Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports Team Information:
Car No. | Driver | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
5 | Kyle Larson | Chevrolet |
9 | Chase Elliott | Chevrolet |
24 | William Byron | Chevrolet |
48 | Alex Bowman | Chevrolet |
Throughout the history of NASCAR, there hasn't been a single organization more successful than Hendrick Motorsports.
Founded in 1984 by Rick Hendrick, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based car dealership owner, Hendrick Motorsports (then known as All-Star Racing) embarked on a journey to compete at NASCAR's top-level.
After a few months, things looked bleak, with Hendrick telling Geoff Bodine and crew chief Harry Hyde that the team would need to shutter its program, due to a lack of sponsorship. Then, in April 1984, Bodine went to Martinsville and won, the first victory for Hendrick Motorsports. The rest was history.
So, the team continued forward, and within a couple of seasons became pioneers in NASCAR, as one of the first organizations to perfect the concept of a multi-entry team. Hendrick Motorsports would expand to field two full-time entries in 1986, and expand the following season to three full-time entries in 1987.
The addition of Jeff Gordon in 1993 sparked a new era for Hendrick Motorsports, in which the Pittsboro, Indiana-native began to shine. In 1995, Gordon won the organization its first NASCAR Cup Series title, and began a stretch of four straight championships -- three of which came from the No. 24 team.
By the conclusion of his 25-year career with Hendrick Motorsports, Gordon would collect 93 NASCAR Cup Series victories and four championships (1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001), retiring as one of NASCAR's all-time greats. Gordon now serves as the team's Vice Chairman.
In 2002, Hendrick Motorsports opened up a fourth full-time entry for Jimmie Johnson in the NASCAR Cup Series. Little did they know at the time, that it would become one of NASCAR's most historic numbers.
The El Cajon, California-native went on to become one of NASCAR's biggest stars, the second from Hendrick Motorsports in the matter of a decade. The No. 48 team, with Johnson behind the wheel, won five consecutive championships from 2006 to 2010, and then a sixth and record-tying seventh title in 2013 and 2016.
Aside from two of NASCAR's all-time greats, a number of successful and popular drivers have graced the driver's seat of a Hendrick Motorsports entry, including Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kyle Busch, and Kasey Kahne.
The four-car driver lineup for Hendrick Motorsports has remained unchanged since 2021, with Kyle Larson (No. 5), Chase Elliott (No. 9), William Byron (No. 24), and Alex Bowman (No. 48) bringing a great deal of success to the organization.
JOSEPH SRIGLEY