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A history of the No. 5 in NASCAR
By RJ Kraft | Wednesday, October 28, 2020
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The No. 5 car has a long and storied history in NASCAR from the sport's beginnings in 1949 to today with 45 wins. Hendrick Motorsports is bringing back the No. 5 in 2021 with Kyle Larson as the driver. Find out some notable drivers of the number, including some surprising pilots.
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Frank Mundy was one of three drivers (Ray Erickson and Felix Wilkes the others) to pilot the No. 5 car in the 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Series (now the NASCAR Cup Series). He finished third in a race in Daytona Beach in the series' inaugural season.
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Cotton Owens made his first top series start in the No. 5 car in 1950. Owens also earned the first win in the car number in 1960 and had three wins in his career driving the No. 5.
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The first of Bobby Johns' two career wins in NASCAR's top series came in 1960 when he drove the No. 5 at Atlanta.
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NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson was known for piloting several different rides. He made five starts as the driver of the No. 5.
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Ray Hendrick, not to be confused with team owner Rick Hendrick, was among the drivers to make one-off starts in the No. 5 car. Hendrick was best known as 'Mr. Modified' as a Late Model driver in the 'Flying 11.'
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Current team owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Childress took the wheel for one start in 1971 in the No. 5.
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NASCAR Hall of Famer Wendell Scott made one start in the No. 5, the last of his career at Charlotte. The race marked a departure from his usual No. 34.
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Neil Bonnett made 44 starts from 1977 to 1979 in the No. 5 car, earning two wins during that time. Here, Bonnett stops for tires and fuel during the 1977 Delaware 500 race at Dover International Speedway.
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Morgan Shepherd made 18 starts in the No. 5 car for owner Cliff Stewart. He earned his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Martinsville that year and scored a pole in his first race behind the wheel of the car at Richmond.
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Rick Hendrick, seen here in 1995, launched All-Star Racing in 1984 with Geoff Bodine as the driver of the No. 5.
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Geoff Bodine was the first to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet for team owner Rick Hendrick and did so for a tenure of six seasons from 1984 to 1989.
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Geoff Bodine won seven races in the No. 5 car, including the 1986 Daytona 500, which was Rick Hendrick's first victory in The Great American Race.
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Following Geoff Bodine, Ricky Rudd piloted the No. 5 for four seasons, notching four wins from 1990 to 1993, one win in every season he drove for Hendrick.
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Here is a look at the 'Tide Ride' in action with Ricky Rudd behind the wheel at Daytona, racing with Dale Earnhardt.
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Terry Labonte would be the next driver to pilot the No. 5 car. The veteran would wheel the machine for 11 seasons with Hendrick, winning the 1996 championship.
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During his 11-year run in the No. 5, Terry Labonte earned 12 wins, including the final victory of his NASCAR Cup Series career at Darlington Raceway in 2003.
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Kyle Busch took a turn behind the wheel of the No. 5 for Hendrick for three seasons. The eventual 2015 and 2019 champion earned his first NASCAR Cup Series win in the car at Fontana in 2005.
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Kyle Busch's first four Cup Series wins came in the No. 5 from 2005 to 2007. He took home Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2005.
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Casey Mears spent a season in the cockpit of the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008.
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Mark Martin was next in the No. 5 seat from 2009 to 2011. The NASCAR Hall of Famer is seen here talking to then-teammate Jeff Gordon.
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Mark Martin's first season in the No. 5 was a resurgence for the veteran driver, who won five times and finished as the runner-up in the standings in 2009.
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Kasey Kahne's first win in the No. 5 came in one of NASCAR's crown jewel events, the Coca-Cola 600 in 2012. It is the first of six wins to date for Kahne in the car.
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In July of 2017, Kasey Kahne used a late surge and strong final restart to nab a win at Indianapolis -- snapping a nearly three-year winless drought for the veteran driver.
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Hendrick Motorsports will bring back the No. 5 Chevrolet in 2021 with Kyle Larson, who is signed to a multi-year deal. The No. 5’s total of 38 wins for Hendrick Motorsports trails only its Nos. 24 and 48 teams, which have 94 and 83 victories, respectively.
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