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NASCAR: Hendrick Motorsports Season Recap

By Cole Mentzel

May 21, 2016; Concord, NC, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) and driver Chase Elliott (24) race down the front stretch during the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
May 21, 2016; Concord, NC, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) and driver Chase Elliott (24) race down the front stretch during the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 10, 2016; Richmond, VA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon (88) races during the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Richmond, VA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon (88) races during the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports /

The No. 88 Team

Drivers: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Alex Bowman

Crew chief: Greg Ives

2016 stats:

  • Wins: 0
  • Top-5’s: 5
  • Top-10’s: 11
  • Laps Led: 260
  • Average Finish: 16.3
  • Poles: 1

It’s safe to say the season didn’t go as planned for the No. 88 team, but they still stayed competitive and raced hard until the end.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in the car for the first 18 races of the season. He failed to get a win but did finish second on four different occasions (Atlanta, Texas, Bristol, Pocono). He led laps at Daytona, Phoenix and Pocono and had a couple of shots at a win but never could get it done.

After it was announced that he had concussion-like symptoms, Jeff Gordon stepped up and took over for Earnhardt Jr. He had eight starts and earned solid finishes with his best coming at Martinsville–one of his favorite tracks–as he finished sixth. That could’ve very well been his final race in NASCAR.

There were a few weekends where Gordon wasn’t in the car, and the four-time champion only raced twice in the Chase. When he wasn’t driving, 23-year-old Alex Bowman got behind the wheel.

Bowman’s finishes make his season look a lot worse than it actually was. He was running well at Loudon before he had a tire go down that sent him back in the field. Then at Talladega, he was in the top-5 late before spinning and finishing 36th. Despite a few good days going bad, Bowman still looked like a good young driver.

He finished 10th at Chicagoland and seventh at Kansas before having the best outing in his NASCAR career. Coming from Tucson, Arizona, Phoenix served as his home track. It was there that he put on a show. Bowman won the pole for the race and went on to lead 194 laps, owning multiple restarts.

He was put in a bad spot late as Matt Kenseth came down on him and caused a wreck. Despite that, Bowman still finished 6th. Throughout the ten races he was in the No. 88 car, he put in a good showing and will be looking for a full-time ride for 2017.

Must Read: Top Five Races During The NASCAR Offseason

While 2016 was not the year that the No. 88 team expected to have, they still made use of some of the best cars in NASCAR and put together a few valiant efforts. If all goes well, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be back next season.

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