CONCORD, N.C. – The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits two road courses each season – Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International.
This weekend, the drivers will visit the final road course of the 2016 circuit in Watkins Glen, New York.
Before racing action begins on the 2.45-mile track, take a look at these eight fun facts about Hendrick Motorsports at road courses.
1) The organization has a total of 12 road course victories since its inception in 1984 – six at each track.
2) The first driver to give Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick a road course win was Tim Richmond at Watkins Glen in 1986.
3) Included on the team’s resume are 48 top-five finishes and 85 top-10s between Sonoma and Watkins Glen.
4) A total of 15 pole positions have been secured by drivers over the years at road courses, the first of which belonged to Richmond in the same August 1986 race weekend as his first win at the track for the organization.
5) In addition to Jeff Gordon, two of the current Hendrick Motorsports drivers have logged road course wins – Kasey Kahne (Sonoma in 2009) and Jimmie Johnson (Sonoma in 2010).
6) Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s best career road course finish is third place – at both Sonoma (2014) and Watkins Glen (2003).
7) Drivers for the organization have led 638 laps at Sonoma and 490 laps at Watkins Glen for a cumulative total of 1,128 laps led on road course tracks.
8) Gordon contributed the organization’s first Sonoma victory in 1998, when he won from the pole.