2024 season preview: Hendrick Motorsports

Editor’s Note: Today’s Hendrick Motorsports preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2024 Cup Series season. HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS Manufacturer: Chevrolet Engine: Hendrick Motorsports Driver-crew chief pairings: Kyle Larson-Cliff Daniels (No. 5), Chase Elliott-Alan Gustafson (No. 9), William Byron-Rudy Fugle (No. 24), Alex Bowman-Blake Harris (No. 48) Team outlook: Half of the storied organization’s drivers entered Phoenix with a shot at winning the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship. The other duo ended the year without winning a race or making the playoffs. William Byron and the No. 24 team will attempt to prove 2023 was no fluke; Kyle Larson sets sights on a monster year; and 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman eye significant improvement after their respective seasons were shortened due to injuries. KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 CHEVROLET Experience: 10 full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 stats: Second in final standings; 4 wins, 15 top fives, 18 top 10s, 2 poles 2024 championship odds (DraftKings): 11-2 Outlook: Kyle Larson’s charge back to the Championship 4 in 2023 signified the No. 5 is just as strong as ever. The 2021 champion is due for a whirlwind year in 2024, with plans to complete the Indianapolis 500-Coca-Cola 600 double on Memorial Day Weekend. Those IndyCar plans shouldn’t slow down one of racing’s most versatile figures after a four-win campaign in 2023. With 23 career Cup wins, Larson appears every bit the title threat he was three years ago. RELATED: Kyle Larson 2023 season in review | Larson through the years [caption id="attachment_419512" align="aligncenter" width="1300"]Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images[/caption] CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 CHEVROLET Experience: Eight full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 stats: 17th in final standings; 0 wins, 7 top fives, 15 top 10s 2024 championship odds (DraftKings): 17-2 Outlook: Elliott is primed to get back to his winning ways in 2024. Last year was marked by seven absences -- six due to injury, one due to suspension -- and marked his first winless season since 2017, snapping a five-year streak of victories in the Cup Series and a seven-year streak of playoff appearances. Elliott, the 2020 Cup champion, ended his season with confidence in the No. 9 team’s performance and eyes a steadier campaign ahead. RELATED: Chase Elliott 2023 season in review | Elliott through the years [caption id="attachment_419510" align="aligncenter" width="1300"]Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images[/caption] WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 CHEVROLET Experience: Six full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 stats: Third in final standings; 6 wins, 15 top fives, 21 top 10s, 4 poles 2024 championship odds (DraftKings): 11-2 Outlook: William Byron’s breakout season in 2023 feels like a precursor for even more success to come. Byron led the NASCAR Cup Series with six wins last year, charging into the Championship 4 and winning the pole for the title race at Phoenix Raceway before ultimately finishing third in points. The 26-year-old enters the year tied with Larson as 11-2 favorites to win the 2024 title. Perhaps it is indeed the 24 in ’24. RELATED: William Byron 2023 season in review | Byron through the years [caption id="attachment_419511" align="aligncenter" width="1300"]Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images[/caption] ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 CHEVROLET Experience: Eight full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 stats: 20th in final standings; 0 wins, 4 top fives, 10 top 10s, 1 pole 2024 championship odds (DraftKings): 35-1 Outlook: Like Elliott, Alex Bowman is looking to rebound from an unsteady 2023. Although his numbers were similar to his 2022 campaign -- four top fives in both years with 12 top 10s in 2022 as opposed to 10 in 2023 -- Bowman missed three races due to a back injury suffered while racing a sprint car last spring. Last season marked Bowman’s first winless campaign since 2018 and only season at Hendrick Motorsports without a playoff appearance. The No. 48 team is looking to return to Victory Lane soon and more frequently. RELATED: Alex Bowman 2023 season in review | Bowman through the years [caption id="attachment_419513" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images[/caption] BOUNCE-BACK CANDIDATES: Perhaps this reads as low-hanging fruit, but expect Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman both to return to the playoffs in their scheduled returns to full-time seasons. Neither driver had missed the playoffs in Hendrick equipment prior to their 2023 injuries, and their respective abilities behind the wheel, combined with the team's top-shelf resources, provide a clear pathway to Victory Lane returns. NASCAR.com 2024 team previews schedule Jan. 15: Legacy Motor Club Jan. 16: Spire Motorsports Jan. 17: Kaulig Racing Jan. 18: Wood Brothers Racing Jan. 22: Rick Ware Racing Jan. 23: Richard Childress Racing Jan. 24: Stewart-Haas Racing Jan. 25: Front Row Motorsports Jan. 26: JTG Daugherty Racing Jan. 29: Trackhouse Racing Jan. 30: RFK Racing Feb. 6: 23XI Racing Feb. 7: Joe Gibbs Racing Feb. 8: Hendrick Motorsports Feb. 9: Team Penske