CONCORD, N.C. – Since the NASCAR Cup Series first came to Kansas Speedway in 2001, Hendrick Motorsports has found Victory Lane six times at the 1.5-mile oval – and it's one of 11 tracks where it leads all teams in Cup Series wins.
The organization also leads all teams at the venue in poles (five), top-fives finishes (30), top-10s (53), laps led (1077) and average finish (13.07).
As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the track this weekend, here are some key stats and figures from Hendrick Motorsports' history at Kansas.
- On 1.5-mile tracks, Hendrick Motorsports leads all Cup Series teams with 57 wins, 14 more than the next closest team, Joe Gibbs Racing. Of those 57 victories, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have combined to win 45 of them, 28 and 17, respectively. The two lead all drivers for most 1.5-mile track victories.
- Additionally, at Kansas, Johnson and Gordon share the record for most wins all-time at the track – each driver finding Victory Lane three times at the venue.
- At Kansas, Johnson has three poles (tied most all-time), nine top-five finishes (second most all-time), 17 top-10s (most all-time), 601 laps led (third most all-time) 14 races led (second most all-time) and a 9.65 average finish (best all-time among drivers with more than five starts).
- Between September 2007 and May 2014, Johnson recorded 11 consecutive top-10 finishes at Kansas, the longest streak all-time at the venue. Johnson’s mark is four more than the next closest driver, Greg Biffle.
- Chase Elliott has been a consistent contender on 1.5-mile tracks. In his 25 starts since going full-time in the Cup Series in 2016, the driver has two runner-up results, 10 top-five finishes, 16 top-10s and 245 laps led.
- William Byron will make his first career Cup Series start at Kansas Speedway, but the driver has had success in his two previous NASCAR national series starts. Byron won his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in 2016 at the venue, and picked up a fourth-place finish in his Xfinity start at the track.
- Alex Bowman made his most recent Cup start at Kansas Speedway while filling in for injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 10 races in 2016. The driver qualified 5th and finished 7th, taking home the highest result among non-playoff drivers. Kansas is also one of six tracks where Bowman has a top-10 finish.
- 11 rookies have top-10 finishes at Kansas, including Johnson in 2002 and Elliott in 2016. Kansas has never produced a first-time winner, but Elliott, Byron and Bowman all will have the opportunity to become the first this weekend.
- Saturday night’s race will be just the second time in 34 years the NASCAR Cup Series will race on May 12th. The last time was at Darlington Raceway in 2012, and Hendrick Motorsports captured its historic 200th career win with Johnson behind the wheel. The organization will look to capture its 250th victory this weekend.