CONCORD, N.C. -- It’s safe to say many don't know what to expect when it comes to this weekend’s Cup Series race at the DAYTONA Road Course.
For the first time, a Cup Series points-paying race will be held at the venue. While the twists and turns of the road course at Daytona will be new, Hendrick Motorsports’ success at road courses isn’t. The organization owns the all-time record for NASCAR Cup Series road-course wins with 18, which is six more than second-place Joe Gibbs Racing.
The most recent Hendrick Motorsports road-course winner is Chase Elliott. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has three road-course wins to his name. He won back-to-back events at Watkins Glen (2018, 2019) and won the 2019 race at the Charlotte roval.
“I am super excited just to go somewhere new,” Elliott said. “Obviously, I’ve enjoyed Watkins Glen these past couple of years. … “I think it is going to be exciting but it’s also going to be really hard for the guys that have never made a lap there before.”
Elliott is in good company in his success at road courses. He’s in a five-way tie for the sixth-most Cup Series road-course victories with Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Richard Petty and Mark Martin.
Jimmie Johnson has one win on a road course in his storied career. He took home the checkered flag at Sonoma Raceway in June 2010 and owns 19 top-10 finishes in 38 starts at road courses. He also has seven starts at the Rolex 24, making him one of the few drivers who has experience at the DAYTONA Road Course.
While Alex Bowman doesn’t have a road-course win, he’s come close to crossing the finish line first. The driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE finished second behind teammate Chase Elliott at the Charlotte roval last season and finished in fourth at the same venue in 2018.
“The good thing about this weekend is that none of the drivers really know what to expect. It is really more of a level playing field,” Bowman said. “I think we have some strengths that we can bring from the roval, so we just need to capitalize on that on Sunday.”
William Byron has limited experience in road courses, as well, but has already made an impact. Last season, he finished sixth at the Charlotte roval and earned his first career stage win at Sonoma.
Former Hendrick Motorsports driver Tim Richmond is tied for fifth for most road-course victories with four, and three of those came with the organization. Ricky Rudd and Geoff Bodine each have a road-course win for team owner Rick Hendrick, as well.
Of course, the title of the all-time road-course king belongs to Jeff Gordon. The four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has a record nine wins on road courses. Five of those checkered flags came from Sonoma Raceway and the other four were earned at Watkins Glen.
Sonoma and Watkins Glen are no longer on the 2020 schedule due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, the road course at Daytona is something new and exciting for NASCAR, the drivers and the fans alike.
The event will be on Sunday, Aug. 16 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.