Three memorable moments at Texas
CONCORD, N.C. – This weekend, NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will head to the Lone Star State for the 500-mile event at Texas Motor Speedway.
With the track’s large size and its unique, cowboy-style Victory Lane experience, the races at Texas are often unforgettable. And as one of the last races before the championship race at Homestead, the stakes promise to be higher than ever at the 1.5-mile speedway.
Before heading to the track, let’s take a look back at three memorable Hendrick Motorsports moments at Texas.
March 28, 1999: Texas Motor Speedway was a relatively new addition to the Cup circuit when Hendrick Motorsports made the trip to the Lone Star State in March 1999. The company was still looking for its first win at the track and was hoping one of its drivers could make it to Victory Lane. After starting fourth, Terry Labonte gave Hendrick Motorsports what all of its employees and fans were looking for. Labonte led a race-high 124 laps en route to his first career victory in Fort Worth, while also giving Hendrick Motorsports its first win at the 1.5-mile track.
April 5, 2009: By 2009, Jeff Gordon had visited many Victory Lanes on the Cup circuit throughout his storied career. In addition to his 81 wins, the 37-year-old driver also was the owner of four Cup championship trophies. One track he hadn’t taken the checkered flag at was Texas Motor Speedway -- but that changed on April 5, 2009. After starting from the outside pole, Gordon led a race-high 105 laps at Texas on the way to his 82nd career win in NASCAR’s premier series. Jimmie Johnson was right on Gordon’s heels, finishing second behind his teammate.
Nov. 3, 2013: Jimmie Johnson was having a great year. The 37-year-old driver had kicked off the season with a storied Daytona 500 victory, before following it up with wins at Martinsville, Pocono, Daytona and Dover. Now, Johnson was looking to don a cowboy hat in Victory Lane. He dominated the race at the Lone Star track, leading an impressive 255 of 334 laps before taking the checkered flag. Texas was kind to Hendrick Motorsports that day, as teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. crossed the finish line right behind Johnson in second, while Kasey Kahne rounded out the top five in fifth. Later that season, Johnson would be crowned the Sprint Cup champion for the sixth time in his career.
