News and Media Releases

Gordon and Johnson Earn Top-10 Finishes

07/06/2009

Martin and Earnhardt Finish Further Back in the Field

Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson overcame problems to finish in the top-10 in Sunday's running of the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway. Fellow HMS teammates Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. struggled at different times finishing 19th and 27th respectively.

Four-time champion Jeff Gordon started the day off with a tight handling race car but the No. 24 team made adjustments on the first stop to get him handling better. Gordon continued to run in the top-10 until later in the race when handling issues relegated him further back in the field. Gordon was able to rebound and break back into the top-10 in the closing laps and finish fourth.

Defending champion Jimmie Johnson led early in the race but found trouble on pit road at the halfway point when an untimely caution flag came out as he was entering the pits. Johnson continued on to his pit stall but pit road was closed and the No. 48 team was penalized. Johnson overcame the penalty and broke back into the top-10 by lap 130 before finishing seventh.

After starting in the 12th position, Mark Martin quickly made his way to the front of the field racing in the top-10 throughout most of the race. The 2009 two-time winner fell off the pace late in the race to finish just inside the top-20 in the 19th position.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ran mid-pack most of the 500-mile race fighting handling issues. Earnhardt was dealing with a loose handling race car mid-way through the event and also had trouble in the pits sliding through his pit stall. Junior took the checkered flag in the 27th position.

Gordon maintained his second-place points position with Johnson remaining in third. Both Martin and Earnhardt lost positions with Martin now sitting in 13th and Junior in 20th.

Tony Stewart scored his first win of the season and was followed by Carl Edwards and David Reutimann. Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman rounded out the top-five.

Next up for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the running of the LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 14. Green flag coverage will being at 12:30 p.m. (ET) on TNT with radio coverage on MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio at 12:30 p.m. (ET)