pandr
03-31-2012, 04:59 PM
No. 200 at hand for Hendrick?
Virginia short track has been site of team triumph, tragedy
By Jim Utter - charlotteobserver
Thursday, Mar. 29, 2012
Somehow it only seems appropriate.
HMS and its four Cup drivers – Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne – would certainly prefer to have a victory already this season.
Any of them would have been HMS’ 200th series victory – a milestone matched by only one other Cup organization, Petty Enterprises, in NASCAR history.
Yet the next opportunity for HMS to reach that mark is reserved for Martinsville, a track that has brought out the best in the organization and where it suffered its worst tragedy.
HMS earned its first Cup win at the Virginia short track in April 1984 with driver Geoffrey Bodine. In the years since, HMS has won 17 other times at the track with a variety of drivers.
On no other track in NASCAR has HMS won more races. The next-closest is Charlotte Motor Speedway, with 16 victories.
The milestone is important to team owner Rick Hendrick.
“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,” he said.
“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.
“When you think about 200 wins – it’s unbelievable.”
Accomplishing that feat may help ease the pain, but certainly not diminish, the tragedy which befell HMS in October 2004.
In the hours prior to the start of that race, a HMS plane carrying two pilots and eight passengers, including Rick Hendrick’s son, brother and two nieces, crashed into the side of a mountain killing all on board.
To have the opportunity to reach the 200-win plateau on the same track where Hendrick first visited Victory Lane also seems unlikely.
But considering Hendrick’s current driver lineup, perhaps not.
While Earnhardt and Kahne own no wins at Martinsville, between them Gordon (seven) and Johnson (six) have 13 wins.
Johnson is the most recent winner, in 2009, and also won three straight races at the track. Gordon’s most recent victory came in 2007.
Gordon earned the organization’s 50th win in 1996 at Darlington, S.C., and its 100th in 2001 at Michigan.
“To just get 100 wins and be able to do that for Rick meant a lot to me personally and our team. Obviously, the speed at which the next 100 happened is pretty incredible,” Gordon said.
“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.
“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.”
C/P Thats racin
Virginia short track has been site of team triumph, tragedy
By Jim Utter - charlotteobserver
Thursday, Mar. 29, 2012
Somehow it only seems appropriate.
HMS and its four Cup drivers – Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne – would certainly prefer to have a victory already this season.
Any of them would have been HMS’ 200th series victory – a milestone matched by only one other Cup organization, Petty Enterprises, in NASCAR history.
Yet the next opportunity for HMS to reach that mark is reserved for Martinsville, a track that has brought out the best in the organization and where it suffered its worst tragedy.
HMS earned its first Cup win at the Virginia short track in April 1984 with driver Geoffrey Bodine. In the years since, HMS has won 17 other times at the track with a variety of drivers.
On no other track in NASCAR has HMS won more races. The next-closest is Charlotte Motor Speedway, with 16 victories.
The milestone is important to team owner Rick Hendrick.
“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,” he said.
“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.
“When you think about 200 wins – it’s unbelievable.”
Accomplishing that feat may help ease the pain, but certainly not diminish, the tragedy which befell HMS in October 2004.
In the hours prior to the start of that race, a HMS plane carrying two pilots and eight passengers, including Rick Hendrick’s son, brother and two nieces, crashed into the side of a mountain killing all on board.
To have the opportunity to reach the 200-win plateau on the same track where Hendrick first visited Victory Lane also seems unlikely.
But considering Hendrick’s current driver lineup, perhaps not.
While Earnhardt and Kahne own no wins at Martinsville, between them Gordon (seven) and Johnson (six) have 13 wins.
Johnson is the most recent winner, in 2009, and also won three straight races at the track. Gordon’s most recent victory came in 2007.
Gordon earned the organization’s 50th win in 1996 at Darlington, S.C., and its 100th in 2001 at Michigan.
“To just get 100 wins and be able to do that for Rick meant a lot to me personally and our team. Obviously, the speed at which the next 100 happened is pretty incredible,” Gordon said.
“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.
“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.”
C/P Thats racin