CONCORD, N.C. – With a clear weather forecast and sunny skies predicted, NASCAR heads south this weekend to the Tennessee short track – Bristol Motor Speedway.
Hendrick Motorsport’s last win at the southern speedway was in 2013. Carrying the momentum of four great Texas finishes, the four drivers head to Bristol this week with landing in Victory Lane as the goal.
A win this weekend would be the organization’s 11th overall and would add to the 52 top-five finishes and 94 top-10s. Over the years, drivers have earned 11 pole positions and have led a total of 5,654 laps at the track.
Before the helmets go on and the seatbelts are strapped, let’s take a look at three very memorable Hendrick Motorsports moments at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Apr. 13, 1997: Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon has won at almost every track on the circuit. He boasts a total of five wins at Bristol Motor Speedway, the third of which came in April of 1997. The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet took the green flag in the top five and took the lead for the first time on Lap 163. He led for a total of 125 laps before taking the checkered flag for the third time that season.
March 24, 2002: Although he had already found himself in Victory Lane at Bristol four times, Gordon had yet to start a race there on the pole. That all changed at the 2002 spring race when he earned the first starting position with a speed of 127.216 mph. Gordon led a total of 82 laps but ultimately finished 31st in the 266.5-mile event.
Aug. 25, 2012: This past weekend, the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers all finished within the top-eight, logging a solid night for the organization in Texas. Four years ago in Bristol proved to be a strong night for the teammates as well with all four logging top-12 finishes. Jimmie Johnson led the way in second place, leading 52 laps of the race. Gordon was right behind the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet in third and Kasey Kahne drove home in ninth after leading 42 laps. Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the team effort with a 12th-place finish.
