CONCORD, N.C. -- When it comes to the NASCAR Cup Series’ slate of road courses, Hendrick Motorsports has topped the charts. The organization has won six of the last seven road course races, including the inaugural events at the DAYTONA Road Course in 2020 and Circuit of the Americas in May.
Hendrick Motorsports currently has two road course winners on hand in Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. Elliott has won five of the last seven road course events while Larson took home the most recent road course victory at Sonoma Raceway.
Overall, the organization has 22 wins from road courses, the Cup Series record. Here we break down the team’s biggest road course wins over the course of its history.
Jeff Gordon - Sonoma Raceway
Jeff Gordon is the undisputed road course king with a record nine victories under his belt from the twisting venues. The NASCAR Hall of Famer won six road course events in a row from August 1997 to June 2000 – a streak that still stands today. His most dominant road course win was from Sonoma in June 1999 when he started from the pole and led 80 of 112 laps en route to his fourth road course victory.
Chase Elliott - DAYTONA Road Course
Elliott’s storybook championship year was in full swing when he took on the DAYTONA Road Course last season. He started seventh and pushed his way to the front early to claim the stage one victory and eventually crossed the finish line first. Overall, Elliott led 34 of the 65 laps in the race to earn his fifth consecutive road course victory. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has the most road course wins of active Cup drivers.
Geoff Bodine - Riverside International Raceway
Geoff Bodine was the man who brought team owner Rick Hendrick his first victories, including the organization’s third overall win at Riverside International Raceway in November 1984. Bodine was out front for just four laps, but it was enough for him to take the checkered flag at the California venue. It was Bodine’s only road course win with Hendrick Motorsports but he did go on to win two more road course races later in his career, both at Watkins Glen International.
Tim Richmond - Riverside International Raceway
Bigger-than-life Tim Richmond also had a knack for road courses when he raced with Hendrick Motorsports, winning three in the span of 10 months from August 1986 to June 1987. Like Bodine, Richmond was adept at Riverside, winning two races in a row there. In June 1987, Richmond started from fifth place and eventually lead 48 of 95 laps to earn his final road course win.
Jimmie Johnson - Sonoma Raceway
Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson earned his only road course win at Sonoma in June 2010, his fifth championship year in a row. Johnson started from second and led for half of the 110-lap race, eventually crossing the finish line first. The victory was Johnson’s fourth that year.
Ricky Rudd - Watkins Glen International
Ricky Rudd is tied with Elliott and four other drivers for the third-most road course wins with six, but it was Rudd’s lone course victory with Hendrick Motorsports that started to establish the organization as king of the road courses. Rudd started 13th at Watkins Glen in August 1990 and eventually pushed his way to the front to lead for 20 laps to garner Hendrick Motorsports its fifth road course win.
Kyle Larson - Sonoma Raceway
Kyle Larson currently has Hendrick Motorsports’ most recent road course win after he took the checkered flag at Sonoma Raceway on June 6. The current driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet was a force to be reckoned with on the track and led for a whopping 57 of 92 laps at the California venue. Larson started from the pole at his hometown track and swept both stages for his third win in 2021.