Hendrick Motorsports, the standard for NASCAR Sprint Cup success, is confident going into the 2016 season. The last team featured during the 2016 Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour beamed enthusiasm and confidence from top to bottom for the future.
HMS is looking to sweep the field during the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Owner Rick Hendrick is nothing but grateful for his 2016 team including freshman Chase Elliott, who will be driving the legendary No. 24 car.
“It doesn’t matter what kind of business you’re in, it’s the kind people,” said Hendrick. “We’re looking out of the windshield, not the rearview. We focus on the championships ahead, not the ones behind us.”
Hendrick was nominated and inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame Saturday, Jan. 16. Former NMPA President Brian Nelson awarded Hendrick with his honorary jacket and plaque.
The team also announced that Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will face-off this season as they partner with the up-and-coming movie, “Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Johnson (Superman) and Earnhardt Jr. (Batman) will sport their hero’s emblems on the hood of their race cars for the Auto Club 400 on March 20.
“I have driven both the Superman and Batman car in the past and was able to claim a win in the Batman car,” Earnhardt said. “I am excited to be a part of the program and it will definitely make the race more competitive between us.”
Elliott is confident in his abilities to fill the shoes of NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon as he takes on the No. 24 Chevrolet. Elliott believes that under the supervision of crew chief Alan Gustafson, he will excel in NASCAR’s premier series. Although the pace on track reaches speeds over 190 mph, Earnhardt advised Elliott to pace himself and enjoy life off the track as well.
“No matter where we start, the good, bad, ugly or great, if we can start at that point and progress, we can come out on top,” said Elliott. “We definitely have a winning race team. There are no excuses as long as I do my part to compete with really good runs.”
One could say that 2015 was a lackluster season for HMS, but the four drivers including the retired Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Johnson, and Earnhardt, won a combined nine races of the 36 on the tour, which is nothing to take lightly.
“We’re looking ahead,” Hendrick said, “and the future is bright.”
