Hendrick comes up short, again

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, looks on from his car during practice for the NASACAR Sprint Cup Series 400 at Kansas Speedway on April 20, 2012 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, looks on from his car during practice for the NASACAR Sprint Cup Series 400 at Kansas Speedway on April 20, 2012 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

So far this season, Hendrick Motorsports has been waiting on its next win. When it comes it will be the 200th for the storied NASCAR powerhouse. Prior to Sunday it had been 13 races since they had won; the second longest losing streak in the team’s history.  It looked like it would happen in Martinsville, then the week after in Texas Jimmie Johnson finished second, oh so close to that all-elusive win.

It seemed like the ship could be righted in Kansas. After all while it had been 13 races; the last time they won was in Kansas in the fall last season when Jimmie Johnson went to victory lane.  And Hendrick Motorsports also has more wins at Kansas than any other NASCAR team.  Surely Kansas would break the drought. After traveling to every race since last fall hoping for that win, team owner Rick Hendrick hoped he could finally celebrate along with his employees a major milestone in NASCAR history.

It wasn’t to be however as the team came up short, yet again in Sunday’s STP 400.

Johnson seemed to have the best chance among the four Hendrick Motorsports Chevys. After starting 15th, Johnson soon raced his way forward and by lap 69 was contending for the lead. Not long after he dropped back but was still running in the top five with teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. close behind. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.