After a 16-race shutout from Victory Lane Rick Hendrick’s drivers have been making the last four weeks a Hendrick Motorsports kind of month.
Hendrick dutifully trudged from racetrack to race awaiting the win, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series which would put HMS over the 200 win mark.
And it finally paid out at Darlington when five-time Cup champ, Jimmie Johnson, got back in his winning ways.
Since then, every checkered flag – except at Pocono last week – belonged to one of his drivers.
On the other hand, when Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended a four-year, 143-win drought Mr. Hendrick wasn’t there to congratulate the driver some had written off.
Even if HMS drivers aren’t leading the points (and Jeff Gordon has yet to win) Hendrick feels validated for his decision to hire Earnhardt and Kasey Kahne.
"Well, you know, a little bit of a slow start, but we had a lot of speed," said Hendrick. "Then we get the 200th win and then the All-Star race, and Kasey gets a win, Jimmie gets another one, and I thought Dale had a real shot last week at Pocono. But to get it this weekend, that's outstanding. It's like a huge load off our backs."
After Hendrick signed the son of the late seven-time champion who then failed to win or be a factor for a championship people wondered if he’d made a mistake.
At the end of 2011 Hendrick made the daring move of reassigning Jeff Gordon’s crew chief, Steve Letarte, to Earnhardt Jr. after an unsuccessful run with Tony Eury, Jr.
It may have taken a year to jell, but, consider that Junior has been consistent top-ten finisher now only four points out of first place and now has that win.
As Hendrick explained “I think the chemistry is the best I've seen with any crew chief and driver. And you just look at the way they've been running and had a lot of speed, you knew it was going to come. And just try to say, Dale, don't worry about that, man. You're almost leading the points here. You've got more top tens than anybody. When you run second, third and fourth, you're going to win races. And we hated Pocono, took a chance, but there was too much on the line. I can tell you that's the longest 18 laps I've ever spent, at the end of this race.
Can you blame Hendrick for dreams of a Cup title for Earnhardt?
“Well, you know, when you see a car, and a driver get momentum, and all of the cars are running real well, they're sharing a lot of information, and Dale is just -- he's just switched on. He's got the confidence, Stevie has got the touch and every week they're the best by by far. I think he's sitting in the cat bird seat to win his first championship.”
Hendrick dutifully trudged from racetrack to race awaiting the win, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series which would put HMS over the 200 win mark.
And it finally paid out at Darlington when five-time Cup champ, Jimmie Johnson, got back in his winning ways.
Since then, every checkered flag – except at Pocono last week – belonged to one of his drivers.
 |
| HMS team celebrating Jimmie Johnson's win at Dover. (Photo: NASCAR) |
On the other hand, when Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended a four-year, 143-win drought Mr. Hendrick wasn’t there to congratulate the driver some had written off.
Even if HMS drivers aren’t leading the points (and Jeff Gordon has yet to win) Hendrick feels validated for his decision to hire Earnhardt and Kasey Kahne.
"Well, you know, a little bit of a slow start, but we had a lot of speed," said Hendrick. "Then we get the 200th win and then the All-Star race, and Kasey gets a win, Jimmie gets another one, and I thought Dale had a real shot last week at Pocono. But to get it this weekend, that's outstanding. It's like a huge load off our backs."
After Hendrick signed the son of the late seven-time champion who then failed to win or be a factor for a championship people wondered if he’d made a mistake.
At the end of 2011 Hendrick made the daring move of reassigning Jeff Gordon’s crew chief, Steve Letarte, to Earnhardt Jr. after an unsuccessful run with Tony Eury, Jr.
 |
| Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Photo: NASCAR) |
It may have taken a year to jell, but, consider that Junior has been consistent top-ten finisher now only four points out of first place and now has that win.
As Hendrick explained “I think the chemistry is the best I've seen with any crew chief and driver. And you just look at the way they've been running and had a lot of speed, you knew it was going to come. And just try to say, Dale, don't worry about that, man. You're almost leading the points here. You've got more top tens than anybody. When you run second, third and fourth, you're going to win races. And we hated Pocono, took a chance, but there was too much on the line. I can tell you that's the longest 18 laps I've ever spent, at the end of this race.
Can you blame Hendrick for dreams of a Cup title for Earnhardt?
“Well, you know, when you see a car, and a driver get momentum, and all of the cars are running real well, they're sharing a lot of information, and Dale is just -- he's just switched on. He's got the confidence, Stevie has got the touch and every week they're the best by by far. I think he's sitting in the cat bird seat to win his first championship.”