Hendrick Motorsports to Bring Back Iconic Neon Yellow Car Numbers for 2027 NASCAR Season
Hendrick Motorsports will return its entire Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series fleet to traditional neon yellow car numbers starting in the 2027 season. The livery shift revives the visual identity behind NASCAR’s most dominant championship eras.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Roster Continuity: With established veterans anchoring the current fleet alongside incoming talent like Connor Zilisch, the unified livery brings visual consistency across generations of drivers.
A Nod to Championship Pedigree
No team in NASCAR history has more wins and championships than Hendrick Motorsports. The organization has racked up 323 Cup races and 15 Cup Series championships, setting the benchmark across the modern era. Much of that silverware was hoisted under the neon glow of bright yellow door numbers.
Jimmie Johnson’s five consecutive titles from 2006 to 2010 were stamped with a neon yellow No. 48 on the flank of his Chevrolet. Jeff Gordon secured all four of his Cup crowns with the yellow No. 24, and Chase Elliott maintained that lineage when he claimed his lone title in 2020. But the tape tells a different story regarding how these colors slowly disappeared from the weekly grid.
Over recent years, the organization phased out the vibrant hue across most of its entries. William Byron’s No. 24 served as the primary exception, occasionally sporting the classic look—including during his back-to-back Daytona 500 victories in 2024 and 2025.
Full Fleet Implementation for 2027
The 2027 reset changes everything. The entire organization will pivot back to the unified visual standard. The neon yellow numerals will not be restricted to the Cup stable—featuring Kyle Larson’s No. 5, Chase Elliott’s No. 9, Byron’s No. 24, and Alex Bowman’s No. 48—it will also extend to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series No. 17 entry driven by Corey Day.
| Driver / Entry | Car Number | Series | Historic Neon Yellow Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | No. 5 | NASCAR Cup Series | |
| Chase Elliott | No. 9 | NASCAR Cup Series | Associated with his 2020 Cup championship campaign |
| William Byron | No. 24 | NASCAR Cup Series | Worn during Daytona 500 victories in 2024 and 2025 |
| Alex Bowman / Connor Zilisch | No. 48 | NASCAR Cup Series | Synonymous with Jimmie Johnson’s five consecutive titles (2006–2010) |
| Corey Day | No. 17 | NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | Integrated into the unified organizational aesthetic for 2027 |
Front-Office Planning and Future Transitions
This aesthetic overhaul arrives while the boardroom executes long-term roster stabilization. The organization recently secured rising star Connor Zilisch as the designated driver of the No. 48 machine starting in 2028. Zilisch steps in as Alex Bowman transitions away from full-time competition.
The team continues to add to its historic resume—including a Cup win just last weekend at Gateway—proving that the operation balances modern race-winning performance with deep-rooted organizational nostalgia.
As the garage prepares for the 2027 technical and visual rollouts, the revival of the yellow numbers closes a chapter on minimalist branding. It signals a definitive return to the exact visual signature that defined the organization’s golden decades.
