By: RJ Kraft and Tyler Deering
CONCORD, N.C. - The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season saw Hendrick Motorsports cross several major milestones -- 300 Cup Series wins and 500 national series wins for the engine shop. The organization led the series in wins (10), top-five finishes (42), top-10s (67) and stage wins (19). Two drivers -- Kyle Larson and William Byron -- reached the Championship 4, marking the fourth straight season that the team placed at least one driver in the title race and the second time in three years that it had two drivers in the running for crown up to the end.
With the 2023 season in the books, we look back at the team's notable moments in 2023 (in chronological order).
A hot start on the beach: On the same day that his three-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports was announced, Alex Bowman earned the pole position for the 2023 DAYTONA 500. The top starting spot came with new crew chief Blake Harris calling the shots for the No. 48 Ally Racing team. For Bowman, it marked his record sixth straight front-row start for "The Great American Race." The pole was the eighth in nine years for Hendrick Motorsports in the DAYTONA 500. With teammate Larson set to start second, the organization earned its third consecutive front-row sweep. Four days later, Bowman became the first pole sitter to finish in the top five of the DAYTONA 500 since Bill Elliott did so in 2001.
RELATED: Scenes from the 1-2 qualifying sweep at Daytona
Byron goes back-to-back: Few, if any, drivers in the Cup Series had a hotter start this season than Byron. Despite a tough opening two races in 2023, the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet heated up to close out the West Coast swing. At Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he led 176 of 271 laps, swept the stages and scored the win over Larson in an overtime finish. The following week at Phoenix Raceway, Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle again took advantage of a late-race caution to score a second victory in a row. It was the first time that Byron had won consecutive races in the sport’s top series.
RELATED: See all of William Byron's wins at Hendrick Motorsports
Top-three sweep: In that same race that Byron won at Las Vegas, Hendrick Motorsports swept the top-three finishing positions. Larson took second and Bowman finished third. The result marked the third 1-2-3 finish in the organization’s history and the first since the historic top-four sweep at Dover Motor Speedway in May 2021.
Testament to depth: Following penalties assessed to the organization after Phoenix, all four crew chiefs were suspended for four races. Although the points penalties were eventually overturned by the National Motorsports Appeals Panel, the crew chief penalties were upheld. Kevin Meendering (No. 5), Tom Gray (No. 9), Brian Campe (No. 24) and Greg Ives (No. 48) each stepped in, with Meendering serving as the crew chief for Larson’s win at Richmond Raceway. Injuries to Chase Elliott (fractured tibia - missed six races) and Bowman (fractured vertebra - missed four events) saw the team turn to Josh Berry and Jordan Taylor as fill-in drivers. Berry earned a runner-up finish at Richmond in the No. 9 car and won the All-Star Open in the No. 48 (more on that below), while Taylor impressed with a fourth-place starting spot in his first-ever stock car start of any kind.
No. 17 rides again: Hendrick Motorsports returned to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with the No. 17 Chevy Camaro for a handful of starts in 2023. Larson competed in two races while Byron, Elliott and Bowman each made one start in the car. Rajah Caruth also hopped into the driver’s seat at Phoenix during the season finale. In six races, the team earned three top-five finishes, led 68 laps and won a pole position at Sonoma.
Virginia is for Larson: Larson’s fortunes turned around very quickly over two races in three weeks. On what would have been Ricky Hendrick’s 43rd birthday, Larson drove the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to victory lane at Richmond. The car carries the same paint scheme that Hendrick drove in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, creating a full circle moment for the organization. Two weeks later, Larson triumphed again, this time at Martinsville Speedway. That track has been so tough on Larson over the years that after the race he said, "I never would have thought that I would here." In between the wins, the 30-year-old driver was honored with a spot on NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list.
RELATED: Recap all of Kyle Larson's wins at Hendrick Motorsports
100 Wins for the No. 24: Not only was Byron’s victory at Darlington a case of redemption after his near win at the South Carolina track last season, but it also marked the No. 24’s 100th win in the Cup Series. The iconic number became the fifth in Cup Series history to record at least 100 wins, with Byron responsible for the last seven victories and team vice chairman Jeff Gordon earning the first 93 wins. "There’s so much history with the No. 24, starting with Jeff," Byron said. "I’ve learned so much from him over the years, and we continue to share the passion for making the 24 car win races and compete on the track. I’m glad we can keep the legacy of the 24 going with our current team."
RELATED: See all 100 wins for the No. 24 Chevy in the NASCAR Cup Series
All-Star Sunday sweep: North Wilkesboro Speedway made its return to NASCAR competition by hosting the All-Star Race weekend. In the All-Star Open, Berry raced his way into the main event by becoming the 23rd driver to win a Cup Series event (counting points and non-points events) for Hendrick Motorsports. In the All-Star Race, Larson dominated the show, leading 145 laps (and all but one of the last 146 laps) to score the million-dollar win. This was his third victory in the exhibition event, tying him with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for the second-most wins in event history.
RELATED: Scenes from victory lane for Larson at North Wilkesboro
Pit road power: The pit crews of Hendrick Motorsports were impressive in 2023. The Nos. 24 and 5 pit crews ranked first and second in the fastest four-tire stop average time with Byron's crew clocking in at 10.934 seconds and Larson's crew at 11.033 seconds. The depth of pit road talent extended to Le Mans, where the Hendrick Motorsports pit crew took home honors in the Pit Stop Challenge.
RELATED: Pit Stop Challenge victory brings lasting memories for Le Mans crew
Off to Le Mans: In collaboration with NASCAR, Chevrolet, Goodyear and IMSA, Hendrick Motorsports fielded the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at the 100th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car, a modified version of the Next Gen vehicle, was entered in the Garage 56 category – a special class of one for innovation. The star-studded driver lineup included seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Formula One champion Jenson Button and two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller. Four-time IMSA champion Jordan Taylor served as a coach for the group. Hendrick Motorsports vice president of competition Chad Knaus and crew chief Greg Ives oversaw the project. The car was a hit overseas and ran lap times that were better than cars in the GT class. The entry completed the race, finishing 39th in the 62-car field and completed 285 laps around the 8.467-mile Circuit de la Sarthe.
PHOTOS: The sights of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Summer night in Atlanta: Byron's fourth victory of the season showcased the No. 24's team grind-it-out, never-give-up approach at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After a pit road safety violation and a spin through the turf on the front stretch, the night was not going to plan in any way. However, crew chief Rudy Fugle used the opportunity to get on a different strategy, vaulting his driver to the front of the pack while other competitors hit pit road. As a Georgia thunderstorm rolled in, Byron was scored the leader and earned his fourth victory of 2023.
Success on the rights and lefts: With the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and Watkins Glen International holding back-to-back weeks on the calendar, good road course drivers needed to seize the moment. In the first event, Elliott put in an impressive run, ultimately settling for a runner-up finish behind race winner Michael McDowell. Shortly behind the No. 9 was Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Racing team with a strong top-five result. The following week at Watkins Glen, Byron dominated from stage two on, claiming his fifth win of the year and his first victory on a road course.
Engine department reaches 500 wins: Despite having several near misses at Darlington throughout his career, Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team were finally victorious at the track "Too Tough to Tame" when they went to victory lane in the Southern 500 to open the postseason. The Cliff Daniels-led group made consistent gains on the car's speed as track conditions changed, providing Larson the opportunity to drive away from the competition in the final sixth of the race. The victory was also the 500th engine win for Hendrick Motorsports across all national series.
RELATED: Notable wins for the engine department | See all 301 Cup wins
The Big 300: In "The Lone Star State," a Rick Hendrick-owned car won a Cup Series main event for the 300th time. This time, it was Byron and the No. 24 group that found victory lane. After an up-and-down day, Fugle used every opportunity he could to work on the balance of the race car. As the race drew to a close, Byron capitalized on a restart to take the lead with six laps remaining, earning the historic victory for Hendrick Motorsports.
Heating up at the right time: Elliott narrowly missed out on making the driver's portion of the 2023 playoffs. However, the No. 9 entry was able to land a spot in the owner playoffs thanks to Elliott and the performances of substitute drivers Berry, Taylor and Corey LaJoie. With few playoff points compared to the competition, Elliott began the postseason with a string of good runs. During the first six postseason races, Elliott finished no lower than 11th and surpassed 5,000 Cup Series laps led at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. Although he was eliminated from the owner playoffs at the end of the Round of 8, it was an impressive run to reach that round.
Road to Indy: Larson completed the Rookie Orientation Program (ROP) for the 2024 Indianapolis 500 and logged his first on-track laps behind the wheel of an IndyCar in October at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 2021 Cup Series champion is looking to complete the #Hendrick1100, the Memorial Day weekend double of the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600. Announced in January, the prestigious Arrow McLaren team is preparing the effort for Larson’s Indy 500 run. HendrickCars.com is sponsoring both efforts and Hendrick is the car owner for both. This marks the NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner’s first foray into IndyCar ownership.
RELATED: See the livery of the #Hendrick1100 cars | See the prep for Indy
Down to the wire: For the second time during the playoffs, Larson found a way to victory in the opening race of a playoff round. This time, it was in the Round of 8 at Las Vegas. Out front late in the race, the driver of the No. 5 entry held off a hard-charging Christopher Bell, edging his competitor to the line in a side-by-side battle with a spot in the Championship 4 on the line. The victory was Larson's fourth points-paying victory and took the pressure off the team for the final two races in the Round of 8.
Fighting until the end: Both Larson and Byron represented Hendrick Motorsports in the Championship 4 at Phoenix. To start the weekend, Byron put his No. 24 Chevy on the pole for the season finale. Byron won stage one and led the Championship 4 drivers for 205 laps, but he could not keep eventual champion Ryan Blaney at bay. Larson got the championship lead off pit road with 30 laps left, but he was able to stay in front. Ultimately, Larson and Byron finished the race in third and fourth, while they were second and third in the final standings, respectively. While the year did not end with confetti in victory lane, the accomplishments of these two should not be overlooked. The Larson-Byron duo combined for 10 victories, 17 stage wins, 2,143 laps led and 30 top-five finishes.
SEASON RECAPS: Alex Bowman | Chase Elliott | William Byron | Kyle Larson
All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers will enter 2024 with one goal in mind: bringing home a 15th title to Concord, North Carolina.