Drivers who have won with the #5 at Hendrick Motorsports [1984-current]:
Terry Labonte 12 (also 1996 champ)
Geoff Bodine, 7
Martin Martin, 5
Ricky Rudd, 4
Kyle Busch, 4
Kasey Kahne, 3
35 wins for the #5 under Hendrick Motorsports ownership and 7 by other drivers with different owners for 42 wins by the car #5.(3-17-2013)

Contact Status: Sponsors: Farmers 2014, Time Warner 2015; Driver: 2015; Crew Chief: ?

Kahne says he and Kyle Busch are good: Despite three on-track incidents between them in just 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races this season, #5-Kasey Kahne told SPEED.com that he doesn't have a problem with #18-Kyle Busch. Prior to Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kahne told SPEED.com that he and Busch talked things out and are OK going forward. "Yes, it's over. I thought it was over before Darlington," said Kahne. Kahne said Busch called him earlier in the week. "We talked about & it was just hard racing. We were both going for the lead."(SPEED)(5-19-2013)

Kyle Busch discusses Kasey Kahne: from a Toyota Racing press conference transcript:
Q) How will you race Kasey Kahne?
Busch "You race him (Kasey Kahne) just has hard as you race him any other week. The first two instances were a mistake, just misjudgment. Kasey admitted it, he had to get on the brakes in Daytona and checked up a little bit and I ran over him. You couldn't really see through the cars in front of you to see what was happening. Daytona I just misjudged, I wanted to pull out and thought last second that I was going to stay in line and push Kasey. I turned him sideways when I was coming back in line. Last week was just hard racing. You're in the last three laps and you're past the last pit stop and it's all about track position. For us, we were racing as hard as we could. He pulled a huge slide job on me in turn three and I got back to his inside and I had been running down there on the flat all night and had been passing lapped cars down there and some of my restarts were even that low on the race track. I didn't think there was going to be a problem and when I got down there I just got tight and pushed up a little bit. Whether or not we touched, I think that's insignificant because I'm not racing to wreck Kasey Kahne, but Kasey Kahne did crash because of me so it's a part of hard racing at the end of the race and I hate that it keeps being the same guy, but if it were a Matt Kenseth on a Tony Stewart we probably wouldn't see a story."
Q) Have the incidents occurred with Kasey Kahne due to both of you racing up front?
Busch "It's got some merit to it sure. Being up front racing with a guy, Kasey (Kahne), he won Bristol and I think we finished second to him there and then obviously he ran well at Vegas and he ran well at Kansas. We were up front at Vegas with him and running well there, but you run up front and you try for wins in the last 30 laps and you have to give it everything you've got. You're not there to rollover and let a guy go. Even the Darlington piece, if I would have let him go, I don't know that I could have got back by him. It was a little difficult to pass and he did seem to have a good car on the long runs so I knew that protecting my spot was what I needed to do at that particular point. Racing up front, racing hard I'm sure there would be a moment where it could come back on me and I expect it, it's fine. I just told Kasey, I said, 'Just don't make it hurt too bad."
Q) Are you expecting retaliation from Kasey Kahne?
Busch "I don't think Kasey (Kahne) is that kind of guy, but if it happens I'll understand."
Q) Have you communicated with Kasey Kahne?
Busch "We have communicated."(Toyota Racing)(5-18-2013)

Kahne expects another apology from Busch: #5-Kasey Kahne anticipates another phone call and apology from #18-Kyle Busch after an incident between them cost Kahne a chance to win Saturday night's Bojangles' Southern 500. It's the third time this season - and second race in a row - that Busch has caused Kahne to wreck. "I don't know what his deal is with me,'' Kahne said after finishing 17th. Kahne and Busch dueled for the lead 34 laps from the finish Saturday. Kahne edged by Busch in Turn 3, Busch moved ahead off Turn 4. They headed to turn 1 side by side. "He blew that entry into (Turn) 1,'' Kahne said. Busch went low into turn 1 but slid up the track. "I was like, "Oh shoot, oh shoot,' '' Kahne said. "The car moved and then just spun out. I don't know if he actually touched me or not. If he would have just entered normal like he entered the whole race there would have been no issues and I would have been leading off 2. He just didn't want that to happen, so he blew turn 1. Whether he hit me or not, he still caused that whole deal with screwing up and just mind fade. He's had a few of them this year when I've been around him."(Motor Racing Network)(5-12-2013)

Time Warner Cable returns to the #5: Time Warner Cable will adorn the hood of Kasey Kahne's #5 Chevy SS this weekend at Darlington Raceway and will be the primary sponsor on the car for two more Sprint Cup Series events this year: Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26 and Kansas Speedway on Oct. 6. Kahne welcomed Time Warner Cable on the hood of his #5 Chevy for the first time at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Cup Series event on Oct. 13, 2012.(Hendrick Motorsports), see an image of the car on the #5 team paint schemes page.(5-10-2013)

Kahne comments about Talladega wreck: #5-Kasey Kahne and #18-Kyle Busch were racing for second when Busch tapped Kahne's car on the right-rear corner, turning the #5 into the wall and collection twelve other cars. Kahne had a few comments:
Q) FIRST OF ALL ARE YOU OKAY AND WHAT HAPPENED FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE?
Kahne: "Yeah, I'm alright. I felt like I had a really fast Time Warner Cable Chevrolet. I just kind of got shot through the center there, just a lot of momentum coming from behind. Felt the No. 18 pushing me and next thing I know I was spinning. You just can't push with these cars. We learned that at Daytona, he was pushing me and spun me in the wall and then happened again, so that is what it is."
Q) HAVE YOU TALKED TO KYLE (BUSCH) AT ALL IN THE INFIELD CARE CENTER?
Kahne: "No, I didn't talk to him. I think we both probably understand what happened and we will figure it out from there."(Team Chevy)(5-5-2013)

Time Warner on the #5 next three races: Time Warner Cable will adorn the hood of Kasey Kahne's #5 Chevy this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and will be the primary sponsor on the car for three more Sprint Cup Series events this year: Darlington Raceway on May 11, Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26 and Kansas Speedway on Oct. 6. Kahne welcomed Time Warner Cable on the hood of his #5 Chevy for the first time at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Cup Series event on Oct. 13, 2012.(Hendrick Motorsports), see an image of the scheme on the #5 Team Schemes page.(5-2-2013)

Kahne sponsored by Quaker State at Richmond: Quaker State will adorn the hood of Kahne's #5 Chevy SS this weekend at Richmond International Raceway and will be the primary sponsor on the car for two more Sprint Cup Series events this year: Kentucky Speedway on June 29 and Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 12. The Quaker State and Hendrick Motorsports relationship began in 1996, and during this partnership, Quaker State has helped deliver a total of nine Sprint Cup championships and 162 race victories.(Hendrick Motorsports), see an image of the car on the #5 team paint schemes page.(4-25-2013)

HMS cars to carry special decal: All four Hendrick Motorsports cars: #5-Kahne, #24-Gordon, #48-Johnson & #88-Earnhardt Jr., will carry the above special decal at Kansas Speedway honoring those effected by the Boston Maraton Bombings this past Monday.(HMS Facebook)(4-21-2013)

Brother of HMS Machinist killed in Cambridge: Hendrick Motorsports Statement: The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports are with Andrew Collier and his family. Andrew, a machinist in the Hendrick Motorsports engine department, tragically lost his brother, Officer Sean Collier, last night in Cambridge, Mass. We ask that the family's privacy be considered during this difficult time. Andrew, 25, joined Hendrick Motorsports in September 2008.(HMS)(4-19-2013)

Farmers Insurance celebrates 85th Anniversary: In celebration of Farmers' 85th anniversary, #5-Kasey Kahne will race in a special Farmers Insurance 85th Anniversary paint scheme during the April 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Kansas Speedway  a car that will bring to life the memory of Farmers first insured vehicle, a 1925 Cadillac Phaeton, insured in 1928.(HMS)(4-18-2013)
Images of the scheme were unveiled Thursday, see images of the car on the #5 Team Schemes page.(4-19-2013)

Hendrick makes another big purchase at Barrett-Jackson: Rick Hendrick has done it again. The famed NASCAR team owner, who bought the rights to the very first 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in January, has doubled down by winning the Palm Beach bidding for the first 2014 Stingray convertible to be produced. The price tag: $1 million. Although, every penny of the charity sale goes to benefit the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute . Hendrick, a familiar face as a regular buyer and seller at Barrett-Jackson auctions, paid $1.1 million for the coupe in Scottsdale. So it was widely speculated that he would vie for the convertible. Now, he has a pair of No. 1 2014 Corvette bookends costing a total of $2.1 million. Barrett-Jackson charges no auction fees for charity sales. "I paid a little more than I wanted for that car," Hendrick said in a classic understatement. "But I owe so much to Corvette for getting me into the car business in the first place." Part of the deal from General Motors for the first Corvette convertible is a ceremony that will take place at the factory when Hendrick will start up the freshly built Stingray for the first time at the end of the assembly line.(SPEED)(4-7-2013)

Kahne wins at Bristol: #5-Kasey Kahne won the Food City 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway for his 1st win of 2013, 1st win at Bristol and 15th career win. Pole sitter #18-Busch finished second followed by #2-Keselowski, #78-Busch, #15-Bowyer, #88-Earnhardt, Jr., #39-Newman, #55-Vickers, #27Menard, and #1-McMurray.
#48-Johnson, who started the race as the points leader, blew a tire late and hit the wall. He finished 22nd.
There were 17 lead changes among 10 drivers and 10 cautions for 66 yellow flag laps. The average speed was 92.206mph. Starting this season, NASCAR doesn't release the track attendance.
See race results, awards, money won, laps led, cautions and more on the Las Vegas Race Results page (pdf) and check out the Bristol Penalty Report (pdf).
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf) and the owner points standings on the Owners Points Standings page (pdf).

Earnhardt Jr., Kahne and Stewart to guest on The Cleveland Show UPDATE: NASCAR stars #88-Dale Earnhart Jr., #5-Kasey Kahne and #14-Tony Stewart will guest-voice on Fox's The Cleveland Show next season. In the episode, Cleveland (voiced Mike Henry) convinces Donna (voiced Sanaa Lathan) to lighten up and have a few drinks when she takes her run for local office way too seriously. "Unfortunately, they party way too hard - and wake up on the infield of a NASCAR track. It's up to guest stars Earnhardt, Jr., Stewart and Kahne to race Donna and Cleveland home," executive producer Rich Appel says.(TV Guide)(4-27-2012)
UPDATE: are scheduled to be voicing their characters' roles on Fox is scheduled to air "The Cleveland Show" on Sunday, March 17th at 7:30 pm/et in which NASCAR drivers #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #5-Kasey Kahne and #14-Tony Stewart are featured.(Charlotte Observer)(3-15-2013)

Hendrick Motorsports still most valuable team according to Forbes: Hendrick Motorsports is NASCAR's most valuable team with a value of $357 million, up 2%. Hendrick is worth twice as much as second-ranked Joe Gibbs Racing. Hendrick is the only four car Sprint Cup team left and brings in $125 million in sponsor revenue a year. Lowe's extended its deal last month through 2015 as the primary sponsor of Jimmie Johnson's #48 car. Earnhardt Ganassi (ranked #8 with a value of $72 million) announced it would switch engine suppliers from Earnhardt Childress Racing to Hendrick starting in 2013. This will add to Hendrick's coffers, which are already full as NASCAR's most profitable team with an estimated operating income of $16.6 million in 2012.
Gibbs, worth $168 million, leapfrogs Roush Fenway Racing. Gibbs got a huge boost in 2013 with the addition of 2003 Sprint Cup champ Matt Kenseth, who replaced Joey Logano in the #20 car. Gibbs has been one of the most consistent teams when it comes to selling sponsorships with all paint schemes sold ahead of the season start in 2012 and 2013. JGR signed a 30-race renewal with FedEx last year on the #11 car.
The value of Roush is down 10% to $166 million. The team has struggled to sell sponsorships in recent years and lost Kenseth to Gibbs. Richard Childress Racing ranks No. 4 with a value of $139 million, down 6%. Childress is at a crossroad as it prepares to lose its top driver, Kevin Harvick, who signed a deal to race for Stewart-Haas Racing starting in 2014. Still to be determined is if long-time sponsor, Budweiser, will follow Harvick out the door.
The value of Stewart-Haas is up 14% to $123 million and ranks fifth. Tony Stewart and Gene Haas are building one of the top teams in NASCAR.
NASCAR's top nine teams are worth $143 million on average, up 1% over last year. Each of these teams are profitable by our count (some just barely) with team's cutting budgets in cases where sponsor shortfalls arise. Earnings are down 10% overall compared to 2011.(see more details and the complete list at Forbes)(3-14-2013)

Forbes names highest paid drivers: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the highest-paid driver in the sport for the fifth straight year with total earnings of $25.9 million in 2012 by our [Forbes] count. We estimate that Earnhardt earned $12.9 million in combined salary and his share of prize money, which is split with Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt signed a contract extension with Hendrick in 2011 that will keep him part of NASCAR's most valuable team through at least 2017. But what really separates Earnhardt from the rest of NASCAR's top drivers is his off-the-track earnings, which were $13 million last year. While Earnhardt's licensing income is down like all drivers (some as much as 80%), he still generated the most licensing dollars in the sport last year.
Another Hendrick driver, #48-Jimmie Johnson, ranks #2 with earnings of $23 million. In fact, all four Hendrick drivers are among the 10 highest paid with Jeff Gordon #4 ($18 million) and Kasey Kahne at #9 ($12 million). Johnson barely missed his sixth Sprint Cup title in 2012, but it was still a banner year on the track, as he earned a NASCAR-high $8.1 million in race winnings for the #48 car. His "Special Awards" and Sprint Cup bonuses added another $2.3 million.
#10-Danica Patrick, ranks #7 with earnings of $12.9 million in 2012. Her merchandise was NASCAR's ninth best seller in 2012, according to Fanatics.com, one of the largest online retailers of officially licensed sports merchandise. But that ranking will jump this year, as she only raced in 10 Sprint Cup races last year and will be running a full-time Sprint Cup schedule in 2013 for the first time.(see more details and the complete list at Forbes)(3-14-2013)

Quaker State Oil colors for Kahne: Quaker State returns as a primary partner with Kasey Kahne for its second straight season and will adorn the hood of the #5 Chevy in four Sprint Cup Series events this year -- March 3 at Phoenix, April 27 at Richmond, June 29 at Kentucky and Oct. 12 at Charlotte. The Quaker State and Hendrick Motorsports relationship began in 1996 and during this partnership, Quaker State has helped deliver a total of nine Sprint Cup championships and 160 race victories (Hendrick Motorsports), see images of the scheme/car on the #31 Team Schemes page.(3-2-2013)

Hendrick willing to help delvelop better fence tech: Winning Daytona 500 team owner Rick Hendrick wants to find out what allowed the front clip of Kyle Larson's car to be sheared off in Saturday's Nationwide Series race. He is willing to work with NASCAR to develop technology that will help prevent another such incident that left 28 fans injured when debris flew into the stands. Larson's car went airborne into the catch fence on a horrific last-lap crash. The engine, built by Hendrick Motorsports, was separated from the car and landed on the concrete in front of the Campbell grandstands between sections H and I. One of the tires with the hub attached sailed over the fence and hit two fans, sending both to nearby Halifax Heath with critical injuries, one life-threatening. Both, according to a hospital representative on Monday, are stable and no longer critical. "I think the fence did its job,'' Hendrick said during Monday's Daytona 500 champion's breakfast for driver Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team. "I've never seen the clip come off before. They say they haven't found parts of the transmission. "What happened to the clip, there might be something else we can do. I've never seen that happen.''(ESPN)(2-25-2013)

Drivers run in Daytona Beach Half Marathon: #5-Kasey Kahne apparently had slightly better equipment than Hendrick Motorsports teammate #48-Jimmie Johnson for Sunday's Daytona Beach Half Marathon. Kahne finished the chilly 13.1-mile run -- which began on pit road at Daytona International Speedway and included a brief stint on the beach -- in 1:28:45. Johnson came in at 1:29:48. Aric Almirola and Michael Waltrip also participated. Almirola crossed the lined in 1:46:12. Waltrip, who was hoping for a 10-minute-mile pace, said he had a good time, too.(ESPN)(2-18-2013)

Evernham says he turned down a chance to return as crew chief: Ray Evernham recently turned down a job offer to return to the Sprint Cup Series  and not with Hendrick Motorsports. The former car owner and Hendrick crew chief who won three championships with Jeff Gordon has resisted the urge to return to the racetrack since selling his stake in Evernham Motorsports six years ago. But a recent call from a powerhouse NASCAR team  he wouldn't say which except that it wasn't Hendrick  had the man who was voted the greatest crew chief of all time in 2006 pondering a change of heart. "I got hit with the right opportunity not that long ago, and I really had to stop and think about it," Evernham said Thursday. "I had to make sure not to make decisions with ego and think about why I wound it down the first time, and the reality of what it would be because it's so easy to be 10 years later thinking about how great you are and how you can still do it. You can lull yourself back into thinking I could still do that." Evernham's last race atop the pit box as Gordon's crew chief was at Dover International Speedway in September 1999, but he remained as hands-on as a team owner who spearheaded Dodge's return to NASCAR in 2001. He won championships with Gordon's #24 Chevy in '95, '97 and '98, setting a modern-era record with 13 victories in the last title campaign. "I probably could still do it, but I don't think I could have the results I had," said Evernham, 55, after a news conference at his museum to present a $280,000 check to the Autism Society of North Carolina. "I look back at our stuff with Jeff Gordon. If I couldn't hold up to that 1998 standard, I'd be constantly unhappy and frustrated, so I don't want to do that again. I got that call, and I was flattered to get it, but I had to pass." He will be working at least 15 NASCAR events for ESPN, starting at Daytona International Speedway and focusing on more in-depth features. He also is working with team owner Rick Hendrick on developing a new TV show called "Americarna" that will explore the country's evolving car culture. Evernham also still is working as a consultant with Hendrick's automotive business though he is scaling back to focus on his other projects and remaining involved in NASCAR.(see full stroy at the USA Today)(2-9-2013)

Drivers to run Daytona Half Marathon: Prior to turning two high-speed qualifying laps in Daytona 500 Qualifying Presented By Kroger, several NASCAR drivers will first compete in the fifth annual Daytona Beach Half Marathon, which will start and end at historic Daytona International Speedway. The Central Florida Sports Commission and Daytona International Speedway, in partnership with Volusia County, will host the Daytona Beach Half Marathon on Sunday, Feb. 17, just one week before the 55th running of the Daytona 500. The Daytona Beach Half Marathon, which will start at 6:30 a.m. ET, is being held for the first time during Budweiser Speedweeks. Among the NASCAR drivers that have submitted applications to compete in the Daytona Beach Half Marathon are #48-Jimmie Johnson, #30-Michael Waltrip, #5-Kasey Kahne and #43-Aric Almirola. The Daytona Beach Half Marathon is open to runners and walkers, at least 12 years of age or older, who can complete the course in less than 3 hours and 30 minutes.(DIS)(2-6-2013)

Hendrick Motorsports Notes from the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour:
All Hendrick cars are fully-funded except Dale Jr.'s #88. But Rick Hendrick says there's interest and he has no sponsorship worries, the #88 is 13 races short.
. Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Daytona testing wreck. "I thought long and hard, and that's probably the most embarrassed I've ever been."
Chase Elliott will run in five ARCA and nine Series races in 2013, his Truck number will be #94, Hendrick Motorsports will field the entries. Elliott's scheduled Truck races: Martinsville (both). Iowa (both), Rockingham, Dover, Bristol. Mosport/Canada and Phoenix.
#24-Jeff Gordon on Gen-6 car :"I'm a big fan, I love it. I like the body style & I think the teams and crew chiefs feel the same thing."
#5-Kasey Kahne says he's an "underdog" compared to those who have Cup titles, but says this is his best shot yet in 2nd season, Kahne is sporting a new hair style. (from many Twitter reports/feeds)(1-23-2013)

Study names NASCAR's Social Media Leaders: Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and #48-Jimmie Johnson are among NASCAR's strongest and most engaging users of social media, a new social media study of the NASCAR industry finds. The study  conducted by Tuckahoe Strategies, a strategic communications firm - scored drivers, teams and select NASCAR sponsors and partners on a 20-point scale. Joe Gibbs Racing topped the charts with a Social Media Score of 15 points, Hendrick trailed by one point at 14 points and Johnson scored 13 points.
Gibbs' online accounts comprise one of the broadest social media strategies for reaching fans of the sport. The team site, www.joegibbsracing.com, is up to date with timely features, and the homepage points to six social media platforms, including a mobile app for iPhone, Blackberry or Droid. The team maintains active social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and FourSquare. Hendrick also has an active and diverse menu of social media platforms including a mobile app. Gibbs' social media score bested Hendrick's by a single point because of its slightly more effective home page promotion of its social media platforms.
Johnson is the most comprehensive user of social media among drivers. He reaches his audience on a broad array of platforms including: Facebook, 657,062 page likes; Twitter, 348,402 followers; YouTube, 265 subscribers; and Instagram, with an industry-leading 60,618 followers. Johnson's social media reach (the sum of all social media followers across platforms) is 1,066,347. This veritable "media machine" has a following larger than the circulation of the Los Angeles Times, which is the fourth largest newspaper in the country.
The sport's largest audience holder and content curator across the board is NASCAR. The sanctioning body regained a voice and a direct connection to its fan base this year after repossessing control of its online assets in a January 2012 agreement with Turner Sports Interactive. NASCAR's total social media reach is an astronomical 5,044,070, more than double the daily circulation of the largest U.S. newspaper, The Wall Street Journal. In fact, NASCAR commands the industry's top position in terms of audience on Facebook likes (3,239,504), Twitter followers (841,027) and YouTube subscribers (5,430). The sanctioning body also has 1,420 followers on Pinterest and a staggering 956,689 circles on Google+.(Tuckahoe Strategies)(1-10-2013)

2013 silly season notes for #5-Kasey Kahne / Hendrick Motorsports:: Kasey Kahne starts his 2nd full season in the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, his first consecutive full season season with the same team in quite some time. Farmers Insurance returns for 22 races, a deal signed in 2011 that runs thru 2014. Time Warner Cable will be the primary sponsor for four races each season thru 2015. Quaker State Oil returns tp sponsor the car in four races. Great Clips will sponsor the #5 for three races. Supposedly a Pepsi brand will be the primary sponsor for one race in 2013. Hendrickcars.com could be the sponsor on the car when no primary is secured. No word if Rockwell Tools, which sponsors the #5 at Darlington in 2012 will return in 2013. Longtime Kahne crew chief, Kenny Francis returns in 2013. See more about other teams on my 2013 Team / Driver Silly Season Chart.(12-30-2012)

Great Clips to sponsor Kahne in 2013: Great Clips Inc., the world's largest salon brand, has joined Hendrick Motorsports as a primary sponsor of the team's #5 Chevy with driver Kasey Kahne for three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2013. Great Clips was Kahne's co-primary sponsor in the Nov. 4 race at Texas Motor Speedway, marking the company's first-ever Sprint Cup sponsorship. In 2013, the Minneapolis-based company will be the #5 team's primary sponsor March 17 at Bristol, July 28 at Indianapolis and Sept. 22 at New Hampshire.
"Kasey Kahne has been such an important member of our Great Clips family since we first sponsored him nearly 10 years ago," said Terri Miller, vice president of marketing for Great Clips. "To have the opportunity to work with Kasey in the Sprint Cup Series is a very proud moment for all of us. We could not ask for a better partner to take this step with than Hendrick Motorsports, a team that shares our company's values. At Great Clips, our tagline is 'It's gonna be great,' and that's exactly how we feel about this relationship."
Kahne, 32, has earned 14 career victories and 26 pole positions in Sprint Cup Series competition. In his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, the Enumclaw, Wash., native secured his third career Chase for the Sprint Cup berth and recorded two wins, four poles, 12 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s. He finished the 2012 campaign a career-best fourth in championship points.
"When you hear the people at Great Clips talk about their business, it's easy to understand why they're so successful," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "The focus on customer service, convenience, value, community and philanthropy is something NASCAR fans appreciate. It's a company that's been committed to our sport and seen a great return on investment over many years. We look forward to building on that at the Cup level."
Great Clips, which has more than 3,000 locations and nearly 30,000 stylists throughout the United States and Canada, has a long history with Kahne. Since 2003, the company has supported his efforts as both a driver and car owner across multiple racing series. "It's exciting to have Great Clips come on board the No. 5 for 2013," Kahne said. "They've been with me for most of my career, supporting me as a driver and a team owner. It's always great to see a partner step up their program, and I'm looking forward to bringing them their first win in the Sprint Cup Series." Great Clips has utilized NASCAR as a marketing platform since 2000. Its relationships have included sponsorship of Turner Motorsports, which will continue in 2013 with Kahne running select events, and the recent Great Clips 200 race entitlement at Phoenix International Raceway.(HMS)(11-26-2012)

Great Clips sponsoring Kahne at Texas: Great Clips has joined Hendrick Motorsports as a co-primary sponsor (with Hendrickcars.com) of the #5 Chevy team and Chase contender Kasey Kahne for the Nov. 4 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. It marks the first Cup-level sponsorship for the world's largest salon brand. Minneapolis-based Great Clips, which has more than 3,000 locations throughout the United States and Canada, has a long history with Kahne. Since 2003, the company has supported his efforts as both a driver and car owner across multiple racing series.(Hendrick Motorsports)(10-25-2012)

Diet Mountain Dew cutting back sponsorship of Earnhardt, Jr.: UPDATE: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. won't have Diet Mountain Dew as a sponsor for as many races in 2013 as he did in 2012, but he's not worried about Hendrick Motorsports finding sponsors for those races. NASCAR's most popular driver will have sponsorship from the Army National Guard for 20 races next year and Diet Mountain Dew for an unspecified number. Mountain Dew sponsored 16 races this year while another Pepsi product, Amp, sponsored four. The National Guard had 18 races this year. Earnhardt is not worried about having an unsponsored car at Hendrick. The organization has had Hendrickcars.com on Kasey Kahne's car for select races this year when it didn't sell sponsorships. "We have more demand than we have supply pretty much," Earnhardt said. "We've got a majority of the season with the Guard and Diet Mountain Dew is going to back off a little bit and that makes it a bit of a challenge to fill that small of a gap. If it were a bit larger gap, it would be easier to fill."(Sporting News)(9-14-2012)
UPDATE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his Hendrick Motorsports team are losing 15 races of sponsorship next season as PepsiCo plans to cut back its sponsorship, according to the SportsBusiness Journal. PepsiCo committed to sponsoring Earnhardt for 20 races in 2012. PepsiCo is working on a $10 million deal with Hendrick Motorsports that would include five races annually with Earnhardt (Diet Mountain Dew and Amp), two races with Jeff Gordon (Pepsi) and one with Kasey Kahne (brand TBA). The beverage company had sponsored Earnhardt and his #88 team for 20 races and Gordon's #24 team for two in each of the past five years. This season, the 20 Earnhardt races were split between Diet Mountain Dew (16 races) and Amp (four races).(Sporting News)(10-22-2012)

Time Warner Cable sponsoring Kahne: Time Warner Cable Inc., among the largest providers of video and Internet services in the United States, will for the first time become a primary sponsor in the Sprint Cup Series after extending its association with Hendrick Motorsports through 2015. The #5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet will make its debut in the Oct. 13 Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where driver Kasey Kahne has four career Sprint Cup wins. In addition, Time Warner Cable will be Kahne's primary sponsor in four Cup races annually in 2013, 2014 and 2015.(Hendrick Motorsports)(10-1-2012)

A Yankees Lifer in NASCAR: With 10 championships and 206 victories in 29 seasons of racing, Hendrick Motorsports is sometimes called the Yankees of NASCAR. And now that Hendrick has a Yankees lifer on its staff, it would be hard to argue the point. For those who did not notice, that was Gene Monahan standing alongside team members at the finish line as Jimmie Johnson and his #48 crew celebrated their Sprint Cup victory July 29 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Yes, Monahan knelt down and kissed those bricks with everyone else as part of the traditional victory celebration there. This is what Monahan, 67, had in mind when he retired as the head trainer of the Yankees last fall after 49 years with the organization. A lifelong racing fan going back to his days growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Monahan moved from his two-bedroom condominium in Hackensack, N.J., to a 3,300-square-foot house near a lake in Mooresville, N.C., last November to be close to most of the teams that compete in NASCAR. Appropriately enough, he became a consultant for Hendrick. Monahan works about 15 hours a week for Hendrick, serving as an athletic trainer for the 45 or so pit crew members employed by the race team. "Why a guy like Gene?" said Andy Papathanassiou, a Hendrick director who oversees the recruiting, development and training of pit crews. "Because as we strive to keep these crews performing at the top level of their game in the pit stop world, injury and recovery is a big part of that equation. And that's where someone like Gene, with his expertise and background and his enthusiasm for what he does, is invaluable." It was a longtime friend, Jay Frye, a former vice president and general manager of the Red Bull race team who became a consultant with Hendrick in January, who suggested Monahan to Hendrick officials. "I always felt there was a need for injury prevention and training, basically the same thing any other professional sports franchise does," Frye said. "There was always an open invitation from me to him, if he retired and moved down here, we would find something for him to do." Monahan began working with Hendrick's pit crews in April. Although he does not work with drivers, he has become friendly with Johnson, an occasional visitor at Yankee Stadium over the years. Monahan said Johnson reminded him of Derek Jeter.(New York Times)(8-24-2012)

Martin holds record for wins in a season for the #5 car: Mark Martin made 2009 the most successful season ever [in term of wins] for the #5 car in terms of wins, Martin won five races in 2009, the most ever by the #5 car. The car #5 has won a total of 39 races in 1277 starts. Below are the top four seasons for wins by the #5 car.
Year, Driver, Wins
2009, Mark Martin, 5
1995, Terry Labonte, 3
1994, Terry Labonte, 3
1984, Geoff Bodine. 3
Most Wins in car #5: Terry Labonte with 12
BUT Terry Labonte won the 1996 Sprint Cup Championship running the #5 car, winning 2 races.(ESPN and Racing Reference)(11-27-2009)