Long ago, much before NASCAR, a teenage boy found love for stock cars while working on one in the early 60s. That same boy would go ahead to establish one of the most dominant teams in NASCAR — Hendrick Motorsports. He was none other than Rick Hendrick. Since its formation, Hendrick Motorsports has racked up over 300 Cup wins and 15 championships to date. As Hendrick once put it, “People think I’m a car dealer who got into racing, but it’s really the other way around.”

On the other hand, Jeff Gordon, a four-time champ and now vice chairman of HMS, knows what it has taken to build a legacy like HMS. He has closely watched the growth of HMS for more than thirty years since joining as a driver in 1992. Yet amid changing cars and formats, what keeps team Hendrick still winning after four decades? Let’s hear it from Gordon himself.

Team unity is Hendrick’s core strength

On the latest NASCAR Live podcast, Jeff Gordon peeled back the layers on what fuels Hendrick Motorsports’ 42-year run of dominance. Since 1984, the team has claimed 15 Cup championships and 320 wins, breaking records and boosting NASCAR’s global reach with stars like Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

This legacy of more than 40 years isn’t just about records and trophies; it’s also about what HMS has given to the sport. HMS has innovations in tech and driver development, inspiring smaller teams to aim higher. Gordon credits the early foundation laid by Rick Hendrick, whose drag racing roots and dealership savvy poured resources into a winning mindset from day one.

“Yeah, and listen, I know that the organization doesn’t get much credit for what happened, you know, up until ’95 when that first championship came,” Gordon said, recalling the thin years of HMS before his own title. Back then, Hendrick had a knack for betting big on talent and tech despite doubts and low funds, but all those bets paid off with success, turning a small operation into a powerhouse.

That belief doubled down post-1995, with a full commitment from every crew member. Gordon explained how sacrifices, like late-night sim sessions, build resilience, which could be seen in 2025 when the No-5 team overcame mid-season slumps to grab Larson‘s second title.

The real magic? A culture where challenges forge strength. “It’s done by a team; you know it’s everybody coming together,” Gordon noted. Rick Hendrick echoed the same sentiment after Larson’s win: “It’s respect among people… if you can get everybody to pull together and believe we’re stronger together, it’s hard to break that down.”

Drawing from his 2004 plane crash tragedy that took his son and others away from him, Hendrick rebuilt with empathy, channeling pain into purpose via the Hendrick Family Foundation, which has raised millions for causes like cancer research. This “people-first” approach has kept Hendrick unbeatable, proving unity trumps talent alone.

As Gordon looks ahead, he knows resting on past glory won’t cut it. With fresh eyes on the offseason grind…

Gordon pushes for peak performance before Daytona

Jeff Gordon isn’t one to live in his past glory for long periods. Fresh off Hendrick’s 15th title, the vice chairman is already mapping the path to the 2026 Daytona 500. The 2025 season for HMS shone with William Byron‘s back-to-back Daytona 500s and Larson’s second championship, but hiccups like Alex Bowman’s playoff pit woes exposed room for improvement. For the upcoming season, Gordon wants all four HMS cars (Byron’s No. 24, Larson’s No. 5, Bowman’s No. 48, and Chase Elliott’s No. 9) firing in sync to chase more wins.

“Yeah, always work to be done… it’s about delivering on all those promises to our people…. You know, we’re hitting on all cylinders and go compete for another championship.” Gordon stressed on NASCAR Live. He pointed to the No. 48’s history of seven titles under Johnson, noting its tech edge is still important despite Bowman’s 13th-place finish. Offseason tweaks, like better tools for crew chief Blake Harris, aim to fix those disastrous 40-second pit stops that happened in Darlington.

For Elliott‘s squad, which was running strong until a Talladega crash, Gordon sees untapped potential. But Gordon is focused more on Bowman, saying, “We’ve got to get that 48. Alex Bowman… We want to keep that going for the company,” he added. With sponsors like Ally watching, these upgrades ensure the team’s edge. Whereas for Gordon’s offseason blueprint? It’s in total alignment to win Daytona for the third consecutive year.