Can you imagine a Hendrick Motorsports car without Chevrolet branding? And the answer to this question will be a big no. Right from the very beginning in 1984, Chevrolet has been supporting Rick Hendrick’s racing project. Little did the automaker know that this partnership would dominate the circuit of NASCAR with unparalleled success.

While the sponsors get the recognition they need by being featured on the racetracks, the OEMs only have their brand logos and body designs to promote themselves. Unlike the sponsors, they do not have much room to get creative with their representation. They can have a new paint scheme for different events; this was on display at Martinsville, where the Hendrick Motorsports car had a special scheme to celebrate the 40th anniversary.

A Chevrolet logo like you’ve never seen before

Well, Rick Hendrick and HMS decided not only to the drivers and former sponsors but also to celebrate their long-standing partner Chevrolet on their 40th anniversary. In a special tribute, the designers at HMS came up with a brilliant idea to have all the important race-winning schemes painted on small boxes. Those boxes, in turn, would be assembled into a giant Chevrolet logo.

The team also curated a short video to showcase those important victories and special moments. “In honor of our 40th Anniversary, we presented @teamchevy, the partner who has been with us since the very beginning, with a very special gift.” The caption of the post read.

“We’re super excited to celebrate our 40th year. One thing that has been constant and that is Chevrolet. I’ll never race in anything but a Chevrolet. In order to do something special our guys came up with something that I hope you like. Only the paint schemes from the wins that we have, they all mean something special for us. So thank you, and we’re excited about the future.” Team owner Rick Hendrick said this before presenting the gift.

Had it not been for the team’s first win at Martinsville Speedway, who knows, we might have never witnessed the rise of Hendrick Motorsports. Back in 1984, the team was known as All-Star Racing, but after just seven races, Mr. H had told Geoff Bodine and crew chief Harry Hyde to cease the operation. But Hyde convinced his boss to let them run one more race, and the next thing you know, Bodine won the grandfather clock at Martinsville.

That was indeed the turning point for Hendrick Motorsports, and the rest is history. Well, Martinsville is indeed like a home track for HMS drivers, and they certainly proved it during the spring event.

William Byron leads a 1-2-3 sweep at Martinsville Speedway in a special tribute to Hendrick Motorsports

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“It has been a legacy track for us. I grew up not far from there, so it’s a special place.” This is how Mr. H described Martinsville Speedway ahead of the race this year. With 28 wins at the half-mile short oval, HMS drivers were eyeing to make it 29 and make their 40th anniversary even more special. It started with Kyle Larson, who set the pace of the race starting from the pole. Chase Elliott was next in line, who found his way to the front of the field thanks to a quick pit stop.

But the big surprise was William Byron; late in the race, his #24 ruby red car found another gear and made his way past Elliott with 89 laps to go. Things did get dicey for him with a late race caution and restart, but he kept his composure and parked his race car in the victory lane. This win wasn’t the only highlight, as Larson and Elliott ensured the podium finish remained within the team. It was a 1-2-3 finish by HMS drivers in front of 1,500 HMS employees, friends, and family.

“You can’t script it like this. These guys, these three guys, as well as Bowman, they drove their butts off. How about that William Byron, the 24 car? Every time we have a milestone day or opportunity or moment, he steps up. He got the number 300. This is going to be a huge win for him and the whole organization.” Jeff Gordon said this post-race.

Well, the entire HMS team did create a lot of fond memories at Martinsville; they will need to step their game up to end Team Penske’s dominant run in 2025.