Hendrick Motorsports nears 200th series win

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS NEARS 200TH NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES WIN
JOHNSON'’S KANSAS RUN MARKS 199TH CUP VICTORY FOR RICK HENDRICK

Jimmie Johnson, Hendricks Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Oct. 9, 2011) – With Jimmie Johnson’s performance today at Kansas Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports recorded its 199th points-paying win in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition, putting the organization one victory away from a major milestone.

ONE MORE MAKES 200: To date, the 200-win plateau has been achieved by just one Sprint Cup Series team -- the legendary Petty Enterprises, which recorded 268 Cup-level victories in more than half a century of competition. The Petty team is the all-time leader in Cup wins, with Hendrick Motorsports second after amassing 199 to date. Owner Rick Hendrick’s team is the leader in modern-era Cup victories (1972-present).

DRIVERS AND TRACKS: Since 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has sent 15 drivers to Victory Lane at 25 different racetracks (see full lists below). The organization has scored double-digit wins at nine tracks, including a team record 18 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Hendrick has won at four inactive Cup racetracks: Nashville, Tenn., North Wilkesboro, N.C., Riverside, Calif., and Rockingham, N.C.

MILESTONE WINS: Hendrick Motorsports’ first Sprint Cup win came April 29, 1984, at Martinsville with Geoffrey Bodine at the wheel. Jeff Gordon notched the team’s 50th on March 24, 1996, at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and its 100th on June 10, 2001, at Michigan International Speedway. Jimmie Johnson scored the 150th Cup win for Hendrick Motorsports on March 11, 2007, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

CHEVY RUNS DEEP: Chevrolet, which clinched its 35th Sprint Cup manufacturer championship Sunday, has played a role in each of Hendrick Motorsports’ Cup victories. The two organizations have been partners since Rick Hendrick founded Hendrick Motorsports in 1984, with all 199 Hendrick wins coming in Chevy race cars. Including today’s trip to Victory Lane, Hendrick has contributed five of Team Chevy’s 14 wins this season.

RICK HENDRICK, OWNER, HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS (ON HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS APPROACHING THE 200TH-WIN MILESTONE.): “You know, when I look through all the pictures, since the beginning of Hendrick Motorsports, and I look at the wins, and I remember the celebrations, I can remember vividly that I didn’t know if I’d ever win one race. I know there were some years where I thought, ‘Are we going to win a race this year?’ When you say you’ve won a race in the Cup Series, you’ve accomplished something; but when you think about 200 wins – it’s unbelievable.”

JEFF GORDON, DRIVER, NO. 24 CHEVROLET (ON HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS APPROACHING THE 200TH-WIN MILESTONE.): “To just get 100 wins and be able to do that for Rick (Hendrick, owner) meant a lot to me personally and our team. Obviously, the speed at which the next hundred happened is pretty incredible. You look at what Jimmie Johnson has brought to our organization and you look at all the drivers who have contributed to those next 100 wins – it has been amazing. It’s pretty amazing, and I know each driver at Hendrick Motorsports wants to get that 200th win for Mr. Hendrick because we know that is going to be a very special day.”

ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS: Since 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 199 race victories and a record 10 car owner championships in NASCAR’s premier division, the Sprint Cup Series. The organization fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the Sprint Cup circuit with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Headquartered in Concord, N.C., Hendrick Motorsports employs more than 500 people. For more information, please visit www.HendrickMotorsports.com,