Tag Archives: Hendrick Motorsports

Dale Earnhardt Jr Joins Sprint Cup NBC Sports Broadcast Booth for Talladega and Martinsville

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Photo - NBC Sports Group

Photo – NBC Sports Group

 NBC Sports announced Wednesday on NASCAR America that Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 88 Chevrolet, will join the NBC Sports broadcast booth for portions of two upcoming Sprint Cup broadcasts. Earnhardt, who has not raced since July as he recovers from a concussion, will lend his expertise as an analyst during NBCSN’s coverage this Sunday from Talladega Superspeedway, as well as the following Sunday from Martinsville Speedway.

Inside the NBCSN broadcast booth, Earnhardt will reunite with his former crew chief Steve Letarte, and work alongside race announcer Rick Allen and fellow analyst Jeff Burton. Sunday marks Earnhardt’s first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup broadcasting assignment. Continue reading →

Alex Bowman Recovers from Troubles for Career Best Sprint Cup Finish at Kansas Speedway

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Alex Bowman, driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, sits in his car prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 16, 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas. Photo - Jason Hanna/Getty Images

Alex Bowman, driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, sits in his car prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 16, 2016 in Kansas City, Kansas. Photo – Jason Hanna/Getty Images

Alex Bowman had a topsy-turvy day at Kansas Speedway, but when the checkered flag flew in Sunday’s afternoon Hollywood Casino 400, the Hendrick Motorsports driver earned a career-best seventh place finish.

But what made the accomplishment that much more incredible was that the 23-year-old battled the highs and lows while battling a severe stomach bug.

The Tucson, Arizona native qualified inside the top-five for the second consecutive weekend and despite falling through the field with an ill-handling race car in the early stages, Bowman had a resilient attitude. Continue reading →

Chase Elliott Reflects on Rookie Sprint Cup Season before Crucial Mid-Way Point in The Chase

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Photo - Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

Photo – Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

All eyes were on rookie NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, Chase Elliott, before he ever gripped the wheel of the famed No. 24 Chevrolet this season. As the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott and the successor of four-time champion Jeff Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports in the 24, the shadows of past racing legends and fan expectations loomed for the young talent even during his reign as the 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion.

The younger Elliott grew up racing go-karts and late models while watching his father compete in NASCAR-sanctioned events long after his 1988 championship. But for the 20-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native, the realization that the baton had officially been passed didn’t set in until he headed to Daytona International Speedway in early 2016. Continue reading →

Jimmie Johnson Triumphs at Charlotte as Five Chase Drivers Fall on Hard Times

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After Sunday’s victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson can proclaim justifiably ‘The Boys are Back in Town.’

But for five other Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers, all of whom finished 30th or worse in the rain-delayed Bank of America 500, the race ended in a medley of dire straits.

Taking the lead from Matt Kenseth after a restart on lap 317 of 334, Johnson pulled away to win by 1.474 seconds over the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Johnson put his No. 48 Chevrolet in Victory Lane for the third time this season, the eighth time at Charlotte – the third since the repaving of the track in March 2006 – and the 78th time in his career. Continue reading →

Kevin Harvick Edges Alex Bowman for Charlotte pole

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CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 06: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Hunting Chevrolet, poses with a trophy after winning the pole position during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 6, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

CHARLOTTE, NC – OCTOBER 06: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Hunting Chevrolet, poses with a trophy after winning the pole position during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 6, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

Kevin Harvick may have won the pole for Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (7 pm ET on NBC), but Alex Bowman continued to open eyes as a substitute driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Touring the 1.5-mile speedway in 27.547 seconds (196.029 mph), Harvick knocked Bowman (196.000 mph) off the pole by a scant 0.004 seconds in the final round of Thursday evening’s knockout qualifying.

The pole was Harvick’s first at Charlotte, his first of the 2016 season and the 16th of his career. Continue reading →