NASCAR: 4 possible numbers for the fourth Hendrick Motorsports car

Possible Hendrick Motorsports car numbers: #5

The first option for Hendrick Motorsports to use for their fourth car is the number 5.

The number 5 has a lot of history when it comes to Hendrick Motorsports. It was the very first number used for the team when they made their start as “All Star Racing” back in 1984. The driver was Geoff Bodine, and he ran the #5 Chevrolet from 1984 to 1989.

During that time, he was able to score seven wins, but none bigger than the first one at Martinsville Speedway in 1984. That win kept Rick Hendrick from shutting down the team.

The first championship for the #5 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports came in 1996 when Terry Labonte beat out teammate Jeff Gordon to win his second title. Labonte spent 11 years behind the wheel of the #5 Chevrolet, the longest of any driver in that car.

Kyle Busch took over that car from Labonte and got his full-time start in the Cup Series in 2005. He drove the car full-time from 2005 to 2007 and scored four wins before he was replaced by Casey Mears ahead of the 2008 season.

After a disappointing 2008 season for the #5 team, Hendrick Motorsports brought in Mark Martin to drive the car. That almost resulted in a championship, as Martin won five races and finished runner-up in the standings behind teammate Jimmie Johnson. Martin drove the car until the end of the 2011 season before turning the ride over to Kasey Kahne.

Kahne drove the car from 2012 to 2017. He scored six wins over six seasons, with 2012 being his best season when he won two races and finished in fourth place in the championship standings.

Kahne was replaced by William Byron after the 2017 season, but Byron took over the #24 Chevrolet, as Chase Elliott moved from the #24 Chevrolet to a renumbered #9 Chevrolet.

Hendrick Motorsports have the option to bring back the number with which they started it all back in 1984.