Jeff Gordon won four Cup Series championships as a driver. And still, he couldn’t believe himself when Kyle Larson brought home the 15th Cup Series championship for Hendrick Motorsports at Phoenix in November. It wasn’t that he lacked trust in Larson or any of the other crew members on the No. 5 team to win. It was more of a joyful shock that comes in the aftermath of incredible hard work.
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The team vice chairman had been in the pit box of the No. 9 team when Larson crossed the checkered flag and confirmed that he was the owner of the 2025 crown. It was only when he got down from the box and began walking towards Victory Lane that the magnitude of the achievement began sinking into his heart. And even now, it isn’t there yet fully.
He told the media that being in meetings with crew chiefs, engineers, and drivers makes him realize how badly they want to get to Phoenix and lift the title. He said, “Then, when you see them pull that off, that’s what pulls me in – the trust and belief and excitement and nervousness you have for them. I definitely felt that throughout the whole weekend … Then it was more, ‘Holy cow, that just happened.’ And I’d say I’m still a little bit in that mode.”
Years or decades from now, the records won’t speak about all the emotions that were behind the championship. Gordon knows this. He said with mature wisdom that can only be expected from the masters of the sport that it will just be known as the 15th championship of Hendrick Motorsports and nothing more.
Even as he hasn’t fully come to terms with what his men did in 2025, he is preparing them to go out and do it again in 2026. Such is the mindset of winners. He quipped, “I think what our folks are so good at, no matter how good you did last year, they’re working equally or even harder at raising the bar the next year.”
The team will be adopting a new Chevrolet body for the 2026 season. Gordon is hard at work tuning the same to optimize performance and keep the good work running. Above all, he is thrilled to see what this “upgrade” can do for the already exemplary program that he has put together.
