CONCORD, N.C. – On Aug. 26, 1989, Darrell Waltrip led Hendrick Motorsports to its first ever NASCAR Cup Series win at Bristol Motor Speedway.
After starting the day in ninth, the driver worked his way into the lead, leading at three different points of the race and for 239 laps of the 500-lap race. Waltrip took his third lead of the day on Lap 295 and stayed in front for the final 206 laps en route to Victory Lane.
Waltrip’s monumental victory was the first of 11 victories for the organization at “The Last Great Coliseum.”
The most recent win came one year ago this weekend with Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel. Starting 11th, the driver stayed in the lead pack for the majority of the race and led 81 laps, including the final 20 to capture the organization’s 11th Bristol win.
The team’s 11 Bristol wins have been an integral part of Hendrick Motorsports’ overall success on short tracks.
The organization’s 50 wins, 50 poles, 215 top-five finishes, 365 top-10s and 20,617 laps led leads all active Cup Series teams at short tracks.
The organization will look for its 51st short track victory this weekend at Bristol.