Hendrick Motorsports facts for kids
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| Owner(s) | Rick Hendrick Jeff Gordon (Vice Chairman) |
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| Base | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Series | NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Xfinity Series |
| Race drivers | Cup Series: 5. Kyle Larson 9. Chase Elliott 24. William Byron 48. Alex Bowman Xfinity Series: 17. William Byron, Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, Corey Day, Chase Elliott, Jake Finch, Rajah Caruth (part-time) |
| Manufacturer | Chevrolet |
| Opened | 1984 |
| Career | |
| Debut | Cup Series: 1984 Daytona 500 (Daytona) Xfinity Series: 1984 Goody's 300 (Daytona) Truck Series: 1995 Skoal Bandit Copper World Classic (Phoenix) ARCA Racing Series: 1985 Kroger 200 (IRP) |
| Latest race | Cup Series: 2020 FanShield 500 (Phoenix) Xfinity Series: 2025 BetRivers 200 (Dover) Truck Series: 2013 Lucas Oil 150 (Phoenix) ARCA Racing Series: 2014 Lucas Oil 200 (Daytona) |
| Races competed | 1,945 (Cup: 1,407; Xfinity: 305; Truck: 180; ARCA: 53) |
| Drivers' Championships | Total: 18 Cup Series: 14 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2020, 2021 Xfinity Series: 1 2003 Truck Series: 3 1997, 1999, 2001 ARCA Racing Series: 0 |
| Race victories | Total: 380 Cup Series: 317 Xfinity Series: 30 Truck Series: 26 ARCA Racing Series: 7 |
| Pole positions | Total: 332 Cup Series: 258 Xfinity Series: 44 Truck Series: 22 ARCA Racing Series: 8 |
Hendrick Motorsports is a top American car racing team. It competes in the NASCAR Cup Series, which is a very popular racing league. The team started in 1984 and was first called All-Star Racing. Rick Hendrick founded the team.
Hendrick Motorsports has won more NASCAR Cup Series races than any other team, with 317 wins. They have also won 14 Cup Series championships. The team has also won three Truck Series titles and one Xfinity Series championship. They have won many races in other series too.
Today, Hendrick Motorsports has four full-time teams in the Cup Series. These teams race Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 cars. The drivers are Kyle Larson (No. 5), Chase Elliott (No. 9), William Byron (No. 24), and Alex Bowman (No. 48). Many famous NASCAR drivers have raced for Hendrick Motorsports. These include Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.. The team also builds its own powerful engines.
Contents
Team History
Hendrick Motorsports began in 1984. It was started by Rick Hendrick, who owned car dealerships in Charlotte, North Carolina. The team was first named All-Star Racing. It worked with a skilled crew chief and car builder named Harry Hyde. In 1985, the team changed its name to Hendrick Motorsports.
The team grew over the years. By 2002, it had four full-time cars racing in NASCAR. Hendrick Motorsports was one of the first teams to be very successful with so many cars. They also brought new ideas to engine building and training their pit crews. Pit crews are the teams that quickly change tires and refuel cars during a race.
Hendrick Motorsports (as All-Star Racing) won its first race in 1984. This happened at Martinsville with driver Geoff Bodine in the No. 5 car. In 2021, Hendrick Motorsports made history. They won their 269th race at the 2021 Coca-Cola 600 with Kyle Larson. This win broke the record held by Petty Enterprises since 1960.
In 2023, Hendrick Motorsports worked with NASCAR, Chevrolet, and Goodyear Tires. They entered a special version of their NASCAR Cup car in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans race. This was part of NASCAR's 75th anniversary celebration.
NASCAR Cup Series
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Hendrick Motorsports raced in the Busch Series (now Xfinity Series) from 1984 to 1990. They returned from 2000 to 2007, mostly with the No. 5 car. After 2007, Hendrick Motorsports joined forces with JR Motorsports. This team is owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who used to drive for Hendrick. JR Motorsports now runs the No. 5 Chevrolets full-time. They get engines and technical help from Hendrick Motorsports. Rick Hendrick is also a partner in JR Motorsports. Hendrick Motorsports started racing part-time in the Xfinity Series again in 2022.
Car No. 5 History
The No. 5 car first raced in 1985. Brett Bodine drove it in 12 races and won three times. His brother, Geoff Bodine, also drove the car and won the season opener at Daytona.
In 2002, the No. 5 car became a full-time team. Rick Hendrick's son, Ricky Hendrick, was the driver. After Ricky was injured, Ron Hornaday Jr. took over for a few races. Ricky returned but later stopped driving due to his injuries. David Green finished the 2002 season.
In 2003, 19-year-old Brian Vickers drove the No. 5 car. He won three races and the Busch Series championship. The next year, Kyle Busch became the driver. In his first year, Kyle won five races and finished second in points. He continued to drive the No. 5 car part-time for several more years.
From 2005 to 2006, many drivers shared the No. 5 car. These included Adrián Fernández, Blake Feese, Boston Reid, Kyle Krisiloff, Jimmie Johnson, and Justin Labonte. Kyle Busch won races at Charlotte and Bristol during this time. In 2007, Kyle Busch won four more races in the No. 5 car. Mark Martin, Landon Cassill, and Casey Mears also drove the car that year.
From 2008 to 2018, the No. 5 team was run by JR Motorsports. Many different drivers raced the car during these years.
Car No. 15 History
Hendrick Motorsports started in the Busch Series in 1984 with the No. 15 car. Geoff Bodine won the team's first Busch Series race at Rockingham. Other drivers like Ron Bouchard, Dick Trickle, and Tim Richmond also drove the No. 15. Tim Richmond won a race at Charlotte in 1985 and another in 1986.
Rick Hendrick himself drove the No. 15 car in one race in 1987. Geoff Bodine won the Daytona season opener that year. Bodine also won races at Darlington in 1988 and 1989. After the 1990 season, Hendrick Motorsports stopped its Busch Series operations for a while.
Car No. 17 History
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Hendrick Motorsports returned to the Xfinity Series part-time in 2022. They raced the No. 17 car in three events. Kyle Larson raced at Road America, Alex Bowman at Indianapolis, and William Byron at Watkins Glen. Larson and Bowman both finished second in their races. Byron battled for the lead at Watkins Glen but finished 25th after a spin. Larson also finished fifth at Darlington.
In 2023, the No. 17 car raced in four Xfinity events. Byron, Larson, and Bowman each drove one race. Chase Elliott drove the No. 17 at Pocono. Boris Said and Rajah Caruth also raced the car later that year.
In 2024, the team had a ten-race schedule. Byron, Larson, Bowman, and Elliott all competed. Larson won the team's first Xfinity Series race since 2009 at the Circuit of the Americas. Elliott also won a race at Charlotte.
For 2025, the team announced a 16-race schedule. New development driver Corey Day is racing in 10 events. Byron, Bowman, Larson, and Elliott are sharing the remaining races. Larson won at Bristol, and Byron won at Charlotte. Jake Finch made his Xfinity Series debut at Dover.
Car No. 24 History
The No. 24 team started in 1999 as Gordon-Evernham Motorsports. It was owned by Jeff Gordon and crew chief Ray Evernham. Gordon and Ricky Hendrick shared the driving duties. In 2000, Rick Hendrick bought Evernham's share and renamed the team JG Motorsports.
In 2001, Hendrick Motorsports took full control of the team. Ricky Hendrick drove the No. 24 in three races. In 2002, three-time Truck Series champion Jack Sprague took over the No. 24 full-time. He won a race at Nashville and finished fifth in points. Sprague then moved to another team.
In 2007, the No. 24 car returned with Casey Mears and Landon Cassill as drivers. The team stopped racing after that season.
Car No. 48 History
The No. 48 car first appeared in the Busch Series in 2004. Jimmie Johnson drove it in one race at Charlotte and finished third. He raced the car in five races in 2005 and three races in 2006, with a best finish of seventh. Johnson continued to drive the No. 48 in three Busch races in 2007, with a best finish of fourth.
Car No. 57 History
In 2005, Hendrick Motorsports also raced the No. 57 car. This number was inspired by the "57 varieties" of Heinz products, a sponsor. Brian Vickers drove in most of the races for the No. 57 team in 2005 and 2006. Other sponsors included Lowe's and Mountain Dew.
Car No. 80 History
In 2009, Hendrick Motorsports raced a No. 80 car in one Xfinity Series race at Daytona. Tony Stewart drove this car and won the race. The number 80 showed how many car dealerships were part of the Hendrick Automotive Group.
Car No. 87 History
In 2003, Kyle Busch began racing in the Busch Series. He drove the No. 87 car in seven races. This was part of a partnership with NEMCO Motorsports. Kyle scored three top-ten finishes, including two second-place finishes.
In 2004, Blake Feese and Boston Reid also drove the No. 87 car in a few races.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Truck No. 5 History
In 1995, the team raced the No. 5 Chevrolet part-time. Terry Labonte drove it and won one race at Richmond. Roger Mears also drove the No. 5 truck in one race.
Truck No. 17 History
The No. 17 Truck Series team started in 2000. Ricky Hendrick drove it and had four top-ten finishes in six races. In 2001, Ricky Hendrick won his only Truck race at Kansas Speedway. He was the youngest driver at that time to win a truck race, at 21 years old. The team stopped racing after 2001.
Truck No. 24 History
The No. 24 truck started racing in 1995 with Scott Lagasse as the driver. He finished ninth in the standings.
In 1996, Jack Sprague drove the No. 24 full-time. He won five races and finished second in points. The next year, in 1997, he won three times and earned his first NASCAR championship.
Sprague won the championship again in 1999. In 2001, with NetZero as a sponsor, Sprague won his third championship. After Sprague moved to the Busch Series, Ron Hornaday Jr. drove the No. 24 truck in one race in 2002. The team then closed to focus on its Busch Series efforts.
Truck No. 94 History
Hendrick Motorsports brought back its truck racing program in 2013. They had a part-time team for Chase Elliott. The trucks were provided by Turner Scott Motorsports, but Hendrick Motorsports ran the team directly. Elliott made his debut at Martinsville Speedway and finished sixth.
Elliott became the youngest driver to win a pole position in Truck Series history at Bristol. He then became the youngest race winner in the Truck Series by winning at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. After 2013, Elliott left the No. 94 truck to join JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series.
ARCA Racing Series
Hendrick Motorsports raced cars in the ARCA series from 1985 to 1996. Brett Bodine raced twice and won the pole position for both races. Rick Hendrick also drove in one ARCA race in 1991. In 2000, Ricky Hendrick finished fifth in his first stock car race at Daytona.
Car No. 5 History
In 1985, Brett Bodine drove the No. 5 car in one ARCA race. He won the pole but finished 25th due to engine trouble.
In 2004, Hendrick development drivers Blake Feese, Boston Reid, and Kyle Krisiloff raced the No. 5 car in ARCA. Feese won a race at Nashville, and Krisiloff won at Chicagoland Speedway.
Car No. 7 History
In 2004, Boston Reid raced the No. 7 car at Talladega. In 2005, Kyle Krisiloff drove the No. 7 in 14 races. He had three top-five finishes and five top-ten finishes.
Car No. 9 History
In 2012, Hendrick Motorsports started racing the No. 9 Chevrolet for young driver Chase Elliott. His father, Bill Elliott, was listed as the owner. Chase made his debut at age 16 and earned a pole position and six top-ten finishes in six races.
Elliott returned to the team in 2013 and won his first ARCA race at Pocono Raceway. At 17 years old, he became the youngest driver to win on a superspeedway in ARCA history. He had four top-ten finishes that year, including the win.
Elliott raced in the 2014 ARCA season opener at Daytona. This helped him get approval to race in the Nationwide Series. He finished ninth in that race, even after being in a big crash. He went on to win the Nationwide Series Championship later that year.
Car No. 15 History
In 1986, Brett Bodine drove the No. 15 car in one ARCA race at Atlanta. He won the pole and finished second.
In 1991, Rick Hendrick drove the No. 15 car at Heartland Park Topeka. He finished 23rd in his only ARCA race.
Car No. 87 History
In 2003, Kyle Busch raced the No. 87 Chevrolet in seven ARCA RE/MAX Series races. He won three pole positions and two races. Busch also won the 2004 season opener at Daytona.
In 2007, Hendrick Motorsports brought back the No. 87 for young driver Landon Cassill. Cassill raced in three events, with two top-ten starts. He later moved to JR Motorsports.
Car No. 94 History
In 2004, Blake Feese won a race at Talladega in the No. 94 Chevrolet. In 2005, Feese raced the No. 94 car in the Daytona season opener. He was involved in a pit road crash during that race.
ARCA Series Wins
- 2003
- PFG Lester 150 at Nashville Superspeedway – Kyle Busch
- The Channel 5 205 at Kentucky Speedway – Kyle Busch
- 2004
- Advance Discount Auto Parts 200 at Daytona International Speedway – Kyle Busch
- PFG Lester 150 at Nashville Superspeedway – Blake Feese
- ReadyHosting.com 200 at Chicagoland Speedway – Kyle Krisiloff
- Food World 300 at Talladega Superspeedway – Blake Feese
- 2013
IndyCar Series
In 2024, Hendrick Motorsports joined with Arrow McLaren to race in the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Kyle Larson drove the No. 17 car. He became one of only a few drivers to try to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, a challenge known as "the Double." Larson finished 18th in the Indy 500.
The team announced that Larson also raced in the 2025 Indianapolis 500, where he finished 24th.
24 Hours of Le Mans
In 2023, Hendrick Motorsports took part in the famous 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France. They worked with NASCAR, Chevrolet, Goodyear, and IMSA. They entered a special version of their Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Cup car in an experimental category called Garage 56. The car was mostly like a regular Cup Series car but had some changes for endurance racing, like bigger fuel tanks and special brakes.
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The No. 24 car was driven by NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson, Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller, and former Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button. The team finished 39th out of 62 cars. This was a great achievement, as they even finished better than some cars in the regular GTE Am class. The car was later shown at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Plane Crash Tragedy
On October 24, 2004, a sad event happened. Ten people connected to Hendrick Motorsports passed away in a plane crash. They were flying from Concord, North Carolina, to an airport near the Martinsville Speedway. The plane crashed in heavy fog into a mountain.
Six of the people were Hendrick family members or team employees. These included John Hendrick, Rick Hendrick's brother and the team president; Jeff Turner, the general manager; Ricky Hendrick, Rick Hendrick's son and a team driver; Kimberly and Jennifer Hendrick, John Hendrick's twin daughters; and Randy Dorton, the chief engine builder. The plane's pilots, Richard Tracy and Elizabeth Morrison, also passed away. Two other people, Joe Jackson and Scott Lathram, were also on board.
NASCAR officials learned about the crash during the Subway 500 race that day. They waited until the race ended to tell the drivers. Hendrick driver Jimmie Johnson won that race. For the rest of the 2004 season, all Hendrick Motorsports cars showed pictures of those who passed away on their hoods. They also had the words "Always in our hearts" as a tribute.
See also
In Spanish: Hendrick Motorsports para niños
