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Home > Blog > Tag: hendrick+motorsports

Martin to drive the No. 5 in 2009

Mark Martin, a 35-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner and the all-time leader in NASCAR Nationwide Series victories, has signed a two-year agreement to drive for Hendrick Motorsports beginning in 2009. A Batesville, Ark., native, Martin also is slated to run a partial Sprint Cup schedule for Hendrick Motorsports in 2010, sharing the No. 5 Chevys with a to-be-determined second driver. Martin will enter 26 events, including the non-points Budweiser Shootout and NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Martin, 49, will be paired with crew chief Alan Gustafson, who now is in his fourth season at the helm of the No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet team. Gustafson has posted four Sprint Cup wins as a crew chief and has a history with Martin, having worked with him in multiple Nationwide Series events.  (From HendrickMotorsports.com)

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Stewart to fill Mears’ spot at Hendrick?

Theories are already starting to fly around who will fill Casey Mears' spot in the No. 5 at Hendrick next year.  Here's an interesting article from ESPN.com about the possibility of Tony Stewart moving over to Hendrick from Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota.

Tony Stewart said Friday the new opening at Hendrick Motorsports could affect his decision about where he drives next season.

Hendrick Motorsports announced that Casey Mears would not return in the No. 5 Chevrolet.

"There's no one in the garage area that's not going to look in that direction," Stewart said. "You've got to look at it. Absolutely."

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Casey Mears Out At Hendrick Motorsports After 2008

Coming out of the NASCAR worst kept secret department, Hendrick Motorsports announced Friday morning that they will part ways with driver Casey Mears following the 2008 season. Mears joined Hendrick prior to the start of the 2007 season. "We've put a ton of emphasis on the No. 5 program," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "It's been a total team effort, and Casey has worked as hard as anyone to help us improve. We've tested more than we ever have, but the results just haven't come. "None of us, Casey included, have been satisfied with the situation this season. But he's confident there are other options out there for him in 2009, and we feel like Hendrick Motorsports will have some opportunities, too."  (From Courant.com)

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Forbes releases NASCAR’s ‘most valuable’ lists

Forbes magazine just released a series of articles and lists about the money in NASCAR.  The series included: most valuable teams, most valuable cars, and highest paid drivers.  There are really no surprises on the list.  The top three teams were Hendrick Motorsports ($335M), Roush Fenway Racing ($313M), Joe Gibbs Racing ($184M).  Jeff Gordon ($92M), Dale Jr. ($79M), and Jimmie Johnson ($58M) drive the three most valuable cars.  And, Jeff Gordon leads highest paid drivers at $32 million.  He is followed by Dale Jr. ($31M) and Jimmie Johnson ($23M).

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DuPont staying with Jeff Gordon and No. 24

DuPont, Hendrick Motorsports and Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, today announced that the current longest-running sponsor/driver/team combination in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will continue through the 2010 racing season. At that point, the sponsorship will have been in existence for 18 years.  "DuPont has a long tradition of excellence in the automotive world, and we're proud to be a part of it," Gordon said. "The fact that we're now in our 16th year together speaks volumes about the success of this partnership."

DuPont launched its NASCAR involvement in 1992, when it decided to sponsor Gordon, then a rookie 21-year-old driver from California, who had just been hired by Rick Hendrick, founder and CEO of Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon, now 36, is a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.  (From HendrickMotorsports.com)

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Tony Stewart leaving Joe Gibbs Racing?

Here is a pretty shocking article from SportsIllustrated.com that says that it is all-but-done that Tony Stewart will be leaving Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the season to join Haas CNC Racing.  Apperently, Tony will recieve partial ownership of Haas CNC Racing (who gets engines -- and some say much more -- from Hendrick Motorsports) and will most likely drive the No. 66.  Here is more from the article:

As one source told me, it's not that Stewart's unhappy or that there's internal dissension; it's that he's in need of a new challenge. Gibbs and Stewart will be friends for life, but they've been together for a decade, and some type of change is in order. Hendrick's organization also has proven to be one of the best organized, from top to bottom. With inside access to the team through their relationship with Haas CNC, Stewart can acquire the tools he needs to build a program as he sees fit.

There's no word on whether Home Depot or crew chief Greg Zipadelli will follow Stewart to his new venture; decisions on those moves will surely come within the next few months. For the time being, though, Stewart will focus on winning a third title with the Gibbs program, which currently has all three of its cars ranked in the top 7 in the point standings. Winless so far this season, Stewart is still a viable title threat; and with five top 10s in eight starts, he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. (From SportsIllustrated.com)

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Hendrick team to debut Quaker State commercial during Samsung 500

Quaker State delivers star power for its 'Q' motor oil in a new spot that will break Sunday during Nascar's Samsung 500 race on Fox TV.

The 30-second spot, featuring the Hendrick Motorsports team—composed of Nascar drivers Jeff Gordon, Casey Mears, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr.—delivers a twist on the "Unleash all your horses" campaign that was first launched in 2005.

In the ad, called "Battle," via Doner, Southfield, Mich., the four all-star drivers are shown in their cars in a desert, facing opposite several dozen cars on the other end. Both sides rev their engines and then take off heading straight at each other. The Hendrick team is flanked by golden animated horses, which have been part of the creative since the campaign's inception. The two bodies of cars collide, with the Hendrick drivers emerging on the other side, unscathed.

"Battle" will run through the end of the year on other channels, including Spike, Comedy Central, TBS, VH1, Adult Swim, Speed and ESPN. (From BrandWeek.com)

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Dale Jr. to run retro paint scheme at Darlington

Dale Earnhardt Jr. plans to celebrate his love of NASCAR’s history once more by running a retro paint scheme on his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway. The car’s look will be modeled after the 1981-82 entry driven by Darrell Waltrip. Earnhardt Jr. characterized the scheme as a “tribute to the history of the sport and the heritage at Darlington.” (From SceneDaily.com)

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Dale Jr. vs Kyle Busch?

Comparisons between Dale, Jr. and Kyle Busch were inevitable. However, the early part of this season has shown that it was really a step up for both drivers. Five races into the season, Busch is having a little bit better success than Earnhardt. Busch has won once already this year, has three top fives, and he is leading the point’s standings.

Dale, Jr. is now part of a winning organization again and has all the tools (he won't blow too many engines this year) and teammates he needs to be successful. He can now spend his time driving the car rather than worrying about engine problems or wrecking while running in 37th place. Further, he is now part of a PR machine which suites him just fine.

However, Kyle Busch has also graduated to the next level by moving to Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing. In fact, Kyle is now in a much better place as well. He now has a more decisive advantage than just horsepower, fuel mileage or aero...he can now be himself. He isn't playing the role of the spoiled brat anymore surrounded by emotionless and ultra-image conscience teammates. Finally, he is surrounded by equally loose cannons that can drive the wheels off the race car. Kyle is now 'one of the boys,' not the outcast!  That has proved to make him comfortable behind the wheel, and we can see what he can do on the track when he’s comfortable.

Although, in the final analysis, there will be too many variables to compare the two. At this point, the only fair comparison seems to be Hendrick vs. Gibbs...advantage Gibbs!

Want more about the Gibbs team? Busch and Hamlin work well together

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