NAPOLEON — Sam Hornish, Jr., stepped out of his race car last November at Homestead-Miami Speedway, dusted off his fire suit, and hasn’t been seen at a race track since.
You won’t find him at Michigan International Speedway for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400. But if you stop by the Napoleon resident’s house, you might find the family man enjoying time with his wife, Crystal, and their three children.
Or you could see him working on projects for his father, who owns Hornish Bros. Inc., a trucking and logistical services company in Defiance. Hornish can also be found building things at Monclova Christian Academy, where his two daughters attend, hosting Bible studies and making speaking engagements.
His race car is in park, but Hornish, always in motion, is still moving 200 mph. Now he just happens to make right turns to go with his left turns.
“I don’t know that we’re relaxing,” Hornish said, laughing, when asked about the perks of retirement. “Some things are definitely a little more low key or calm. It’s a lot nicer sleeping in my own bed. On the same hand, when you’re racing 30-some times a year, people don’t ask you to do certain things because they know you’re busy. Now that I don’t have that, I don’t have an excuse.
“I used to travel 250 days per year, but I would say I’m busier now than I ever was — at least it feels that way.”
VIDEO: Sam Hornish talks about life outside of racing
The 38-year-old Hornish, who raced in the IndyCar Series from 2000 to 2007 and in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series during the past decade, has 25 career wins, including the 2006 Indianapolis 500. He also won three IndyCar Series championships.
In a limited six-race Xfinity schedule last year, Hornish won once — at Mid-Ohio — and finished second twice, helping Team Penske win the owners championship.
“He’s a guy we can always call,” team owner Roger Penske said after Hornish ran second at Homestead-Miami to clinch the title.
Hornish raced only nine times the past two seasons. But don’t use the R-word — retirement — to describe his current status.
“I’m under the mindset right now that if racing pursues me, that’s fine,” he said. “But I’m not actively pursuing it. If a door opens and I can step into it, that would be great. But I’m not going to pay money to go race. I’ve got too many things going on to do that.”
Such as construction, crafts, and even substitute teaching. Racing isn’t too far away, as Hornish tunes into IndyCar and NASCAR races on television. After 18 years of life in the catbird seat — or fast lane — he’s discovered it’s refreshing to watch a race devoid of stress.
“I’m a fan, first and foremost,” Hornish said. “Even though I’m not out there doing it, I see a fair amount of racing. People tell me I should go to the races and hang out. But once I’m there, I would really want to be in the car. You don’t think that much about going to the playground, but if you were at the playground and everyone else got to play with the toys and you had to sit there and watch them, it would be hard to do.”
Hornish is a true northwest Ohioan. He was born in Defiance, graduated from Archbold High School in 1998, and made a significant financial contribution to ProMedica Defiance Regional Hospital for the Sam Hornish Family Heart Center, a state-of-the-art facility.
Mooresville, N.C., the unofficial center of the NASCAR universe, was a temporary home in recent years. But while he made the transition from IndyCar to NASCAR, he remained in northwest Ohio, which could have contributed to less-than-desired finishes. Hornish and his wife, who is also an Archbold graduate, never let go of their roots. Both of their families remain in the area, which was the ultimate factor in returning.
For 18 years, missing cookouts and birthday parties was a reality. Not anymore. Financial security and smart planning have helped.
People used to question Hornish when he was driving an old pickup. Why not a brand-new truck or even a Ferrari? Because it would be a frivolous expense.
“I made it a point to save money,” Hornish said. “I’d rather use the money for some other point in my life, where I’m in a situation like I am now. I had a plan for where I wanted to be financially. I worked hard to stick to it. I didn’t want to put myself in a position where I had to be on the race track to pay for my house or something.”
Instead, he’s enjoying the house. Summer nights are spent on the patio, not at race tracks. And a brood of three kids is cherishing every moment with their father.
“I do feel very blessed that while my family is still young and has a desire for me to be there and do a lot of things with them that I have the luxury of being able to do that,” Hornish said. “If they want me on a field trip or whatever it happens to be, I can do that.
“I still have a lot of goals in life, but right now a lot of that takes a back seat to being a dad and enjoying that. I’m blessed to really invest in them and enjoy them while they're young. Some of the other dreams will come later on in life when they have their own lives.”
Contact Kyle Rowland at krowland@theblade.com, 419-724-6110 or on Twitter @KyleRowland.
First Published June 8, 2018, 4:04 p.m.
