#48-Jimmie Johnson’s performance Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marked the 150th points-paying Nextel Cup Series victory since 1984 for team owner Rick Hendrick. Each Hendrick win has come in a Chevrolet race car. Hendrick Motorsports 150th Cup Series win came in its 736th points-paying event (1984-present). That’s an average of one victory every 4.906 races. Hendrick Motorsports’ 150 Cup victories have been amassed by 12 different drivers: Jeff Gordon (75), Jimmie Johnson (24), Terry Labonte (12), Tim Richmond (9), Darrell Waltrip (9), Geoff Bodine (7), Ricky Rudd (4), Ken Schrader (4), Kyle Busch (3), Jerry Nadeau (1), Joe Nemechek (1) and Brian Vickers (1). Hendrick’s career total of 150 Cup wins is best among NASCAR’s modern-era car owners (1972-present). Second on the list is Jack Roush with 96 victories. Petty Enterprises is first all-time with 268 first-place finishes in Cup competition. Hendrick is second all-time. Hendrick Motorsports’ first Cup victory came April 29, 1984 at Martinsville, Va., with driver Geoff Bodine [in the #5]. Jeff Gordon notched the organization’s 50th on March 24, 1996 at Darlington, and its 100th on June 10, 2001 at MIchigan. Jimmie Johnson posted win No. 150 Sunday at Las Vegas. Car owner Rick Hendrick now has 198 combined NASCAR victories: 150 at the Cup level, 23 in the Busch Series and 25 in the Craftsman Truck Series. The total includes a 1983 Busch Series win by the late Dale Earnhardt at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in a car co-owned by Hendrick and Robert Gee. Hendrick Motorsports has earned six NEXTEL Cup championships, giving the organization more titles since 1995 than any other team in major American professional sports. With four World Series rings, the New York Yankees are second during that span, followed by the New England Patriots, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Red Wings, who each have three championships in their respective sports (1995-present). With Johnson’s win, Hendrick Motorsports has now earned at least one Cup Series victory in 22 consecutive seasons (1986-present). Rick Hendrick was not able to attend Sunday’s NEXTEL Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He was at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., for an event honoring high achievers at Hendrick Automotive Group car dealerships. Hendrick is the chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group.(Hendrick Motorsports PR)(3-16-2007)
