CONCORD, N.C. – This week’s return of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series also marks the return of Saturday night racing. Texas Motor Speedway will host this season’s first evening race tomorrow, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. on FOX.
Hendrick Motorsports was the most recent winner at the Fort Worth, Texas, track, as Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team took the checkered flag in November 2014. This weekend, the team will compete to defend its title and take home a second win this season.
Here’s a quick look at what you should be watching for as the green flag waves this Saturday under the lights:
THIS WEEK’S PAINT SCHEMES: The No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet SS will be piloted this weekend by Kasey Kahne, who is currently in the top five in the standings. Teammate Jeff Gordon will compete in the No. 24 Panasonic Chevrolet SS for the first time this season, while Johnson returns to the No. 48 Lowe’s ProServices Chevrolet SS. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will race the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS during this Saturday’s night race.
QUALIFYING: Qualifying at the 1.5-mile oval will take place tonight, April 10, at 5:30 p.m. on FOX Sports 1. Two practice sessions will also be held today at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. for your viewing.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT TEXAS: In 28 Cup events at Texas, Hendrick Motorsports has six wins, six pole positions, 28 top-five finishes and 49 top-10s finishes. Johnson most recently went to Victory Lane for the organization in November 2014 after starting third. He ranks tied for first among drivers all-time with four wins, and his 17 top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile oval rank tied for first. Johnson’s average finish of 9.1 ranks second behind Matt Kenseth (8.9). Gordon and Earnhardt rank tied for first all-time with two pole positions.
KAHNE AT TEXAS: Kahne went to Victory Lane at Texas in April 2006 after starting from the pole position and leading 63 laps. Three of the 28 (10.7 percent) Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from the pole position, including Kahne's victory. The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet SS has an average start of 12.9 in Fort Worth.
TV ANALYST: Tonight, Gordon will join the Fox Sports 1 broadcast of the XFINITY Series race as an analyst. He is also scheduled to be a part of the XFINITY broadcasts at Bristol on April 18 and Talladega Superspeedway on May 2.
GORDON AT TEXAS: On April 5, 2009, Gordon led 105 laps en route to his lone victory in The Lone-Star State. That win was his 82nd career victory in NASCAR’s premier division. Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-861 for this Saturday night's race. The chassis has been raced five times previously – all in 2014.
JOHNSON AT TEXAS: Johnson drove the No. 48 Chevrolet SS to Victory Lane last fall after starting third and leading 191 laps. He claimed his fourth win at the mile-and-a-half track in Texas, becoming the only four-time winner. For this weekend’s event, crew chief Chad Knaus has selected chassis No. 48-928, which is a new car that has not been raced.
TEXAS DOUBLE: In addition to his duties behind the wheel of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS, Earnhardt will pilot JR Motorsports' No. 88 Chevrolet in the XFINITY Series race on Friday. In seven XFINITY starts at Texas, Earnhardt has one win, three top-five finishes and five top-10s. It marks Earnhardt's third XFINITY start of the season. Most recently, he drove the No. 88 Chevrolet to a 12th-place finish in the XFINITY event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last month.
EARNHARDT AT TEXAS: In 25 Sprint Cup starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Earnhardt has an average starting position of 11.6, which is his second-best at all tracks. He has led at least one lap in 13 of those starts for a total of 448 laps.