly allows for it. The Coca-Cola 600, one of the biggest races in NASCAR, is run the same day as the Indianapolis 500. The start times for both races are too close for any driver to attempt both races.
But Hornish, who will be a rookie in Cup this year, will have to maintain a position in the top 35 in the owners standings to ensure a starting spot in every Cup race. If he struggles in Cup, another Indy 500 start might be in his future.
"I think if we're to a point where we feel confident with how we're doing over here, it's not going to hurt us, that we would try it," Hornish said. "But I would say it's still way more not going to happen than could happen. So we'll just see how the first couple months of this season play out. Hopefully, if I don't get to race there this year, maybe next year."