RELATED: Gordon keeps pedal down on way to Homestead
Hendrick Motorsports, winner of six of the last nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, fields four teams but only one will be going for the 2015 championship later this month at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
It’s a fact that team owner Rick Hendrick doesn’t like to be reminded of, given his organization’s run of success in the series.
Three Hendrick drivers qualified for this year’s 16-team Chase for the Sprint Cup field — Jeff Gordon, a four-time champ; Jimmie Johnson, winner of six titles; and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt is still chasing his first Sprint Cup crown. Teammate Kasey Kahne was the only Hendrick driver who failed to earn a berth in the 10-race playoff.
Gordon qualified for the Championship Round at Homestead thanks to a win last weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Johnson failed to advance past the first round, while Earnhardt was eliminated after the second three-race segment.
With only Gordon still title eligible, how does the organization balance what’s best for the No. 24 team while not ignoring the needs of its other teams in the remaining three races?
“The cool thing about our deal,” Hendrick told NASCAR.com, “is all the stuff is the same. We don’t play favorites over any of them. We give them the best stuff we’ve got — all four of them.
“So it won’t be any different the next few races.”
While Gordon’s efforts are top of mind, it’s just as valuable for his other teams to continue to succeed as the season winds down, Hendrick said.
It’s just as important for Jimmie, Kasey and Dale,” Hendrick said. “Dale’s won twice, Jimmie’s won four times this year, so it would be nice if Kasey could get a win. He’s been running really well here lately, running up in the top five and top 10.
“For all of those teams to end the year on a high is important because that momentum rolls you into next year. You go into the off-season kind of feeling like ‘Man, I can’t wait to go to Daytona.’
“So yeah, it’s important for all of them to run good.”