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NASCAR: Breaking Down Hendrick Motorsports’ Struggles

By Cole Mentzel

Feb 21, 2016; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (24) leads Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2016; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (24) leads Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 15, 2016; Dover, DE, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne (5) leads driver Jimmie Johnson (48) during the AAA 400 Drive For Autism at Dover International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
May 15, 2016; Dover, DE, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne (5) leads driver Jimmie Johnson (48) during the AAA 400 Drive For Autism at Dover International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O /

Hendrick Motorsports–one of NASCAR’s premier teams–has been battling a major slump in the past couple of months. Take a closer look at what’s gone wrong.

Hendrick Motorsports has been the top team in NASCAR for quite some time. Whether it was early drivers like Geoff Bodine and Tim Richmond or legends that got their start from Mr. Hendrick himself, like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, HMS has always been a competitive.

But in the past couple of seasons, it hasn’t seemed that way.

In 2015 Joe Gibbs Racing broke out. Their four Toyota teams combined for 14 wins as Kyle Busch went on to win the championship. While Hendrick Motorsport still came away with nine wins, there were obvious issues as Gordon was the only HMS driver to make it past the Contender 12 round of the Chase.

This season, things have took another bad turn. With just four races until the Chase beings, HMS has a total of just two wins (both from Jimmie Johnson), which is less than Stewart-Haas Racing, Team Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing.

Along the way, they’ve struggled to even finish in the top-10, with a two-month stretch consisting of the some terrible outings. As the season moves forward, HMS continues to fade. Let’s take a deeper look at each team.

Next: Trying To Keep Up

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