Tag Archives: Rick Hendrick

Who Says Joe Gibbs Racing Drivers aren’t Cooperating?

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Photo - Getty Images

Photo – Getty Images

Team owner Joe Gibbs says it’s every man for himself in Sunday’s Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on NBC at 2:30 pm ET.

Just don’t tell his drivers.

Gibbs is the first owner to place two drivers in the final round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup since the elimination format debuted in the 2014 season.

And to Gibbs, it’s understandable if Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards hold back proprietary information from each other as they compete for the series title. Continue reading →

The Games Team Owners Play

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HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 18: (L-R) Team owners Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs and Roger Penske attend a press conference during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18, 2016 in Homestead, Florida. Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 18: (L-R) Team owners Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs and Roger Penske attend a press conference during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18, 2016 in Homestead, Florida. Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Don’t be surprised if you see a Tony Stewart bobble head as a hood ornament on Jimmie Johnson’s car in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

OK, maybe that’s an exaggeration.

But Johnson’s team owner, Rick Hendrick, confessed on Friday that’s he’s been known to make subtle additions to his cars to confound other owners, all of whom are watching closely.

“In the garage area, you watch everybody,” Hendrick said. “It’s the damndest place I’ve ever seen about snooping.

“Sometimes you’ll put stuff on a car just to watch them take a picture of it, and it really doesn’t do anything. But it’s just fun to watch them run around and take a picture of it.”

Gordon Enjoys – Perhaps – his Last Run at Martinsville

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Photo - Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Photo – Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Jeff Gordon doesn’t plan to race again in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car – unless team owner Rick Hendrick twists his arm.

But Gordon hopes circumstances won’t force him into another substitute role. Competing in place of ailing Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the last time this season, Gordon finished sixth on Sunday in his Martinsville swan song.

“Well, I had a lot of fun out there,” Gordon said after the race. “It’s great to be here in front of all these awesome short track and Martinsville NASCAR fans. It’s just a special place to me, and I had a lot of fun and had a great car. This No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet was really good. I knew we didn’t have the short-run speed for some of those Gibbs cars…

“I would rather have won. I felt like we had a fourth-or-fifth-place car the run before that (last run), so I always wanted to get the most out of it. I was a little disappointed it didn’t take off there at the last yellow, but very proud of this team proud of my performance. Best finish I’ve had in this car (subbing for Earnhardt). Good way to finish my run this year in the No. 88 Chevy.”

Notice Gordon said “my run this year” and not “my career.”

Rick Hendrick is Pleased with Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Progress

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Photo - Bob Leverone/Getty Images

Photo – Bob Leverone/Getty Images

Team owner Rick Hendrick made two things abundantly clear during a press conference at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon to discuss the signing of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series leader William Byron.

First, Hendrick had no specific update as to the status of Dale Earnhardt Jr., other than to say that Earnhardt is progressing in his recovery from concussion-like symptoms and wants to return to the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet as soon as possible. Continue reading →

Gordon Driving the No. 88 Doesn’t Change his Legacy

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Photo - Daniel Shirey/Getty Images

Photo – Daniel Shirey/Getty Images

For the first time in his 23-year NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career, Jeff Gordon drove a different number than his iconic No. 24 last Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Gordon came out of retirement and filled in for an ailing Dale Earnhardt Jr. and wheeled the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet to a 13th-place finish in the 400-mile race. He hadn’t raced since last November and got the call from Rick Hendrick to sub for the second-generation driver who was dealing with concussion-like symptoms.

Does this change Jeff Gordon’s legendary presence in NASCAR’s top-series?

Not one bit. Continue reading →