Yahoo Finance Hendrick's Storybook 40th Anniversary Race Complete with Byron Win and Podium Sweep
The four Hendrick drivers donned their ruby-red firesuits as the team entered Martinsville Speedway Sunday afternoon in celebration of the organization's first Cup series win 40 years ago. Martinsville will always feel like home for Rick Hendrick and the entire Hendrick origination, as it holds many memories and milestones.
All four guys in the top 10 & the first 1-2-3 ever at @MartinsvilleSwy in the #NASCAR Cup Series.
What a 40th anniversary for @TeamHendrick. pic.twitter.com/ddLl6AeyZ8— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) April 7, 2024
If you're wondering the significance of the ruby red paint schemes and firesuits this weekend, it is traditionally the celebrated stone and color of 40th anniversaries.
Rick Hendrick was two laps away from a fairytale 40th-anniversary win when the fifth and final caution came out. After a 180+ lap green flag run, William Byron was less than a lap away from clinching his third win of the season with his teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson behind him when he saw the last thing he wanted to, a yellow flag. John Hunter Nemechek brought out the yellow when a fire in his right front wheel well set up for the second consecutive NASCAR Overtime of the season.
A right-front fire for JHN. Not at all what William Byron and the No. 24 team wanted to see. pic.twitter.com/EpEUV0KswN
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 7, 2024
Ironically, Nemechek races for Legacy Motorsports, which is partially owned by Jimmie Johnson, who brought Hendrick 83 of their now 305 wins.
“Oh my God, I did not want to see that,” Jeff Gordon, former Hendrick driver and current Vice Chairman of the company, said of the late caution.
Gordon did not have to worry as the trio of Hendrick drivers stayed up front, and Byron held off Elliott for the win after an attempted bump and run. Elliott would fall to third place as Larson passed in the closing corner.
“Second or third, what does it matter at that point?” Chase Elliott told NASCAR on Fox after the race.
Elliott went on to say that it felt good to be in contention for a win so far into the race. The 2020 champion's win drought grows to 42 races, with his last coming at Talladega in 2022.
This is the first time in history that drivers from the same team have finished one, two, three at Martinsville the only missing member of Hendrick's crew was Bowman who still secured a top 10, finishing in eighth. In 2021, Bowman led the quartet to a 1-2-3-4 finish at Dover.
Unfortunately, Rick Hendrick was unable to attend this weekend to witness the milestone in person, but he joined in spirit more than 1000 Hendrick employees that did. Hendrick underwent knee replacement surgery and was unable to travel.
"It was a special day; I never thought that we would end up running 1,2,3." Hendrick called into Fox Sports after the conclusion of the race, "When that caution came out, I thought, 'Man, we're in trouble.' I've been there before, we've been 1-2, and then there's a caution, and we end up running fourth, fifth. It's a great day for all of our people to celebrate 40 years and to come back to that at Martinsville and to run 1-2-3."
This was Byron's third win of the season, winning on a Superspeedway, a Road Course, and now the shortest of the short tracks. This is the second time in recent history that Byron has been the clutch driver in Hendrick's plan; last year, he dominated at Texas Motor Speedway to secure the organization their 300th Cup Series win and now follows with a win on the 40th anniversary of their first.
Forty years ago, on April 29th, Geoff Bodine and Rick Hendrick entered Martinsville in an unsponsored car, hanging by a thread and ready to shutter the program. Bodine left Martinsville with a win, a clock, and a new sponsor. Thus, the legacy of Hendrick was born.
Since then, Hendrick's team has gone on to win 14 Cup Series Championships, and it's clear that Martinsville is a special place for the team. Byron's win marks their 29th win at the half-mile track including five of the last eight races.
Bubba Wallace, who started on the outside pole, was the first non Hendrick driver over the finish line in fourth, followed by reigning Cup Series Champion Ryan Blaney in fifth.
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