CONCORD, N.C. - Much like nearly any event in the NASCAR Cup Series, Hendrick Motorsports has piled up its fair share of success in the Clash.
The preseason opener in stock car racing's premier series will kick off the 2025 NASCAR season on Sunday in a new home at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
For the fourth straight year, the Clash will be held on a quarter-mile short track after three straight seasons at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Prior to that, the event was held at Daytona International Speedway as part of Speedweeks since its creation in 1979.
Over the years the format and the stakes have certainly changed. For the most part, NASCAR's winningest organization stayed on top of it as Hendrick Motorsports earned seven wins in the event, good enough for third most all time.
Here is a look at each of those victories:
Ken Schrader, 1989
In terms of sheer speed, no one could seemingly match Schrader at Daytona in a three-year window from 1988-1990. He won the pole for the DAYTONA 500 in all three of those years and won the Clash in 1989 and 1990. In '89, he also won his Daytona Duel race and remains just one of two drivers to win the DAYTONA 500 pole, the Clash and a Duel in the same year (Buddy Baker, 1979). Schrader led 15 of the Clash's 20 laps in '89 and held off a pair of Fords in Davey Allison and Terry Labonte in getting to the checkered flag first.
Ken Schrader, 1990
Schrader took home all the money in 1990, winning $10,000 for leading lap 5, $15,000 for leading lap 10, $20,000 for leading lap 15 before then taking the grand prize in clinching his second straight victory in the Clash. Hounding him down the stretch was Greg Sacks, also running in a Hendrick Motorsports car that sported the No. 46 City Chevrolet paint scheme made famous in the movie, "Days of Thunder".
Jeff Gordon, 1994
Having finished off his first full season, coming home 14th in points the year prior, Gordon entered 1994 and would soon change the trajectory of his life and career with victories in the Coca-Cola 600 and the Brickyard 400 that year. But first, he claimed victory in the preseason event at Daytona, a Speedweek marred by the crash and death of Neil Bonnett. That year's race included two 10-lap segments with a halftime bonus and break. Dale Earnhardt claimed $25,000 for leading at lap 10 and then the field was inverted. Gordon finished the first segment fourth and restarted in 10th after the invert. After following Earnhardt through the field, Gordon pulled to the inside to make it three-wide on the backstretch with two laps to go, getting a crucial push from Brett Bodine and cruising to a victory at age 22.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS: See Chase Elliott's Kelley Blue Book paint scheme for 2025
Jeff Gordon, 1997
Gordon started shotgun on the field, taking the green flag in 14th. Throughout stage one, he and Earnhardt hovered in the back, waiting for the field inversion after 10 laps. Gordon restarted the second segment in third and quickly charged to the front. Rusty Wallace, who finished second, never mounted a serious charge down the stretch and Gordon rolled to the win. It was a sign of better things to come as Gordon would lead a 1-2-3 finish in the DAYTONA 500 that week, becoming the youngest driver to win the Great American Race at the time.
Jimmie Johnson, 2005
By 2005, the Clash had long since ditched its 20-lap running distance for more robust 70-lap format. It began with a 20-lap sprint and was followed by a 10-minute intermission and then a final run to the checkers of 50 laps. The field was also expanded to 21 cars. Johnson finished the first segment in second place. For much of the first half of the second segment, Johnson ran second to Greg Biffle but the No. 48 came off of pit road first after green-flag stops. Johnson led 16 laps including the final one.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2008
Earnhardt Jr.'s first competitive run for Hendrick Motorsports was a winning one as he paced a race-record 46 circuits in cruising to a victory. It marked Earnhardt Jr.'s second victory in the 30th Clash ahead of the 50th running of the DAYTONA 500. After a late restart with three laps to go, Earnhardt Jr. got a key push on the high side from new teammate Johnson to clear Tony Stewart and he held the field off the rest of the way.
Jimmie Johnson, 2019
A rain-plagued event was cut short by 16 laps and featured a red flag delay after 10 circuits. With 20 to go, Johnson took a shove from Kurt Busch and pulled to the inside of Paul Menard for the lead. Menard attempted to throw a block and made contact with Johnson, sending Menard spinning back through the field, collecting cars along the way. Johnson was shown as the leader at the time of the yellow flag and shortly after, the rains arrived, putting an end to the event. It would mark Johnson's last trip to victory lane in his illustrious career at Hendrick Motorsports.