Chevrolet celebrates 700th Cup competition win

Jimmie Johnson’s win of the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet scored the 700th all-time victory for Chevrolet in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition. This unprecedented win secured an important milestone for Chevrolet as the most successful manufacturer in NASCAR history. In addition to reaching this 700th win for the brand, Johnson brought the Chevy Impala to Victory Lane for the 151st time in the nameplate’s history.

“We are so very proud of Jimmie and his win today at Texas Motor Speedway, said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “On behalf of everyone at Chevrolet, we congratulate the entire No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team in this momentous victory. The unparalleled dedication and tireless effort of all our Team Chevy members have made this important achievement possible. We salute all the drivers, team owners, and crews for their performance and contribution in securing each and every one of the 700 wins for Chevrolet from 1955 – 2012 in NASCAR’s elite division.”

Chevrolet’s rich heritage in NASCAR competition began when Fonty Flock took the checkered on March 26, 1955 at Columbia Raceway in Columbia, South Carolina in his ‘55 Chevy. Fifty-seven years later the ‘Bowtie Brand’ has continued to set the mark.

“Chevrolet has a storied history in NASCAR competition,” said Mark Kent, Director of Chevrolet Racing. “Behind every single one of the 700 victories has been dedicated and talented Team Chevy drivers, car owners and crews who have worked together to create a tradition of excellence. They are supported by our formidable group of Chevy engineers and specialists that enhance the depth and legacy of the Chevrolet brand in NASCAR. We are truly proud of this accomplishment.”

This win was Johnson’s 60th NASCAR Sprint Cup career victory and fifth of 2012.

“This is a great performance by the entire No. 48 Lowe’s Team all weekend long”, said Johnson. To win the pole, lead the most laps, and then win the race is a big deal. The significance of 700 wins for Chevrolet is really huge for Hendrick Motorsports. It’s also big for me. The only thing I’ve ever raced throughout my career has been a Chevy. They gave me my first opportunity back when I was 15 years old and put me in an off-road stadium truck to help develop a new truck that was coming along. And I’ve been with them ever since. So, it’s very cool to hit this landmark number for Chevy and I’m very proud of the efforts.”

“I think this is a pretty big deal”, added winning crew chief, Chad Knaus. “We have a long relationship with Chevrolet and we’ve won a lot of races with them. We were able to clinch the Manufacturer’s Cup Championship for Chevy last week in Martinsville, VA; and to be able to come back this weekend and get win the 700th victory I think is really cool. Hendrick Motorsports is extremely dedicated to the product of Chevrolet and to be able to do that is an honor.”

MILESTONE VICTORIES LIST:
1st WIN: 3/26/55 - Fonty Flock, Columbia, SC
100th WIN: 7/07/62 - Rex White - Columbia, SC
200th WIN: 6/11/78 - Benny Parsons - Riverside, CA
300th WIN: 4/20/86 - Dale Earnhardt, Sr. - North Wilkesboro, NC
400th WIN: 9/10/94 - Terry Labonte - Richmond, VA
500th WIN: 8/12/01 - Jeff Gordon - Watkins Glen, NY
600th WIN: 3/25/07 - Kyle Busch - Bristol, TN
700th WIN: 11/4/12 – Jimmie Johnson – Ft. Worth, TX

DURATION BETWEEN MILESTONE WINS:
1st to 100th: 2660 days = 7 years, 3 months, 10 days
100th to 200th: 5818 days = 15 years, 11 months, 3 days
200th to 300th: 2870 days = 7 years, 10 months, 8 days
300th to 400th: 3065 days = 8 years, 4 months, 20 days
400th to 500th: 2528 days = 6 years, 11 months, 1 day
500th to 600th: 2051 days = 5 years, 7 months, 12 days
600th to 700th: 2049 days = 5 years, 7 months, 8 days

WINS BY NAMEPLATE:
Bel Air or Biscayne = 54
Chevelle/Chevelle Laguna/Laguna S-3 = 36
Camaro = 2
Lumina = 61
Monte Carlo/Monte Carlo SS = 396
Impala/Impala SS = 151
Total Chevrolet Wins: 700

Chevrolet’s accolades in NASCAR racing are vast. To date, the manufacturer has earned 28 Driver’s titles and 36 Manufacturer’s Cup championships as a result of its 700 victories. No manufacturer has carried more drivers and teams to championships in NASCAR’s premier division than Chevrolet.

Team Chevy Racing