Jeff Gordon talks about the rumors of Alex Bowman leaving Hendrick Motorsports ahead of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
[autotag]Alex Bowman[/autotag]’s future has been a massive topic of conversation over the last few days. Bowman pushed back against the rumor of him leaving Hendrick Motorsports and joining Spire Motorsports, with Justin Haley taking his seat in the No. 48 car. However, those rumors are still relevant, even after Bowman denied them during NASCAR playoff media day in 2024.
On Friday morning, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman [autotag]Jeff Gordon[/autotag] jumped on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and was asked to address the rumors involving Bowman. Gordon didn’t want to address such talks.
“Yeah, you know, don’t like to address rumors ’cause that’s what they are, but, you know, we have a lot of confidence in [Alex Bowman], and [Blake Harris], and the whole No. 48 team. Nobody wants to see them go deeper into the playoffs or go to Phoenix and compete for a championship more than we do. We believe in those guys.”
“I understand silly season, and things come along when performance hasn’t been there, especially at Hendrick Motorsports, you know, is a high standard. I understand how sometimes those things get out there, but we are excited about the future there.”
Gordon didn’t exactly clear the air on Bowman’s future at Hendrick Motorsports. Could the driver of the No. 48 car truly be fighting for his job over the next 10 races? It remains to be seen, but Bowman could be in line for a big playoff run if the No. 48 team can find speed. If not, these rumors could only intensify over the coming weeks.
Which NASCAR driver has the most wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Check out who tops the list at The Brickyard!
NASCAR has a long and storied history with Indianapolis Motor Speedway dating back to the 1994 season. Since that point, the NASCAR Cup Series has competed in 27 races, with the venue holding only one event per season. However, which NASCAR driver has the most wins in Indianapolis? One specific driver has kissed the bricks more than others at The Brickyard.
[autotag]Jeff Gordon[/autotag] has five victories at Indianapolis, making him the most successful driver at the track in Cup Series history. Gordon won the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994, becoming the first NASCAR driver to win at Indianapolis. Gordon also had victories in 1998, 2001, 2004, and 2014. The four-time Cup Series champion is the only driver with five wins, as Jimmie Johnson sits in second place with four victories.
As for the active NASCAR drivers with the most wins at Indianapolis, Kyle Busch leads the way with two victories. Outside of Busch, Brad Keselowski is the only full-time Cup Series driver who has won at Indianapolis. NASCAR only comes to Indianapolis once per year, and with the racing back on the oval layout, this Brickyard 400 will be a very special victory.
Jeff Gordon described Kyle Larson as “one of the greats” after his NASCAR win at Sonoma. Find out what else Gordon said about Larson!
On the Monday of race week at Sonoma Raceway, [autotag]Kyle Larson[/autotag] didn’t know if he would be in the 2024 NASCAR playoffs. Larson missed the Coca-Cola 600 and competed in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 instead; however, NASCAR eventually granted him a waiver. Then, the driver of the No. 5 car won his third race of the season at Sonoma on Sunday.
Following Larson’s victory, Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman [autotag]Jeff Gordon[/autotag] sat down for his press conference. Gordon was asked about Larson’s ability to be so successful when he’s on the record of knowing little about cars, and didn’t hold back on praising him.
“Because [Kyle Larson] drives the wheels off of it,” Gordon said. “I think if you’re making lap time, making good decisions, he was really good through making up positions on the restarts when he needed to. When those other guys came into pit and he’s out there on a little bit older tires, maintaining lap times the way he was, those are just the things that great drivers do and do well, and he’s one of the greats.”
Gordon called Larson “one of the greats” and that is high praise from one of NASCAR’s most successful drivers in history. Larson is a generational talent, and that has been on display over the last two months. Larson may never reach the numbers that Gordon accomplished, but his overall success in NASCAR already cannot be understated.
The Carolina Panthers are on the fast track in 2024 . . . literally.
As they broke off of this year’s final leg of organized team activities, the squad took a bit of a field trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway this week. The visit included a thrilling pit crew competition, an inspiring talk from NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon and, of course, some trips around the track.
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) June 6, 2024
Oh, and some of the players were able to take those trips around the track in this beauty . . .
Panthers.com
The custom wrap, per Darin Gantt of Panthers.com, was ordered by vice president of player affairs Kevin Winston. The car will remain part of the NASCAR Racing experience stable for the rest of the year.
Gantt was able to get a few words from guard Robert Hunt, who somehow fit his 6-foot-6, 323-pound frame in the ride.
“It was fun. It was an experience. I’m glad I did it,” Hunt said. “Would I do it again? Maybe not, but I did it today. I was pretty nervous, and the car was all crammed on me. So I’m like, God, please let me get through these couple of laps to get done, man. But I enjoyed the ride.
“The car was a little cramped on my back, and there wasn’t a lot of room to move my legs, but we got through it. Yeah, it ain’t meant for me, man. I’m meant to be on the football field, or a basketball court, you know what I mean? Something outside where I can move, and you know, get some space. I can’t do nothing in there, man. It’s too little.”
Which NASCAR driver has the most wins at Sonoma Raceway? Check out who tops the list in Sonoma, California!
NASCAR has a storied history with Sonoma Raceway dating back to the 1989 season. Since that point, the NASCAR Cup Series has competed in 34 races, averaging almost one event per year. However, which NASCAR driver has the most wins at Sonoma? The answer won’t surprise you due to their previous success in the sport.
[autotag]Jeff Gordon[/autotag] has five victories at Sonoma, making him the most successful driver at the track in NASCAR history. Gordon is the only driver to have more than four victories at the venue, as Martin Truex Jr. sits in second place with four wins to his name. Gordon’s last win at Sonoma came in June 2006.
As for the active NASCAR driver with the most wins at Sonoma, Truex holds the lead with four victories. The next closest driver is Kyle Busch with two wins, so Truex’s place at the top of the current winners at Sonoma is safe for now. NASCAR only comes to Sonoma one time per year, so victories at the race track are always special.
William Byron will drive a special Jeff Gordon throwback paint scheme at Darlington Raceway. Check out the No. 24 car’s sharp look!
Hendrick Motorsports has dominated the “Throwback Weekend” paint schemes for Darlington Raceway. Kyle Larson will honor Terry Labonte, Chase Elliott will honor Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Alex Bowman will honor Jimmie Johnson. Now, it is time for [autotag]William Byron[/autotag] to honor one of the NASCAR’s most important drivers in history.
Byron will drive a special [autotag]Jeff Gordon[/autotag] throwback paint scheme at Darlington. The No. 24 car will feature flames on the sides and a classic look on the nose, a nod to Gordon’s “Firestorm” paint scheme from the 2009 NASCAR season. Overall, it is a good paint scheme that represents Gordon well.
Byron won at Darlington in a Gordon throwback scheme in May 2023. While that was a special win for the organization, Gordon might be even more happy if Byron won in this one. The driver of the No. 24 car is good at Darlington, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Grodon’s “Firestorm” paint scheme back in victory lane once again.
The surreal fashion that Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway was unfolding for Hendrick Motorsports got to Jeff Gordon. There were many emotions layered onto the NASCAR Cup series race as Hendrick Motorsports celebrated its 40th anniversary. …
The surreal fashion that Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway was unfolding for Hendrick Motorsports got to Jeff Gordon.
There were many emotions layered onto the NASCAR Cup series race as Hendrick Motorsports celebrated its 40th anniversary. William Byron being the victor was an accomplishment only made better by Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, making it a 1-2-3 sweep.
“I felt like I was in the car there about 50, 60 laps to go because it reminded me of when you’re leading and you feel like you’re going to do something really, really special,” Gordon said. “You start thinking about the moment, what it means. You start getting choked up a little bit. I was like, ‘Stop, stop, stop, can’t think that. We got to a long way to go here.’ Usually, it’s not that easy and it wasn’t.
“I don’t even know where to begin, honestly. There are so many things that are special. … You just cannot plan it any better, script it any better.”
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]
Before the race started, it was already a Hendrick Motorsports weekend. The facility was taken over by the legendary organization, which only exists today because Geoff Bodine was victorious at Martinsville Speedway in April 1984.
All four drivers had a ruby red paint scheme. The tunnel leading to the infield featured pictures of previous Hendrick Motorsports wins. Bodine and Gordon were co-grand marshals, and Rick Hendrick was scheduled to be the pace car driver, but slow-healing knee replacement surgery kept him home. There were also different cars on display throughout the property, and most notable were the 1,500 people wearing ruby red shirts high above Turn 2. Byron made sure to celebrate in front of them after winning.
William Byron celebrates after his victory at Martinsville Speedway. Motorsport Images
“That’s the last number I heard,” Gordon said of how many people were in attendance for the company. “That’s employees (and) families. The coolest thing about this whole thing is, one, Rick agreed to do it. Clay (Campbell, track president) opened it up to be able to do. Also, it wasn’t just, ‘Hey, come for free.’ It was, ‘Bring a family member, and if you want more tickets, we’ve got a really good discounted rate on more tickets.’ They bought more.
“We expected, I don’t know, maybe 500 people. You just don’t know until you put that invite out to the group and they start RSVPing. One day, it was 400. The next day, it was 700. The next day, it was 900. Every day, we were like, ‘Well, we’re going to have 700. Oh, really, 900?’ To see our folks rally behind this milestone and this moment, this day, get on buses early this morning and come up here. Listen, the music was going. They were partying up there pretty early. They had a good time.
“To be able to cap that off with the victory, what this is going to do for our company is incredible. To be able to have them that engaged with a day like today, our history, but also making history at the same time.”
Gordon won four championships and 93 races driving for Hendrick Motorsports, including nine at Martinsville Speedway. But what accompanied those accomplishments was much different from what Gordon felt Sunday when sitting atop a pit box watching but feeling like he was in the car.
“It’s not even the driving part, it’s the emotion part,” Gordon said. “It’s what does it mean to you working with your team, what the moment means. Like this accomplishment. There’s not a person in our organization who didn’t realize winning today how much that was going to mean to Rick Hendrick, Linda Hendrick, to Hendrick Motorsports. Gosh, you look at William, he’s been stepping it up at the big milestone wins for this company.
“I didn’t know if I was going to like being in this role, working as much as I am. These guys work hard. I don’t work that hard. But from being a driver to basically a desk job and being in the office every day that’s not where I envisioned my life going. But days like today and weeks like this, years like what we’re already off to, celebrating, makes it beyond what I could ever imagine and dream of.
“I’m in the ultimate position. These guys make us all look good, so it’s cool. Fun to be in that role right now.”
Jeff Gordon talks about the No. 24 car returning to victory lane at the 2024 Daytona 500. Find out what Gordon had to say about the victory!
[autotag]Jeff Gordon[/autotag] won the Daytona 500 three times in 1997, 1999, and 2005. Almost 19 years to the day of Gordon’s last Daytona 500 victory, he witnessed his famous No. 24 car return to glory. William Byron won the 2024 Daytona 500 after barely beating Alex Bowman before the caution flew on the final lap. It is Byron’s first win in the Great American Race.
Following Byron’s victory, Gordon, crew chief Rudy Fugle, and team owner Rick Hendrick sat down for a press conference in Daytona. Gordon was asked if the No. 24 car made the victory more special for him, and he gave an honest answer.
“I try not to be biased, but [William Byron] is making it hard on me,” Gordon said. “It is 2024, and the No. 24 car is always going to be very, very special to me. But what I loved the most is seeing him make it his number and building that fan base not only — 24 fans have been around for a long time, but his own fans.”
William Byron *barely* beat Alex Bowman to win the 2024 Daytona 500.
It’s Byron’s first Daytona 500 victory as the No. 24 car returns to victory lane in the Great American Race. pic.twitter.com/8AduUkx5BC
“A win like this, my gosh, this is going to elevate that up to the next level and bring a whole lot more new fans to the sport and for William. That’s what I get excited and look forward to.”
Gordon may not be driving the No. 24 car anymore, but it’s easy to tell how special that moment was for him. Byron is driving his famous number and turning into a NASCAR superstar. The NASCAR world spent 23 years witnessing Gordon’s greatness in the No. 24 car. Now, it’s Byron’s turn to strike fear into his competitors following the Daytona 500.
He obviously has nothing to prove. But Sunday, he’ll start 23rd in the 2024 Daytona 500 — a race Johnson won in 2006 and 2013.
Johnson competed in last year’s Daytona 500, along with two other Cup Series races, and he has a nine-race schedule planned with the team he co-owns, Legacy Motor Club, behind the wheel of the No. 84 Toyota.
But when so many of his contemporaries have left the cockpit for good, Johnson’s still going. And his former Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., are a little surprised Johnson is still racing.
Recently, Gordon — currently the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports — was a guest on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, and he explained to Earnhardt about Johnson:
“I am surprised he’s driving, I’ll be honest. You know, like, again, I admire what he did in IndyCar. I’m like, ‘Man, phew!’ I went and did one sports-car race and got my butt kicked. And it was the hardest I’ve ever had to work in a race car in a long time. And it made me think a lot about Jimmie and that commitment that he made to go run IndyCar. Whether you could say it was successful or not successful, just taking that step and committing to it is what I admired so much about it.
“It just goes to show you, I think, his mindset, his talent, his ability. So on one hand, I’m surprised he’s gonna run in the Cup Series, especially with the Next Gen car right and how different this car is. But at the same time, I’m not because I’ve seen him take on big challenges throughout his whole life.”
Johnson weighed in on this recently as well. He told Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass that the nine races he has planned for 2024 are because he truly wants to race in them and running this schedule still allows him to balance his family life and business ventures, along with more racing.
“I know my friends that have all retired are like, “Why in the world would you want to go back to a plate race?” But this is Daytona. I just can’t see not racing in this race. I’ve always been after the marquee events. Sure, this is a plate race. But, man, having a shot to win another Daytona 500 is really something I want to experience.”
For Sunday’s Daytona 500, Johnson had to race his way into the 40-car field on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, and he made it but just barely.
“I am in race cars now because it’s truly what I love to do and want to do. … The desire to win, the desire to increase the win total number, to experience the thrill of victory — that’s always there. And that’s a given. So, one, I’m just going to continue to chase that. I love that aspect of it. But what will make me stop? There isn’t some number I’m trying to achieve and say, ‘OK now that’s enough.’ It’s probably going to be when my wife grabs him by the ear and says, ‘Look, you don’t need to be out there anymore. If you’ve been doing this long enough.'”
In 2024, Kyle Larson will attempt the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, aiming to race 1,100 miles.
Kyle Larson is getting a chance that some NASCAR drivers, and racers worldwide, only fantasize about — a chance to run the Indianapolis 500, one of the biggest and most prestigious races in the world.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champ, one of the most versatile racers in the U.S., will attempt to qualify for the 2024 Indy 500, thanks to a two-year partnership between Hendrick Motorsports, his current NASCAR team, and Arrow McLaren in the IndyCar Series.
“It’s been something that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time,” Larson said Thursday at a press conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is preparing for the 107th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on May 28.
“I wanted to be patient and kind of wait for the timing to feel right. It feels right. Having Hendrick Motorsports be extremely supportive of it, supporting the efforts with Arrow McLaren, it’s something that I’m extremely excited about.”
Larson — who has two wins in the No. 5 Chevrolet through the first half of the 2023 NASCAR regular season — continued at his press conference:
“Jeff kind of told me that I get to live out a dream of his. That’s really special also to me.
“I’ve obviously come here a lot in a stock car. I lived in the area for a couple years. So this place for a long time felt like home or a second home to me.
“In my opinion, this is the biggest race in the world, so you want to be a part of the big ones. Hopefully someday be a winner of a big event. Look forward to it. Happy to be here today. Look forward to kind of taking in as much knowledge as I possibly can in a single day, just trying to better prepare myself for whenever I get behind the wheel.”
Gordon described racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as “every race car driver’s dream,” and he’s lived that dream as NASCAR’s winningest driver at the iconic 2.5-mile track with five checkered flags. But as his NASCAR career took off, the Indy 500 never became a reality.
The NASCAR Hall of Famer added:
“Like Kyle said, it’s true, I did say to him he’s going to be able to live out a dream of mine. I go back to the mid to late ’80s when I was living here in Indiana, raced all around here. …
“I don’t know if really the right opportunity or it ever became serious enough after that to become a reality. So to me, this is equally as exciting because, one, I sure as heck right now don’t want to drive into Turn 1 at 238 miles [an hour] — whatever they’re running — but Kyle does. Kyle is capable of it.”
NASCAR Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon during practice for the 2015 Crown Royal 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)
For the 2023 Indy 500, McLaren is fielding four cars with the team’s regular drivers Alexander Rossi, Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist, along with Tony Kanaan. Next year, thanks to the partnership orchestrated by Gordon, Larson would be the team’s fourth or possibly fifth car, as the Associated Press noted.
The Indy 500 is a grueling physical challenge in itself. But with Larson still running full-time in NASCAR, his 2024 Memorial Day Weekend will be doubly difficult.
He’ll attempt the “Memorial Day Double” by racing in the Indy 500 early in the afternoon before heading down to Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600, held annually on the same day. Should Larson complete both events, he’ll end up racing for 1,100 miles.
Only four drivers have ever competed in the “Memorial Day Double,” and Tony Stewart in 2001 is the lone one to finish both events. Kurt Busch is the most recent NASCAR driver to attempt it in 2014, finishing sixth in the Indy 500 before engine problems kept him from finishing the Coke 600.
Larson said it’s humbling for him to be one of the few to attempt “The Double,” but, of course, he’s looking forward to the daunting task.
“It will be crazy,” he said.
“There’s going to be a lot to soak in over the next year, and I look forward to the challenge. I love racing new vehicles to challenge myself and learn something new. I feel like ultimately it makes me a better race car driver.”
