News and Media Releases

Three Top-10 Finishes at Bristol

23/03/2009

The Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) teams had a strong showing in Sunday’s running of the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Three of the four teams finished in the top-10 after Mark Martin earned his second pole in the past two events. Jimmie Johnson finished third with Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin right behind him in fourth and sixth. Fellow Quaker State teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fought his way back from a lap down twice to finish 14th.

Three-time series champion Jimmie Johnson finished third in Sunday’s race after leading two different times for a total of 88 laps, the second highest of the race. The reigning champion ran in the top-five for most of the 500-lap race and battled for the lead on many occasions.

However trouble during a pit stop prevented the No. 48 team from taking the win. Johnson’s top-five run moved him into the top-12 in points where he sits in the ninth spot.

Fellow Quaker State driver Jeff Gordon also had a strong run finishing fourth. The four-time Sprint Cup champion started in the 10th position and ran in the top-10 for much of the day.

Gordon who is on a strong start to the 2009 season remains on top of the point standings for the third week in a row.  He now has a 76-point lead over the second place driver.

Veteran driver Mark Martin started the Food City 500 from the pole, his second in as many events and led the opening laps of the event before settling into the top five.

The HMS driver raced in the top 10 for much of the race only falling out during pit sequences. Martin’s solid run helped move the driver up in points as well.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a tough day in his No. 88 Chevy falling off the lead lap on two different occasions. However the Tony Eury, Jr. led crew kept working on Earnhardt’s car and he was able to put himself in position to gain his lap back twice. Earnhardt finished 14th and moved up five spots in the point standings to the 19th position.

Kyle Busch won the Food City 500 followed by Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson. Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne rounded out the top five.

Next up for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the running of the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia.  Live television coverage begins on Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on FOX.

The event will also be broadcast live on MRN (Motor Racing Network) and Sirius Satellite Radio with coverage beginning at 1:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).