CONCORD, N.C. -- Hendrick Motorsports is no stranger to victory lane at Watkins Glen International. The organization has taken the checkered flag at the New York road course a record eight times.
Chase Elliott owns the last two wins at the 2.45-mile road course. His 2018 win was Elliott’s first NASCAR Cup Series career victory and he repeated his trip to victory lane in 2019. The 2021 season marks the Cup Series’ return to Watkins Glen after the COVID-19 pandemic altered the schedule for 2020.
With a record 23 road course wins, including four in 2021, Hendrick Motorsports’ prowess at the twisting venues has been well noted. Take a look back at all eight of Hendrick Motorsports’ wins at The Glen ahead of this weekend’s event.
Tim Richmond – 1986
Tim Richmond was the first Hendrick Motorsports driver to bring home a victory from Watkins Glen after a 21-year hiatus from Cup racing at the course. Although it was an entirely new configuration compared to how the race was previously run, Richmond earned the pole award and was on point throughout the entire event, eventually crossing the finish line first.
Ricky Rudd – 1990
Ricky Rudd started from 12th place in the 90-lap race and slowly worked his way up the leaderboard to the front by the end of the event. While Rudd only led 20 laps, he widened the gap between him and second-place Geoff Bodine by more than six seconds, despite several caution flags, to earn the win.
Jeff Gordon – 1997
Jeff Gordon’s dominance at The Glen began in 1997 with his first career road course win in the Cup Series. It began a streak of six consecutive road course victories, a record that still stands. Gordon held off the previous year’s winner, Geoff Bodine, who placed second. He also remained ahead of Mark Martin, who had won at Watkins Glen in three of the previous five seasons. Gordon started in 11th place and led for 32 laps before claiming his first Watkins Glen win.
Jeff Gordon – 1998
Gordon and the Rainbow Warriors were back in Watkins Glen’s victory lane one year after his first win, this time completely dominating the road course. He led a whopping 55 laps after starting from the pole, barely giving an inch to his competitors. Gordon averaged 94.47 mph throughout the race before he breezed across the finish line.
Jeff Gordon – 1999
The streak continued for Gordon the following year when he led another monstrous 55 laps en route to his third Watkins Glen win in a row. Gordon started in third place and quickly passed pole sitter Rusty Wallace. As the race wound down, it was a battle between Gordon and notable road course racer Ron Fellows in his only Cup Series start. After a late-race caution, the event restarted with two laps to go and Gordon held off Fellows to win by more than five car lengths.
Jeff Gordon – 2001
Gordon was unable to win the 2000 Watkins Glen race but came thundering back for the challenge the next season. He started 13th and worked his way to the front throughout the race, eventually battling with Jeff Burton in the final laps. He won the race by less than .2 seconds to secure his fourth Watkins Glen victory. Even though it was Gordon’s last win at The Glen, he still owns the second-most victories at the road course.
Chase Elliott – 2018
Elliott’s reign as the current road course king began at Watkins Glen in 2018. Just 22 years old at the time, Elliott rolled off the grid third and earned the stage two victory before claiming his first career Cup Series win. Elliott battled until the end as he held off Martin Truex Jr., who won at the course in 2017. Elliott started to pull away in the final laps and won the race by more than seven seconds. The victory also was Hendrick Motorsports’ 250th win.
Chase Elliott – 2019
Elliott took a leaf out of Gordon’s book and became the fifth driver to win back-to-back races at the New York road course. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was a force to be reckoned with at the track, winning stages one and two before crossing the finish line first. Overall, Elliott led 80 of 90 laps and, once again, held off Truex for his second career road course win. Since then, Elliott has won five of the last seven road course races put on by the Cup Series.