CONCORD, N.C. – It is quite the feat anytime you can be mentioned in the same breath as Dale Earnhardt. This is the sentiment seven-time NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief and current vice president of competition at Hendrick Motorsports, Chad Knaus, shared upon reflection of his 2016 win at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The previous two off seasons marked the start of change within the organization and one can trace several strands to where it is today.
The great Jeff Gordon had stepped away from competition after 2015 and into the broadcast booth at FOX Sports. He left a seat open on the Hendrick Motorsports Cup Series roster that would end up being filled by the 2014 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, Chase Elliott. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne were both in their second year with new crew chiefs at the helm.
Knaus and driver Jimmie Johnson were the biggest constants, and their dominance was still felt across the sport. Atlanta was the second race of the year and the rough pavement was very much a factor for everyone to consider. The pair who had won 75 times together, including four at Atlanta, was out to continue their success.
“Tire falloff back then was extremely high at Atlanta, so managing your tires was always a huge concern,” Knaus said. “We felt good about our tire management as an organization compared to others and knew it might come into play.”
Tires indeed proved to been a huge factor as many cars had issues throughout the day.
As the race wore on, Kevin Harvick was strong with Johnson just behind him in second, but with 49 to go Knaus made a risky call to pit just inside their fuel window and push the tires farther than anyone in the field had all day. Considering that several cars earlier in the day had tire problems with 40 laps on them, adding an extra nine laps was a challenge.
“Johnson is a heck of a race car driver,” Knaus explained. "He was so good at managing his tires and we made the call based upon his ability.”
Harvick pitted 11 laps later. By the time he exited pit road, Johnson had opened up an 11.5-second lead thanks to the extra grip the newer Goodyear Eagles provided early in his run. The two questions at that point were whether Harvick could close the gap and if Johnson’s tires would hold up.
“We knew that at a certain point [lap] times would plateau and you would be stuck,” Knaus said. “That’s exactly what happened with (Harvick) that day by the end of the run.”
With three laps to go, Johnson held a five-second lead, until a caution flew due to a tire failure on Ryan Newman’s No 31 car. With several lapped cars behind him, a fast pit stop for four tires and fuel held the No. 48 team in first place coming off of pit road.
On the first overtime restart Johnson got a perfect jump. Then on the backstretch, another caution flew as he crossed the overtime line, etching his name in the history books with career win No. 76 to tie Dale Earnhardt. On his victory lap, Johnson held three fingers out the window in tribute to “The Intimidator.”
“It was a great win for us,” Knaus said. “To be mentioned alongside Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time champion was special.”
It wouldn’t be the only time that season Earnhardt, Johnson and Knaus would be mentioned in the same sentence as the No. 48 team would go on to secure its seventh and final championship.
The 2016 win by Johnson and Knaus is the most recent for Hendrick Motorsports at Atlanta Motor Speedway. When asked what it will take to get back to victory lane there in Sunday’s race, Knaus said it will be a lot different due to the repave the track underwent in the offseason.
“I expect there to be a lot of drafting, similar to what you would see at Daytona and Talladega,” Knaus explained. “Fuel mileage could also play a factor, we just won’t know until we get there. Tire falloff will not be the same as in the past.”
Catch the action Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio as Hendrick Motorsports goes for its record-extending 15th win at Atlanta.