The Jimmie Johnson-Jeff Gordon duo spent 16 years together in the garages of Rick Hendrick and gave him a combined 11 Cup Series championships. It would be no exaggeration to say that they have been the most important drivers in the growth of NASCAR’s winningest team and modern NASCAR itself.
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Such performance and devotion are obvious to exceed the boundaries of a professional relationship. And they have. The 74-year-old Mr Hendrick said in an episode of Cars and Culture, “It’s amazing. They’re like my sons, you know, both of them.”
Traveling down the path about how he’d identified Gordon and immediately knew of his caliber, he added, “I saw Jeff and said, ‘Man, this kid has got all the talent’. I took a chance. Didn’t have a sponsor and everybody thought I was crazy. (…) It changed the whole landscape of racing. Boy wonder…”
Rick Hendrick’s early prediction of Jimmie Johnson’s talent
Talking about when he first saw a 16-year-old Jimmie Johnson race, Hendrick said, “I watched him in stadium trucks when he was just a kid, 16. To Chevrolet and Herb Fischel, I said, ‘You need to watch this guy’.
Herb Fischel was another key figure in the rise of Jimmie Johnson as NASCAR champion. As a general manager at General Motors Racing at the time, Fischel had eyed Johnson’s talent and played a pivotal role in his career by helping him find a ride whenever possible, particularly in trucks. Who would’ve thought this relationship would end in Johnson moving to Hendrick Motorsports and winning 7 championships?
Just like Gordon, Johnson too was offered an ownership stake at Hendrick Motorsports. But the driver decided not to go for it at the time. Johnson’s story with the team hasn’t ended though he is now at a different camp as a top man of his own making today.
