Title fight all but over with Johnson’s 4th win in a row November 12, 2007
Posted by relantel in Hendrick, NASCAR, Sports.add a comment
Hendrick driver Jimmie Johnson won his fourth race in a row, and tenth on the season, extending his point lead to 86 points over teammate Jeff Gordon with one race to go. All Johnson has to do to clinch his 2nd title in a row is finish 18th or better in Homestead. The race at Phoenix saw him take the lead for the final time from Martin Truex Jr, after Truex had stayed out on the last yellow flag while most every other driver, including Johnson, pitted. Truex could not hold off Johnson, and several others, falling to the lower half of the top-10 by race’s end.
NASCAR hits hard at Hendrick – but not that hard June 27, 2007
Posted by relantel in Hendrick, NASCAR.add a comment
NASCAR came down hard against the 24 and 48 teams today, giving them identical penalties that befell the 8 team after Darlington: 100 points (owner & driver) lost, $100,000 fine, and a 6 week suspension for the Crew Chief. This was on top of both teams being unable to practice on Friday, and unable to qualify as well, forcing them to settle for the 41st and 42nd starting spots, respectively. Gordon finished 7th, while Johnson finished 17th in Sunday’s race at Sears Point.
While the COT penalties were identical to that of the 8 team, their effect is not. Gordon had led the points by 271, now it’s only 171. He is still up on 13th place by 700+ points, and still has the same amount of wins bonus at the Chase cutoff as he did before. Johnson falls from 3rd to 5th in points, but remains 366 points behind Gordon, and is up on 13th place by about 350 points. Like Gordon, Johnson also still has the same amount of wins bonus as he had before.
With 10 races until the Chase, barring a major injury keeping either from several races, they will make the Chase. The 8 car is on the bubble – they were in Chase territory when the penalty was applied, and had to climb back into place. The 8 is 96 points ahead of 13th – but would have been 196 and in 10th place.
Thoughts on Dale Jr going to Hendrick June 13, 2007
Posted by relantel in DEI, Hendrick, NASCAR.add a comment
As odd as the thought seems in the abstract, this factoid from an evening NASCAR.com article sheds new light on the whole “enemy” concept some Dale fans may have concerning Earnhardt and Hendrick:
Hendrick, with six total championships on NASCAR’s premier series, fits with Earnhardt’s desires to drive for a contender and to continue to pilot Chevrolets. The Hendrick team also had ties to Earnhardt’s late father, who shook down the first car the organization ever built, and was behind the wheel when team owner Rick Hendrick recorded his first NASCAR victory in a Busch race at Charlotte in 1983.
When Jr. made his announcement in May that he was leaving DEI, there were three possible locations given his self-restriction to Chevrolet: Childress, Gibbs & Hendrick. Childress was always the sentimental favorite, since Dale Sr won 6 championships in the RCR 3 car. But the pressure Dale Jr would face there would be intense, something it seemed he was not ready for. Gibbs refusal to have a sponsor such as Budweiser all but ruled him out, even though Dale Jr would have fit very well with Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. Hendrick had a full stable to NASCAR’s 4 team limit, but would seem to be the best fit for Jr.’s career development.
I don’t have to like Jeff Gordon or Hendrick as a person, but my guess is I will mellow over time, much like once JG broke the 76 barrier, what does it matter to me how many more he wins? I think the dislike had more to do with the Sr-Gordon rivalry of the mid-90s, even knowing the two were friends off the track.
Enter today, and the leak of information that Jr will announce tomorrow he is indeed moving to Hendrick, and the rampant speculation he will supplant Kyle Busch in the 5, much like he did earlier in the year at Texas, after Busch had wrecked Jr, and left the track thinking his car was done. Jr was asked to get in the car as a favor to a friend on the 5 crew, so he did. Speculation ensued that Jr might be going to Hendrick then, well before his May announcement he was leaving DEI.
(EDIT – I saw this ESPN article by Terry Blount Wednesday morning, with some thought similar to mine, but perhaps better said)
