In 1992, Rick Hendrick spotted something special at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After watching a young Jeff Gordon tear through a Busch Series race, Hendrick signed him just two days later. It was a move that helped shape one of NASCAR’s greatest careers. Gordon went on to win four championships and cement himself as a Hendrick Motorsports icon. However, years later, when Gordon urged Hendrick to take a serious look at another emerging talent, a quiet kid named Kyle Larson, Hendrick hesitated. And now, he’s openly admitting that hesitation was one of the biggest mistakes of his career.

Should have listened to Jeff Gordon sooner – Rick Hendrick

“Jeff had talked about him, and Jeff actually brought him back to me before he ever got in a car with Ganassi. And that’s where I made a mistake. And if I had listened to Jeff, we would have been down the road further.”

With that one sentence, Rick Hendrick summed up one of the few times his legendary eye for talent missed early. Before Kyle Larson ever signed with Chip Ganassi Racing, Jeff Gordon was already vouching for him. Hendrick liked what he saw. But Larson was quiet, shy, and hard to read back then. And Hendrick, by his own admission, hesitated.

Larson went on to race for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Cup Series from 2014 to 2020, driving the No. 42 Chevrolet. He immediately proved Jeff Gordon right, winning Rookie of the Year in 2014 and securing six Cup wins, along with four straight playoff appearances from 2016–19. His breakout year came in 2019, finishing sixth in the standings and firmly establishing himself as one of NASCAR’s elite drivers.

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But it wasn’t until 2021 (after his release from Ganassi in early 2020 due to an unwanted act on Larson’s part) that Hendrick finally put Larson behind the wheel of the No. 5 car. The result? One of the greatest seasons in modern NASCAR history. Larson won 10 races, dominated the field, and secured the 2021 Championship. He backed it up with continued excellence, finishing in the top 10 every year and eventually claiming his second Cup title in 2025, cementing himself as a generational talent.

Looking back, Rick Hendrick knows exactly what an earlier partnership could’ve meant: more wins, more playoff runs, and likely more championships. And for once, the man who built a dynasty admits he should’ve moved faster.

The Cliff Daniels effect

When discussing the rise of Kyle Larson at Hendrick Motorsports, one name always surfaces alongside his success: crew chief Cliff Daniels. Their relationship has been defined by relentless intensity, engineering precision, and a mutual chase for perfection. As Hendrick leadership has often noted, Larson’s raw aggression behind the wheel demands a crew chief capable of building cars that survive and thrive on that razor’s edge.

As Jeff Gordon put it: “The way he pushes Cliff, I mean, obviously, he pushes everything, right? He’s on the edge, and that pushes Cliff to make sure that that car can live there on the edge, right?”

Since being paired in 2021, Daniels and Larson have transformed into NASCAR’s most dominant driver-crew chief combination. Together, they have captured two championships (2021 and 2025), won 26 points-paying races, and consistently led the field across nearly every major category over their five seasons.

Their most defining moment came during the dramatic 2025 finale at Phoenix Raceway, when Daniels made the bold call for a two-tire stop under a late caution. The gamble allowed Larson to leapfrog Denny Hamlin in track position, ultimately securing Larson’s second Cup title.

Their bond, built on trust and shared intensity, now extends far into the future. Both recently signed contract extensions keeping them at Hendrick through the 2031 season. As Larson stated: “I’m incredibly grateful to continue my career with Hendrick Motorsports and HendrickCars.com…We’ve accomplished a lot together, but I truly believe the best is still ahead… I’m excited to keep chasing wins and championships with Cliff and the 5 team for many more years.”

With stability, chemistry, and a proven formula, the Larson-Daniels duo isn’t just maintaining success. In fact, they’re building a legacy that could define this NASCAR era.