Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports are two entities in NASCAR that are almost impossible to separate. Gordon, the four-time Cup Series champion, and Rick Hendrick’s racing outfit that allowed Gordon to reach such heights in the sport remain one of the best driver-team stories in the sport to date.
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Looking back at Gordon’s time in the team from the driver of the #24 Chevrolet to now the team’s Vice Chairman, team owner Rick Hendrick recalled a funny story from the past when he thought the storied alliance was about to end. The 75-year-old recalled during an interview with Dale Earnhard Jr.’s sister Kelley Earnhardt on Dirty Mo Media.
He said, “I can tell you one funny story about Jeff. When he goes through a divorce, he told me, ‘You know me that if I ever was in town, I could come spend the night with you.’ And I thought something’s wrong here. He said, ‘I just want to tell you, I’m getting a divorce.’ I said, ‘Oh man, that’s good. I don’t mean that’s good but I’m relieved!'”
Rick Hendrick talks about the time he thought Jeff Gordon was leaving Hendrick Motorsports. 🗣️@EarnhardtKelley | @TeamHendrick pic.twitter.com/1R0hfgGaZ5
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) December 18, 2024
The divorce that Gordon went through was finalized in 2002 after seven years of marriage between himself and his former wife Brooke. Citing reasons such as the couple’s marriage is “irretrievably broken”, the split happened after the former driver’s net worth of approximately $48.8 million (at the time) was calculated, providing Brooke to the tune of $15.3 million in the final settlement.
“Being a personal matter, I hope that everybody will respect our privacy as we work through this difficult time. I also hope everybody will understand that it would be improper for me to discuss or comment on this matter publicly,” said Gordon at the time, while trying to maintain his focus on racing. “My focus has been 100 percent on racing.”
With all the proceedings said and done in the past, Jeff Gordon today is a face at Hendrick Motorsports who is involved in the most high-profile and important decisions.
He was also one of the driving forces at HMS when the current driver of the #5 Chevy at the team, Kyle Larson attempted the famed Memorial Day Double with the team.
The California native made his NTT IndyCar Series debut as a result, appearing behind the wheel of one of Arrow McLaren SP’s entries in the famed Indy 500, along with racing in the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. He became the first driver to attempt the feat after former driver Kurt Busch’s attempt back in 2014.
