Backstretch Motorsports

Fontana, CA — Saying that 3-Time NASCAR Sprint Jimmie Johnson has a really strong affinity for the Auto Club Speedway is understatement.

For months, the defending champion has been saying the addition of ACS to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup was a gift to his No. 48 team.

In Sunday’s Pepsi 500, Johnson proved it—and grabbed the points lead from Mark Martin in the process. Johnson’s win also left runner-up Jeff Gordon conceding that his Hendrick Motorsports teammate is in a class by himself. [read more...]

Qualifying Fast Facts
Kansas Speedway
Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods
Coors Light Pole Winner: Mark Martin
Age: 50
Team : No. 5 - CARQUEST/Kellogg’s Chevrolet
Owner: Mary Hendrick
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson [read more...]

JOLIET, Ill. (July 11, 2009) — Body-slamming and bump-drafting were the order of the day — at 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway, no less — and 50-year-old Mark Martin was the last man standing in a wild LifeLock.com 400.

Pulling away after a double-file restart with two laps left in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race, Martin won his series-best fourth race of the season and the 39th of his career. Martin gained two positions to 11th in the standings and will have at least 40 bonus points for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup seven races hence, if he can hold a position in the top 12. [read more...]

BROOKLYN, MICH. — There’s an old saying in NASCAR racing that goes like this, “To finish first…… first you have to finish.”

Mark Martin has heard that saying many times before and never has it meant any more.

While Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle were running out of gas with just one lap remaining, Martin cruised by to pick up his third win of the season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
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Q. DALE EARNHARDT HAS TALKED OFTEN ABOUT HOW MUCH HE LOVED WORKING WITH TONY EURY JR. DOES WORKING WITH LANCE HELP HIM STOMACH THIS?

HENDRICK: “That’s a hard question. Success will take care of anything. You love working with someone, but when you’re not getting the job done, when it’s not working and you become and everybody’s kind of scratching their heads then you have to change something. You just can’t go back the same way. I talked to Tony this morning. He was bubbly and laughing. Sure they would like to work together, and sure, they’re cousins and they care for each other. But both of them want to be successful and I think both of them want to be successful first. [read more...]

MODERATOR : “Good afternoon, everyone. Thanks for your time. We understand it’s a travel day for a lot of people. A few housekeeping items before we get started. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be available on Friday afternoon — that’s tomorrow in the Dover media center. The time on that is 2:30 p.m. Lance McGrew and Brian Whitesell will be available in the media center at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning.

“Mr. Hendrick is here, and he’s available to take some questions. First off, Mr. Hendrick, why don’t you address the announcement this morning and talk about some of the key players involved in this effort with the No. 88 team?”
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CONCORD, N.C. (May 6, 2009) - Mark Martin will return to drive the No. 5 Chevrolets of Hendrick Motorsports for the entire 36-race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season in 2010. It will be the 22nd full-time Cup campaign of Martin’s career and his second with car owner Rick Hendrick.

Last July, Martin signed a two-year contract with Hendrick Motorsports covering one full Sprint Cup season in 2009 and one part-time schedule of 26 events in 2010. The revised agreement was signed this week. [read more...]

FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Jeff Gordon can rest easy. He won again Sunday… the first time in 47 races.

The four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion held off teammate Jimmie Johnson the last 26 laps to win the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

This one, the 87th win of Gordon’s fabled career, was a dandy. It came on a day when a bunch of hard-charging drivers had the lead at one time or another. [read more...]

Martinsville, VA – Three-time and defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) champion Jimmie Johnson scored his first victory of the 2009 season in the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Johnson’s victory came on the 25th anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports first-ever NSCS win, also at Martinsville Speedway with driver Geoff Bodine.

An aggressive pass of Denny Hamlin on Lap 485 of the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 gave Johnson the lead Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, and he pulled away to beat Hamlin by .774 seconds. The victory was Johnson’s first of the season and the 41st of his career; he now has six wins at Martinsville—five in the past six races. It was Hendrick’s 18th win at the .526-mile track.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 23, 2009) – Last Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway saw two teammates battle for the win, as Kyle Busch yet again found Victory Lane, this time ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.
It will probably happen again this Sunday.
But this time, watch for two Hendrick Motorsports teammates to toss allegiances aside in the name of victory.
Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are in a class by themselves when discussing Martinsville favorites.
The two have combined for an absurd nine of the last 12 Martinsville wins. Johnson has five during that span to Gordon’s four.

[read more...]