Grapevine: Hornish meets the president

Hornish and key members of Marlboro Team Penske and the IRL IndyCar Series met briefly with President George W. Bush this morning in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House, to celebrate Hornish's victory in the 90th Indianapolis 500 in May.

Bush entered the room and greeted the group by asking, "How's everybody doing?" He then shook hands with Hornish, who struggled to say what he'd rehearsed.

"I couldn't say everything I wanted to say," Hornish said. "I got out the fact that I was honoured to meet him, and I was trying to introduce (wife) Crystal, but I couldn't quite get that out all the way. There was so much going on.

"He's got a pretty busy schedule. He's talking fast, and I'm talking fast. Having a conversation under those circumstances is kind of hard."

After a few seconds for photographs, the press was ushered out of the room. As photographers moved toward the door, Bush joked with them. "Hustle! Hustle!" he said with a chuckle. Hornish then began to introduce team owner Roger Penske, but Bush interrupted. "I know Roger," he said.

Bush spoke individually with Hornish, Penske and IRL founder Tony George, a Bush supporter who hosted Laura Bush in a fundraiser at his Indianapolis home during the 2004 re-election campaign. Among other things, the men discussed Ethanol, which is in its first year as the IRL's fuel and is a hot political topic.

"It was a true honour that the president was able to take time out of his busy schedule to welcome our team," Penske said. "It shows the stature of auto racing in this country and in particular the Indianapolis 500."

Also in attendance were Penske Racing president Tim Cindric, IRL president and CEO Brian Barnhart and most of the key staff members on the No. 6 Penske Honda/Dallara that Hornish drove past Marco Andretti in the final yards of the race.

Bush told Hornish he watched the race, and remarked at the close finish. "He told me he's been in a few closes races, too," Hornish said.

"He was very complimentary that we won the Indianapolis 500 and talked about the style in which we'd won it," Hornish said. "He said a small-town boy from Ohio was able to accomplish a dream, and seldom do people who have dreams like that get to accomplish them. It was a pretty big compliment. It might have been 10 minutes, but it seemed like 10 seconds."

Bush recently returned from the G8 Summit in Russia. The photo op had been planned outdoors on the White House lawn, but was moved to the Eisenhower building next door to the West Wing because of oppressive heat. After the short meeting, Hornish held a press conference outside the West Wing.

"As soon as he let go of my hand, I felt I'd forgotten to say everything," Hornish said. "I felt like, 'Hey, dummy, you didn't say half the things you wanted to say to him.' I was more critical of myself for not spitting it out. I must have been awestruck, because I didn't say what I wanted to."

The president normally meets with American winners of the Indy 500, the most recent being Buddy Rice in 2004. Penske has won a record 14 Indy 500s, but this was the team's first trip to the White House since Rick Mears met the first President Bush after winning his fourth 500 in 1991.

"There aren't too many things in the world you can do that are like this," Hornish said.