Hendrick Motorsports Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer SONOMA, California — Sonoma Raceway is once again Kyle Larson’s yard after scoring his third straight pole in the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Larson’s No. 42 Credit One Bank Chevrolet Camaro ran a qualifying speed of 95.712 mph, beating out William Byron by 0.043 seconds. It’s not only the Elk Grove native’s first pole of the season, but joins Ricky Rudd (1990-92) as the only drivers to have won three straight Sonoma poles. Larson described his final round qualifying performance a bit slower than what he didRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer SONOMA, California — William Byron is still trying getting used to Sonoma Raceway as he’ll make his second start at the now 2.52-mile circuit this Sunday. Even if it’s his second Cup rodeo, Byron learned right away that launching into the corners in “The Carousel” will be key, but his biggest surprise from the two practice sessions on Friday was the amount of grip being different than last year where he finished 25th. “I’m surprised how much grip the track has lost in areas that weRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer After five-full seasons with Hendrick Motorsports, Nationwide Insurance won’t return as a primary sponsor at the end of the 2019 season. Nationwide is the current sponsor for Alex Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in 20 out of the 36 races as part of their two-year agreement signed last August. The insurance company released a statement Wednesday about their decision, which came down to a marketing decision that would benefit them more as a business entity. “As Nationwide’s business needs evolve, we are adjusting our marketingRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service On Saturday at Pocono Raceway, William Byron continued to assert his mastery of pole qualifying in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Charging around the 2.5-mile triangular track in 51.875 seconds (173.494 mph), Byron claimed the top starting spot for Sunday’s Pocono 400 (2 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). “Pole day’s been good for us,” said Byron, who collected his third Busch Pole Award of the season and the third of his career after winning his second last week atRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Alex Bowman has brought that saying to life over the past three weeks, scoring runner-up finishes at Talladega, Dover, and once again in Saturday night’s Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway. While the end result was another second-place finish, Bowman looked to have his best chance to finally break through and score his first win in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on the 1.5-mile track just outside of Kansas City. “Not very proud of myself on lane choiceRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Two weeks ago, Alex Bowman was 21st in points with only two 11th place finishes to his name in the first nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Fast forward to Monday’s Gander RV 400 at Dover International Speedway, Bowman scored his second straight runner-up finish, career-highs for the 26-year-old and is now 13th in points. A wore out Bowman credited his entire No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 squad on their sudden improvements made during the break three weeks ago. “I’m worn out. This isRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DOVER, Del. – In a battle of Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Chase Elliott knocked William Byron off the pole for Sunday’s Gander RV 400 at Dover International Speedway (2 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), stealing the top starting spot late in Friday’s single-car qualifying at the one-mile concrete track. As expected with a new competition package that features a taller rear spoiler and consequent added downforce, Elliott set a track record at the Monster Mile, covering the distance in 21.692 secondsRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor TALLADEGA, Ala. – Not since the days when the Earnhardt family reigned supreme on the restrictor plate tracks has a cheer from the crowd been as a loud as the one that echoed throughout the Talladega Superspeedway grandstands after Chase Elliott scored his first victory on the 2.66-mile superspeedway in Sunday’s GEICO 500. While Atlanta Motor Speedway is technically Elliott’s home track, being situated near his home town of Dawsonville, Georgia, the fans at Talladega made it clear their track is just as much aRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service TALLADEGA, Ala. – Chase Elliott seized the lead in the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway during a four-lap shootout to the finish and took the checkered flag under caution after Kyle Larson barrel-rolled behind him. Elliott’s victory broke a Chevrolet drought in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series dating to last October at Kansas Speedway and broke a seven-race Ford stranglehold on the 2.66-mile track. The first driver not from Team Penske or Joe Gibbs racing to win this season, Elliott crossed the stripe aheadRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor TALLADEGA, Ala. – Two weeks ago, seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was making his inaugural start in the Boston Marathon. Back at the race track for the first time since completing that grueling event, the race that Johnson called “awful and amazing at the same time” could be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to his on-track performance. “I had a goal in mind to run a certain pace and tried to hang onto it,” Johnson said of theRead More