CONCORD, N.C. – The wait is over.
The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins with the first race of the Challenger Round this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.
The Windy City is sure to bring exciting racing, but before the Chase begins let’s take a look back at three memorable Hendrick Motorsports moments from the 1.5-mile track.
July 11, 2004 – It was only Hendrick Motorsports’ fourth year racing at the Illinois track. And with 80,000 fans in attendance, the organization as a whole ran a solid race. The weekend started out with Jeff Gordon winning his first career Chicago pole, which helped him stay near the front and lead 14 laps of the race. When the race was over, Hendrick Motorsports brought home three top-10 finishes -- Jimmie Johnson second, Gordon fourth and Terry Labonte sixth. The organization eventually earned 13 wins by the end of the 2004 season.
July 10, 2005 - Johnson had raced at Chicago three times before and earned top-five finishes in all of those races. And now he was back to continue his streak. In qualifying, Johnson drove his No. 48 Chevrolet to a first-place start with the pole award. After leading the field to green, he stayed out front for 21 laps before crossing the finish line third. Johnson finished the 2005 season with four wins, 13 top-five finishes and 22 top 10s.
Sept. 14, 2014 – It was the first year of the new elimination-style format for the Chase and Chicagoland Speedway was the first stop. Jeff Gordon was one of the 16 drivers racing for the championship. He started the 400-mile race eighth and led 26 laps. When the checkered flag waved, Gordon crossed the finish line second. With a good start to the Chase, Gordon went on to finish the season sixth in the standings.
