page_title: Hendrick Motorsports Car No. 24
section_title: Jeff Gordon (1992–2015)
hierarchical_section_title: Hendrick Motorsports Car No. 24 / History / Jeff Gordon (1992–2015)
caption_attribution_description: NASCAR champion w:Jeff Gordon getting a pit stop from his "Rainbow Warriors" pit crew in 1997.
context_page_description: The Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 is a NASCAR Cup Series team that has been active since 1992. The team began with driver Jeff Gordon, who spent his entire full-time career behind the wheel of the No. 24. Gordon won 93 points-paying races, the most of any driver in NASCAR's modern era, and four series championships before retiring from full-time racing in 2015. The No. 24 was driven by Chase Elliott in 2016 and 2017; Elliott earned a spot in the NASCAR playoffs both seasons but failed to win a points-paying race. Since 2018, the No. 24 has been driven by William Byron. Gordon, Elliott and Byron each earned Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors while using the No. 24.
context_section_description: Gordon and his crew chief, Ray Evernham, were signed away from Bill Davis Racing after Rick Hendrick watched Gordon drive BDR's No.1 Ford to his first Busch Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March 1992. The car number was originally intended to be No. 46, a Hendrick car driven by Greg Sacks for the filming of Days of Thunder in 1989 and 1990, but was changed after a licensing conflict with Paramount Pictures. No. 24 was selected due to its insignificance in NASCAR history prior to Gordon; at the time no driver had ever won a Cup race in the No. 24. 
  Gordon debuted in the 1992 Hooters 500, using his now-iconic DuPont rainbow paint scheme designed by Sam Bass, qualifying 21st and finishing 31st after a crash. The team went full-time in 1993 with Ray Evernham serving as crew chief. Gordon won his Twin 125 qualifying race at Daytona and finished fifth in the Daytona 500. He finished 14th in points and won Cup Series Rookie of the Year. In 1994, Gordon scored his first Winston Cup victory in the Coca-Cola 600, won the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, and finished the season eighth in points. Gordon won the 1995 Winston Cup championship, and finished second behind Hendrick teammate Terry Labonte in 1996.
  Throughout the mid-90s, Gordon and Evernham's team became known as the "Rainbow Warriors," a nickname derived from the No. 24's colorful paint scheme and the similarly bright jumpsuits worn by the team's pit crew. Evernham became famous for his innovation improving the duration and efficiency of pit stops. Instead of using team mechanics as his pit crew, as was customary at the time, Evernham created a group of specialists (often former athletes) who trained using choreography, agility exercises, and weight lifting. The team studied film between races to identify spots for improvement. Evernham is largely credited with reducing the expected duration of a four-tire pit stop from around 20 seconds to under 15.
  Gordon won his second championship in 1997, winning three of NASCAR's crown jewel races (the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Southern 500). He won his second consecutive and third overall title in 1998, tying Richard Petty's modern-era record for wins in a season with 13. The following season, Gordon again won the Daytona 500, but the No. 24 team struggled with consistency and failed to win a third straight title. Crew chief Ray Evernham left the team to assist in Dodge's pending return to NASCAR, and was replaced by Brian Whitesell, who guided Gordon to wins in his first two races as crew chief. At the end of the season, Gordon signed a "lifetime" contract with Hendrick Motorsports, giving him partial ownership of the team.
  Robbie Loomis replaced Whitesell in 2000, a season which saw Gordon score his 50th career victory at Talladega and finish ninth in points. In 2001, the No. 24 car unveiled a new blue- and red-flamed paint scheme, also designed by Bass, as lead sponsor DuPont expanded its marketing beyond automotive finishes. Gordon bounced back with six wins, six poles, and 24 top 10 finishes, winning his fourth championship.
  In 2002, Gordon became car owner for rookie Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, a team that has since tied a NASCAR record with seven Cup Series championships. After a pair of top-five points finishes in 2003 and 2004, Gordon won three of the first nine races in 2005, including his third Daytona 500 win. However, Gordon ultimately missed the Chase for the Nextel Cup and finished 11th in points, the first time since his rookie year he finished outside the top 10. The following season was more productive for Gordon and new crew chief Steve Letarte, returning to the Chase and finishing sixth in points. In 2007, despite winning six races and scoring a modern-era record 30 top-10 finishes, Gordon finished second in points to teammate Johnson. Gordon returned to the Chase in 2008, but failed to win a race for the first time since his rookie year. Following the 2008 season, Gordon appeared on The Today Show to unveil his new "Firestorm" paint scheme for 2009 and beyond, which expa
caption: Ray Evernham's "Rainbow Warriors" in 1997
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