CONCORD, N.C. – Hendrick Motorsports heads to Kansas Speedway this Sunday for the second race in the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series with the goals of another postseason win and adding on to the organization’s impressive stats at the Midwestern venue.
Entering the race at Kansas, Hendrick Motorsports is within striking distance of the Cup Series single-season record for most laps led on 1.5-mile tracks. In 2005, the five-car Roush Fenway Racing organization led 1,515 laps in 10 races held on intermediate tracks. This year, the four-car Hendrick Motorsports stable has led 1,464 laps in eight events on 1.5-milers, just 49 laps short of the record.
Check out the success Hendrick Motorsports has had at Kansas and tune in this Sunday, Oct. 24 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN to see the teams in action as they look to keep the momentum going in the Round of 8.
- Hendrick Motorsports is having one of its best statistical seasons since Rick Hendrick launched the team in 1984. Through 33 points-paying events in 2021, the organization has 14 points-paying Cup Series wins – its second-best mark in a 36-race season and tied with 1998, which featured a 33-race schedule. Its best full-season victory total came in 2007 when it won 18 of 36 points events (50%).
- Kyle Larson has led 1,187 laps on 1.5-mile tracks in 2021, the most ever by a driver during a season. In fact, the rest of the field has combined to lead just 13 more (1,200) on that type of track in 2021. Larson is the only driver with multiple victories (three) in races held on 1.5-mile layouts this year.
- In May at Kansas Speedway, Larson finished second in stage one and won stage two. He led a race-high 132 laps before contact with another car after a late-race restart resulted in a 19th-place finish. Overall, Larson has three top-five finishes and five top-10s in 13 starts at the 1.5-mile track.
- On Sunday, Chase Elliott is set to make his 12th Kansas Speedway start at the Cup level. In his previous 11 races at the track, he garnered one win, five top-five finishes – tied with Charlotte Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway for the second-most top-five results at a track in his Cup career – seven top-10s and led 145 laps. He has finished inside the top 10 in five of the last six races at the 1.5-mile venue. Elliott also holds the second-best average finish (10.5) among active drivers at Kansas, behind only Kevin Harvick (9.1).
- This weekend at Kansas, Elliott will make his 61st start on a 1.5-mile track in the Cup Series. In his previous 60 races, Elliott has led 764 laps. Last season, he scored his second career 1.5-mile track win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28. Along with two victories, Elliott has collected 18 top-five finishes – five of which are runner-up results – and 30 top-10s on 1.5-milers. He currently holds the second-longest active top-10 streak (five) on these tracks.
- With the Cup Series racing at eight mile-and-a-half tracks so far this year, William Byron has finished inside the top 10 in six of those events – tied for the second-most behind Kyle Busch (eight). Even going back as far as the last 12 races on 1.5-milers, Byron has secured eight top-10 finishes on that configuration of track.
- Alex Bowman will make his 13th start at Kansas Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Last season, Bowman brought home an eighth-place result in the spring race and a third-place finish during the fall playoff race at the venue. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE is ranked fifth for the best average finish (8.5) at Kansas over the last six races. Bowman’s five top-10 finishes (career best) all come from his runs at the venue. He has two top-five finishes, five top-10s and has led 76 laps at the 1.5-mile track.