Hendrick Motorsports has enjoyed unprecedented success at Atlanta Motor Speedway

HAMPTON — Going into Sunday’s Ambetter 400 NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has won 16 races at the track, the most of any car owner.

Hendrick swept last year’s races at AMS with William Byron winning the March race and Dawsonville native Chase Elliott winning the July race.

Other Hendrick drivers who have won at AMS include Darrell Waltrip (1989), Ken Schrader (1991), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011), Jerry Nadeau (2000), Jimmie Johnson (2004, 2007 sweep, 2015, 2016), and Kasey Kahne (2014).

Wood Brothers ranks second in all-time AMS wins with 12, with Joe Gibbs Racing in third with 11, and Richard Childress Racing fourth with nine.

2023 has brought success, controversy for Hendrick

Through four races in 2023, Hendrick drivers have been successful on the track while the team has been hit with penalties and fines for modifying louvers, which are parts that redirect air through the car hoods.

On Wednesday, NASCAR hit Hendrick Motorsports with a combined $400,000 in fines, four-race suspensions of four crew chiefs, deductions of 100 points and 10 playoff points for each driver (not including the injured Chase Elliott or his replacement Josh Berry).

Hendrick is appealing the fines and penalties with team VP of competition Chad Knaus saying Friday that Hendrick was not trying to break NASCAR rules.

Byron said Saturday that it’s giving the team extra motivation not just this weekend but the rest of the season.

“Certainly, the points is just something we adjust to early in the season,” he said. “The cars are extremely fast; we obviously had the pace last week to win regardless so we expect that to continue ... I really get excited about coming to the racetrack now. If anything, it just shows we’re not there yet and have more to prove; we have more to accomplish. That’s a dangerous thing right? We have a goal to win every week and we’re going to keep pushing for that.”

A rundown of how Hendrick drivers have done this season

Byron has won two races in a row at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway.

If he wins Sunday, he will become just the sixth active driver to win three or more consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races and the 25th all-time.

“It’s good to get two in a row the last couple of weeks,” Byron said. “I feel like we’re on a good roll. This was a good racetrack for us last year.”

Byron is the defending spring race winner at AMS, edging out Ross Chastain by a 0.145-seconds last March — the fourth-closest finish in the series at Atlanta.

Byron has led 240 laps this season and is ranked 29th in the points standings. 

Alex Bowman is the only driver with four consecutive top-10 finishes this season.

In four starts this season, Bowman has put up two top-fives and four top-10s. He leads the series in average finish this year with a 6.3 and is 23 rd in the points standings.

Kyle Larson has led 270 laps this year, more than any other driver in the Cup Series. He is 32nd in the points standings with two top-five finishes.

Berry, who is subbing for an injured Chase Elliott, is ineligible for points this year and has one top-10 finish.

In Saturday’s qualifying, Larson led the Hendrick contingent with a ninth-place spot, while Byron qualified 11 th . Bowman will start Sunday’s race in 15th and Berry will start 21st.

“I think Josh has been great,” Byron said. “He’s at a very big deficit with this car, it’s unlike anything you will drive. There’s so many things he has to learn and I think he’s done a great job.”