CONCORD, N.C. - It's been an incredible 40th anniversary for Hendrick Motorsports so far in 2024.
With four races remaining in the regular season, Rick Hendrick's group has won nine races in the NASCAR Cup Series (including two crown-jewel victories) and has locked all four drivers into the postseason via wins. From a statistical perspective, the team has accumulated 29 top-five results, 46 top-10 finishes and led 1,191 circuits at the front of the field.
As the run to the title draws near, take a trip back to the beginning of the campaign to see just how the group made it to this point in the season.
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Starting off red hot
The year began with a red-hot start from William Byron and the No. 24 team. After avoiding a late-race incident that shuffled the majority of the field, Byron held off a hard-charging pack of competitors to be in the lead when the caution flag was deployed. Since the No. 24 entry had already crossed the start/finish line, the race was complete, and Byron was scored as the winner. The result was the first DAYTONA 500 crown for Rick Hendrick's team since Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the sport's biggest race 10 years prior.
Dominance of the 1.5-mile circuits
It did not take long for the rest of the team to catch up to Byron's hot start. From the beginning of March to the beginning of May, Hendrick Motorsports won five of the 10 events. Of these wins, the group's success on 1.5-mile tracks was starting to show as Kyle Larson won his first race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
At the next track of this type, it was Chase Elliott who found victory lane. His win at Texas Motor Speedway snapped a 42-race winless streak and served as the exclamation point to his solid start to the year. But for the third 1.5-mile track the tour would visit in 2024, it was again Larson taking the checkered flag, this time in the closest finish in Cup Series history over Chris Buescher.
A special 40th anniversary celebration
Sandwiched in the middle of the victories on the 1.5-mile circuits was Byron's triumph at Martinsville Speedway. For the 400-mile main event, Hendrick Motorsports honored Geoff Bodine's first victory for the team in 1984 with all-red versions of their 2024 paint schemes.
In addition to the cars, the team hosted over 1,400 employees in the grandstands off of Turn Two. The patrons were treated to a special moment as Byron headlined a one, two, three finish for Rick Hendrick's team in Virginia. Although Hendrick himself was unable to attend, the team worked to bring a piece of the victory to his house the following day.
Summer strength
While the summer months have been a challenge for the teams of Hendrick Motorsports in the past, the group has found speed during the hot months of the year and put together three winning performances since the month of June.
Larson struck first with a hometown victory at Sonoma Raceway, which was followed by Alex Bowman's triumph at the Chicago Street Course. For Bowman, the win was his first career road course victory and locked his group into the postseason. Finally, Larson secured the third of four crown jewel victories by taking home the Brickyard 400.
Victory in the Xfinity Series
It's not possible to mention 2024 without calling out the No. 17 HendrickCars.com entry in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Since 2022, Hendrick Motorsports has fielded the part-time car in the division with a variety of drivers. However, the group finally broke through for the first time at Circuit of The Americas in March when Kyle Larson made his way past the leaders on the final lap to score an emotional victory.
That said, it would not be the only triumph for the group this season. Chase Elliott also captured the win at Charlotte Motor Speedway to bring the team back to victory lane. The group will return with Byron behind the wheel at Watkins Glen International in September.
The road ahead
With only four races remaining in the regular season, there is still plenty on the line before the postseason kicks off. Currently, Larson holds a 10-point advantage over Elliott in the race for the regular season crown with fellow competitor Tyler Reddick in hot pursuit as well. The winner of this battle will receive 15 playoff points with the runner-up earning 10, making these final four events a point of emphasis before Atlanta Motor Speedway's opening race.
Tune in on Sunday, August 11, at 6 p.m. ET to catch the Cup Series main event from Richmond Raceway with coverage on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).