CONCORD, N.C. – This week, the four Hendrick Motorsports teams depart on a three-week journey out west, fondly referred to as the West Coast swing.
With a win for the organization in Atlanta last week, the teams are looking to add another trophy to the shop shelves. And what better place to look for a victory than a city known for winning? NASCAR fans, welcome to Las Vegas.
Hendrick Motorsports has five combined wins, 18 top-five finishes and 31 top-10s along with a total of 1,251 laps led at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
But before the drivers take the green flag Sunday, let’s take a look back at three notable moments for Hendrick Motorsports at the 1.5-mile track.
March 13, 2005: With only one top-10 to his name at the Nevada oval to that point, Jimmie Johnson arrived in Las Vegas in 2005 with one goal in mind: log his first win on the 1.5-mile track. Rolling off the grid ninth, Johnson battled to stay up front for the first half of the 267-lap race, taking the lead for the first time on Lap 147. He went on to lead 107 laps before taking the checkered flag for his 15th career win and first of the 2005 season. Since then, Johnson has logged three more wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
March 11, 2012: Three weeks into his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, Kasey Kahne achieved a first for the organization at Las Vegas. With a high speed of 190.456 mph, the driver wheeled his No. 5 Chevrolet SS around the track for a fast-lap time of 28.353 seconds, landing himself on the pole for the start of the 400.5-mile race. It was the first of four poles for Kahne in 2012.
March 9, 2014: Although a trophy did not make the return trip from Las Vegas in 2014, the Kobalt 400 that year was certainly a memorable one, with all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers logging top-10 finishes. After leading a total of 51 laps toward the end of the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. fell just short of taking the checkered flag on the last lap. He led his teammates to the finish in second, however, with Johnson taking home a sixth-place finish, Kahne eighth, and Jeff Gordon ninth.
