For a precision, championship outfit like Hendrick Motorsports, Michigan remains a mystery.
Kasey Kahne’s seventh-place run was the lone bright spot for the organization, which left the two-mile track in total befuddlement for the second straight race.
Jimmie Johnson exited early with an engine failure after wrecking his primary car in practice and going to a backup chassis. Johnson finished 40th, to go with a 28th-place run in June, when he blew a tire while pursuing leader Greg Biffle in the closing laps.
Sunday was a double whammy for Johnson. Crew chief Chad Knaus had planned to use the primary chassis in the first Chase race at Chicagoland, but he’ll have to make other arrangements.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished 37th in June, came home 36th Sunday after blowing a right front tire and pounding the Turn 2 wall. Jeff Gordon, who was wiped out in an early accident not of his making in June and finished 39th, ran a pedestrian 17th on Sunday.
Kahne’s top 10 was a vast improvement over the 38th he posted in the first race at MIS, but it still left Hendrick Motorsports with an average finish of 30.25 in eight combined starts at the track this year.
There’s one bright spot, as far as HMS is concerned. Michigan isn’t in the Chase.
