Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon. Who is the best Hendrick Motorsports driver of all time? After NASCAR’s recent tweet asking fans to share the name of the greatest driver to race for HMS, a war between Johnson and Gordon fans took NASCAR’s Twitter by storm. But wait, before stepping into a detailed comparison of their stats, there’s something important that might alter the answer to this question.

While replying to NASCAR’s tweet, an unofficial Dale Earnhardt Sr fan site suggested that Dale Earnhardt is the real HMS GOAT. But doesn’t one have to drive for a team to become the greatest driver of that team?

Well, yes, that’s true. And surprisingly enough, it was Dale Earnhardt who brought in the first victory for HMS owner Rick Hendrick.

But when did Dale Earnhardt drive for Hendrick Motorsports? 

Can’t remember the time when Earnhardt Sr drove for HMS? No worries, even some of the most die-hard HMS fans won’t be able to put a finger on that.

According to the details shared by the Dale Earnhardt fan site, Rick Hendrick’s first victory came in 1983 when the Intimidator won the Mello Yello 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Although Robert Gee owned the car, Rick Hendrick had purchased a stake in the team. And hence with Earnhardt’s victory, Hendrick saw his first win as a team owner (though a minority stakeholder).

Still not sure about it? Dale Earnhardt Jr is here to help. After the fansite shared the information in the comments, the event was confirmed by Dale Earnhardt Jr through his like.

READ MORE: Jimmie Johnson Recalls Driving ‘Instinctively’ Behind the Wheel of NASCAR’s Le Mans Entry

Jimmie Johnson vs Jeff Gordon debate

Alright. Now let’s get back to the Jimmie Johnson vs Jeff Gordon debate. Though by now, many would have changed their views about who the true HMS GOAT is.

With four Cup titles to his name, Jeff Gordon is considered to be one of the most influential figures in NASCAR. However, with 3 more title wins, many believe that the seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is the real GOAT of Hendrick Motorsports. But are title wins enough to be the greatest driver?

Although Johnson won seven championships, it is important to note that the first four came in the initial nine years of his career while it took him 14 years to register his next title win. While Gordon registered all his title victories in the first 12 years of his career.

Moreover, a much fairer comparison would be to analyze the results of the races where the two drivers fought against each other. As reported by Frontstretch, Gordon and Johnson raced against each other 515 times. Out of which, Johnson won 288 races (around 56%). Moreover, Johnson has 41 more overall race wins, 21 more top-five finishes, and 30 more top-10 finishes than Gordon during the 515 races.

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Furthermore, Johnson registered six of his title victories while he raced against Jeff Gordon. Whereas, Gordon did not register any of his title wins during the 515 races he raced against Johnson.