Hendrick Motorsports Returns to Pocono

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 25, 2002) -- The four NASCAR Winston Cup Series teams of Hendrick Motorsports return to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway this Sunday with improvement in mind. Both Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon scored top-five finishes at the Pocono 500 in June, but neither visited victory lane, while Terry Labonte and Joe Nemechek were on the other end of the spectrum, posting disappointing results thanks to bad luck. All four will be looking to build on those performances while shooting for the Pennsylvania 500 checkered flag in their second visit to the 2.5-mile superspeedway this season. Johnson finished third in his first seat time at Pocono in the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet after starting in the second position after rain washed out qualifying. The rookie is currently third in the overall Winston Cup driver standings, just 92 points behind leader Sterling Marlin. Driving the No. 24 DuPont Monte Carlo, Gordon isn’t far behind. The defending Winston Cup champion is within striking distance of his teammate, just 48 points behind Johnson for third in the standings. He finished fifth at Pocono in June and is currently second on the track’s all-time money list after three victories and 14 top-10 finishes in 19 races. Two-time Winston Cup champion Terry Labonte finished a disappointing 38th in June after engine problems ended his run after 102 laps. The veteran has 16 top-10 finishes at the venue, including two Pocono 500 victories, the most recent coming in 1995. He’s currently 17th in points, 99 behind 15th-place Michael Waltrip. Joe Nemechek endured a frustrating day at Pocono during his first visit this season, finishing 41st in the 43-car field thanks to an accident 29 laps into the event. Driving the No. 25 UAW-Delphi Chevy, Nemechek is currently 38th in the overall standings. The Pennsylvania 500 NASCAR Winston Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway will be broadcast live on Sunday by TNT (12:30 p.m. EDT) and MRN Radio affiliates (12:30 p.m. EDT).