Three memorable moments
FONTANA, Calif. – This week, Hendrick Motorsports haulers are staying out west and traveling to Fontana, California. The two-mile oval track has provided many memorable moments and a victory this weekend would make Fontana the 11th track where Hendrick Motorsports has 10 or more wins.
Before the drivers start their engines for the 200-lap race on Sunday, let's take a look at three memorable Hendrick Motorsports moments at Fontana.
June 22, 1997 – The first NASCAR race at Fontana was underway and Jeff Gordon was looking for his seventh win of the 1997 season. When the green flag dropped, Gordon was racing in the third position but quickly took the lead by Lap 8. Gordon continued to lead 113 of 250 laps and became the first NASCAR driver to earn a trip to Victory Lane at Fontana. His luck did not stop there; Gordon won 10 races that season and his second championship.
April 28, 2002 – Jimmie Johnson was in his first full-time season as a Cup driver and he was eager for his first win. In only his 13th start, Johnson did just that, and he grabbed the checkered flag for the first time in none other than his home state of California. It was Johnson's first of three wins in the 2002 season, and he finished fifth in the final point standings.
August 31, 2008 – Started in the front and ended in the front. That is what Johnson did at the two-mile oval at Fontana in 2008. He won the pole position and raced at the front of the pack for 228 of 250 laps. Johnson's victory at Fontana in 2008 was his second consecutive win at the track after also winning in 2007, and he continued his win streak there in 2009 and 2010.
