Pocono Raceway has set the stage for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series’ doubleheader and the red-hot Hendrick Motorsports rolls into town looking to tie their NASCAR Cup Series Modern Era (1972-Present) consecutive wins record of six consecutive victories by the organization set back in 2007.

 

Hendrick Motorsport’s drivers have won the last five series events on the 2021 schedule – Alex Bowman (Dover), Chase Elliott (COTA) and Kyle Larson (Charlotte, Sonoma, Nashville) – making the 2021 season the fourth-time in the organization’s history to win five or more consecutive races in the series – twice in 2007 and once in 2014.

 

Six organizations in the Modern Era (1972-Presnt) have won four or more consecutive victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, led by Hendrick Motorsports with 7 different streaks of four or more wins. In total, in the Modern Era, streaks of four or more wins by a single organization has occurred 16 times. Hendrick Motorsports is the only organization in the Modern Era to win five or more Cup races consecutively. 

 

Organizations

Streaks of 4 or More Consecutive Wins

Seasons

Hendrick Motorsports

7

2021, 2014, 2007 three times, 1998, 1996

Joe Gibbs Racing

3

2016, 2015 two times

Junior Johnson & Assoc.

3

1992, 1981, 1976

Richard Childress Racing

1

1987

Jackson Brothers Motorsports

1

1991

Roush Fenway Racing

1

1993

 

Hendrick Motorsport’s set the Modern Era record for the most consecutive NASCAR Cup Series wins with six straight victories in 2007. Now, Hendrick Motorsports has the opportunity to not only tie but surpass their series record in this weekend’s doubleheader at Pocono.

 

Date

Track

Organization

Race Winners

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Talladega

Hendrick Motorsports

Jeff Gordon

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Charlotte

Hendrick Motorsports

Jeff Gordon

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Martinsville

Hendrick Motorsports

Jimmie Johnson

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Atlanta

Hendrick Motorsports

Jimmie Johnson

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Texas

Hendrick Motorsports

Jimmie Johnson

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Phoenix

Hendrick Motorsports

Jimmie Johnson

Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Pocono Raceway with 17 victories – Jeff Gordon (six), Tim Richmond (three), Jimmie Johnson (three), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Kasey Kahne (one), Geoff Bodine (one) and Terry Labonte (one). Hendrick Motorsport’s most recent win at Pocono was in 2014 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

Among HMS is Kyle Larson who enters this weekend with three straight wins. Larson, is looking to become just the ninth different driver in the Modern Era (1972-Present) to win four or more races consecutively and the 13th different driver to accomplish the feat all-time.

 

Rank

Driver

No.

From

To

1

Richard Petty

10

08/12/1967

10/01/1967

2

Richard Petty

6

07/14/1971

08/08/1971

3

Bobby Allison

5

05/30/1971

06/23/1971

4

Billy Wade

4

07/10/1964

07/19/1964

5

David Pearson

4

04/03/1966

04/11/1966

6

David Pearson

4

05/05/1968

05/18/1968

7

Cale Yarborough

4

09/12/1976

10/03/1976

8

Darrell Waltrip

4

09/27/1981

11/01/1981

9

Dale Earnhardt

4

03/29/1987

04/26/1987

10

Harry Gant

4

09/01/1991

09/22/1991

11

Bill Elliott

4

03/01/1992

03/29/1992

12

Mark Martin

4

08/08/1993

09/05/1993

13

Jeff Gordon

4

07/26/1998

08/16/1998

14

Jimmie Johnson

4

10/21/2007

11/11/2007

 

NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty holds the all-time record for the most consecutive races won in the NASCAR Cup Series at 10 straight in 1967. Currently, only NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (10 consecutive wins in 1967 and six in 1971) and Bobby Allison (five consecutive wins in 1971) are the only two drivers all-time to win five or more consecutive races in the series. If Larson were to sweep the doubleheader this weekend at Pocono, he would become just the third driver in series history to win five consecutive races.

 

Larson has made 12 series starts at Pocono Raceway posting three top fives and six top 10s; including a best finish of runner-up in 2018. He did not compete in the doubleheader at Pocono last season but won at the 2.5-mile track in 2016 in the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series event.

If anyone is going to put an end to Kyle Larson’s wins streak this weekend its most likely going to be one of the 10 former NASCAR Cup Series Pocono Raceway winners entered this weekend, led by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin with six career Pocono victories.

 

Pocono Active Winners

Wins

Seasons

Denny Hamlin

6

2020, 2019, 2010, 2009, 2006 sweep

Kyle Busch

3

2019, 2018, 2017

Kurt Busch

3

2016, 2007, 2005

Martin Truex Jr

2

2018, 2015

Kevin Harvick

1

2020

Ryan Blaney

1

2017

Chris Buescher

1

2016

Joey Logano

1

2012

Brad Keselowski

1

2011

Ryan Newman

1

2003

 

Four drivers entered this weekend have multiple wins at the Tricky Triangle – Denny Hamlin (six wins), Kyle Busch (three), Kurt Busch (three) and Martin Truex Jr. (two). 

 

Recently, Joe Gibbs Racing has been the organization to beat at Pocono Raceway winning six of the last seven races at the 2.5-mile track, the one exception was Kevin Harvick’s win last season (Race 1 of 2) for Stewart-Haas Racing.

 

Series standings leader Denny Hamlin is still looking for his first victory of the season, currently riding a winless streak that dates back 22 races to Talladega last October. Though Hamlin has been winless this season, he has posted nine top fives and 12 top 10s. Pocono Raceway is statically Hamlin’s best track on the Cup schedule. In 30 starts, the Chesterfield, Virginia native has posted six wins (tied for series-most with Jeff Gordon), 13 top fives and 20 top 10s. He also has the third-best average finish among active drivers at the track with a 11.2.

 

Hamlin’s JGR teammate, Kyle Busch is tied with his brother Kurt Busch for the second-most wins by an active driver at Pocono with three victories each. Kyle Busch will be one to watch this weekend, he has built some momentum lately posting five top 10s in the last seven races; including a win at Kansas and two third-place finishes (Darlington and Charlotte). Busch has made 32 starts at Pocono Raceway posting three wins (2017, 2018, 2019), nine top fives and 16 top 10s. Last season’s doubleheader was a mixed bag for Busch. In the first race he posted a fifth-place finish but was caught in an incident in the second race and finished 38th.

 

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. has two NASCAR Cup Series wins at Pocono Raceway and is looking get his third or maybe even fourth in this weekend’s doubleheader. Truex’s 2021 season was off to feverish pace at the beginning of the year winning three races (Phoenix, Martinsville, Darlington) in the first 12 events, but has since hit a skid, posting just one top-five finish in the last five races. With that said, Pocono could be the perfect track to right the No. 19 team’s ship. Truex has made 30 series starts at the Tricky Triangle posting two wins (2015, 2018), six top fives and 13 top 10s. In last season’s doubleheader at Pocono Truex posted back-to-back top 10s.