Hendrick Motorsports is set to bring back its iconic neon yellow numbers in all NASCAR series in 2027.
CONCORD, N.C. — Hendrick Motorsports is set to bring back its iconic neon yellow numbers in all NASCAR series in 2027.
The 15-time NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning organization announced the move Wednesday. The organization posted a photo showing all four of its Cup Series numbers – Kyle Larson's No. 5, Chase Elliott's No. 9, William Byron's No. 24 and Alex Bowman's No. 48 – as well as Corey Day's NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series No. 17 – in neon yellow to make the announcement.
According to the organization, the last time they ran with all primarily neon yellow numbers was 2007. At that time, the Cup team consisted of Kyle Busch's No. 5 car, Jeff Gordon's No. 24 car, Casey Mears' No. 25 car and Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 car. The teams combined to win 18 of the 36 races that season, while Johnson and his No. 48 team took home the championship in a 1-2 points finish with Gordon and his No. 24 team.
The Nos. 5 and 24 NOAPS teams also ran with neon yellow numbers. Kyle Busch won four times in 19 races for the No. 5 team.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s 2008 move to Hendrick Motorsports with his partners – including the National Guard – marked the beginning of the end of the neon yellow numbers. Earnhardt ran red and white numbers, while his teammates stuck with the yellow numbers.
Earnhardt remained the only Hendrick driver to run mostly without yellow numbers until GoDaddy.com signed with Mark Martin in 2010. The company put orange numbers on the car, starting a trend that continued with the No. 5 car as Kasey Kahne joined the team in 2012 and Lowe's sought a shake-up for Johnson in 2012. That season, Lowe's mainly ditched the primary yellow numbers for primary white numbers.
The No. 24 car was safe from the changes until Gordon retired in 2015. In an effort to transition the No. 24 away from Gordon in 2016, they stripped the yellow numbers and drop shadow – making the number almost unidentifiable by that point with Chase Elliott.
When it seemed like the yellow numbers were extinct at Hendrick Motorsports, they brought them back for Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 car in the first half of the season. Fans, with varying superstitions, argue that's the boost Johnson needed to ultimately win his seventh and final Cup championship that year.
The yellow numbers have largely been confined to William Byron's Axalta No. 24 schemes in recent years. However, Johnson's final Cup race with Hendrick – the 2020 season finale at Phoenix Raceway – saw all four cars sport the yellow numbers.
Now, in 2027, the yellow numbers will be back. Hendrick is looking for a turnaround after scoring just three Cup wins and two NOAPS wins so far this season. Cup has seven races left and NOAPS has six races left.
