In 1992, Hendrick Motorsports was a two-car operation. There was no third entry and no No. 24 team waiting in the garage. If Rick Hendrick wanted Jeff Gordon, he had to build the seat himself. Gordon was just 20 years old, coming from open-wheel racing, and hadn’t run a full Cup season. There were no guarantees, but Hendrick moved forward anyway. Gordon has said that’s what meant the most. Before the wins and championships, someone committed to him without proof at the Cup level.

Jeff Gordon reflects on his debut season with HMS

“My rookie year with Rick wasn’t great, […] And so to me, I just always knew he took a chance on a young guy, and I knew that I didn’t want to go anywhere else after we won the first championship.” He said on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour YouTube channel.

While Gordon did become a dominant force on the field, competing with the likes of Dale Earnhardt, his debut season wasn’t very strong. He drove inconsistently, but somewhere, Rick Hendrick knew he had picked the right driver, and continued with him. Eventually, Gordon won his first title with the team in 1995.

“I knew then if he laid a big long contract or a lifetime deal, I’m like, I’ll sign wherever he tells me to sign. But it’s an amazing organization that supports you and gives you the tools,” Jeff Gordon said.

Gordon stayed with Hendrick Motorsports and became a part of the team’s legacy. With 93 race wins, four titles, and 805 starts, he is one of the reasons Hendrick Motorsports is a great team today.

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As of now, it seems that Kyle Larson is taking the trend forward. “I’ve had my eye on him [Larson] for a long time,” Gordon added. “Watching him in sprint cars, and took us a little while to get him to Hendrick, but you know, Rick and I talked many times about it. Man, if we can get him behind the wheel of our cars with our people, our organization, he’s going to do great things. And he’s certainly done that.”

Larson joined the team in 2021 and has won 2 championships. While he did not start his Cup career with the team, he certainly has made himself one with the #5 crew.

If Jeff Gordon is the face of HMS’ past, then Larson is the mirror that reflects it further. He recently mentioned the possibility of signing a lifetime deal with the team. While that is not confirmed, Rick Hendrick is certainly impressed by his mentality.

Rick Hendrick’s positive comment reinforces Larson’s HMS run

While Kyle Larson remains positive about a lifetime contract with Hendrick Motorsports, it does not come as a surprise. As mentioned, he has brought immense success to the team. Beyond the two championships, he continues to showcase strong performances on the track. This is exactly what Rick Hendrick needs.

Earlier this year, when extending his contract with the team, Hendrick reflected on what Larson brings to the table, along with his crew chief, Cliff Daniels.

“When I think about both of these guys, I think about excellence, and that’s the part that rings true with me,” he told the media. “They’re there to win every week, and that’s what. You’re in a car, and you’re sponsoring a car, you own a car, you want to go out, and you want to have an opportunity to win, and with these guys, and I think we know every time we show up at a racetrack we can.”

It is quite apparent that Rick Hendrick has enough confidence in Kyle Larson and his pairing with Cliff Daniels. While he might not have an exact ‘Jeff Gordon trajectory’ with the team, he still has many years left behind the wheel, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him spend them with HMS.