How Do You Spell Dominance? H-e-n-d-r-i-c-k
by PB on Nov.25, 2009, under TSS Articles
What’s taking place between Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus and the entire 48 team is seemingly unmatched and uncontested. Since 2006, the dynamic duo of Johnson and Knaus have found victory lane 29 times, captured 64 Top 5’s, 94 Top 10’s, and 15 poles. Impressive as it sounds, it pales in comparison to what this team unleashes when it comes to the Chase For The Sprint Cup Championship. Since the Chase format began back in 2004 no one even comes close to what they’ve accomplished. Their 18 wins, 33 Top 5’s, 44 Top 10’s and 12 poles are in a galaxy all its own.
Chad Knaus’ resume isn’t too shabby either.
In a sport where crew chiefs are about as expendable as a set of lug nuts, Knaus has managed to stay the course, stay put, and stay dominant. Knaus is the only crew chief ever to win more than two consecutive Sprint Cup titles (he now has four in a row), and his championship total (also four) ties him for second with Kirk Shelmerdine among crew chiefs in NASCAR history. Only Dale Inman (eight titles) has more.
But as good as Johnson and Knaus have been over the last four years, the last 25 years at Hendrick Motorsports have been that much better.
Winning the 2009 Sprint Cup Series championship enabled Hendrick Motorsports to tie Petty Enterprises for the all-time championship lead at nine. Hendrick Motorsports has now won nine of the last 15 Sprint Cup Series titles bringing the organization’s overall NASCAR championship total to 12–a new all-time record.
Johnson’s record breaking accomplishment isn’t Hendrick’s first time celebrating four consecutive championships at NASCAR’s highest level. In the 1990s, drivers Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997 and 1998) and Terry Labonte (1996) combined to win four straight Sprint Cup titles for the organization.
When it comes down to it, Hendrick drivers do it all.
Take this year’s Chase For The Sprint Cup Championship for example. A Hendrick Motorsports driver led the championship points after every Chase for the Sprint Cup race in 2009. Mark Martin, who entered the Chase with the points lead, led following the first three Chase races, and Jimmie Johnson led after the final seven. It marks the first time since the format’s inception that one organization has led the points after each Chase race.
This year also marked the first time for a Sprint Cup team to capture the top-three spots in the championship standings with Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon. Hendrick Motorsports drivers have qualified 15 times for the Chase, the most of any team since the playoff format went into effect in 2004. In each year that Hendrick qualified three drivers, the organization earned the championship.
And don’t forget about all those wins.
Hendrick Motorsports has posted at least one Cup-level win in 24 straight seasons. To this day that is still the longest active streak in NASCAR. The streak began February 16, 1986, when Geoff Bodine won Hendrick’s first Daytona 500.
So how did 2009 stack up for this year’s lineup compared to those in year’s past? Let’s just say they didn’t disappoint.
Hendrick drivers scored the second-most Top 5’s and Top 10’s with 47 and 76 respectively and the team’s 13 Cup wins tie this season with 2004 for the team’s third-highest one-year total. The record for wins, Top 5’s and Top 10’s came back in 2007. In that particular year HMS drivers wound up in Victory Lane 18 times to go along with 57 Top 5’s and 84 Top 10’s.
But the most impressive number in terms of stats, accomplishments, records, and accolades is “1.” As in, there are no other organizations or teams that can come close to what the folks at Hendrick Motorsports are doing. They are truly dominating the sport with their dynasty-like approach to winning. Guess that’s why the scariest fact of all is that they’re just getting warmed up.
For more NASCAR news and notes visit www.thespotterstand.com
*Photos Courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports
November 25th, 2009 on 1:16 PM
These facts are forgotten by all the Jeff Gordon fans according to them he gets all the credit for these accomplishments they forget about Geoff Bodine , Tim Richmond ,Darrell Waltrip, Kenny Schrader, Harry Hyde and the rest of the cast who allowed these guys to walk into the best team in sport when they started. These facts are why none of the Hendrick drivers can be called the best drivers ever because they drive for the best team ever. This not to take away anything that they accomplished the current Hendrick are all great drivers but when your starting out with the best equipment every week you will have a shot at winning and if you don’t finish well the reason won’t be your car.