Key Member of Jeff Gordon’s Famed “Rainbow Warriors” Leaves Hendrick Motorsports After a 30-Year Spell

According to reports, a Hendrick Motorsports veteran crew member has left the organization. As it turns out, team manager Michael Landis bowed out of the outfit after close to 30 years with them. However, it is worth noting that he is not joining another team. Instead, he is looking for a change of scenery in the racing arena. What is important is that Landis was part of the team that worked with NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon.

In fact, he was one of the original “Rainbow Warriors” working on the #24 car. The New York-born manager began his motorsports career with IROC Series, working for Ray Evernham. When Evernham joined up with Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports in 1992, Landis also followed him.

What did the ex-manager of Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports do?

In a 2010 interview, he revealed his duties as a team manager at HMS. He said, “My job title is team manager for the Nos. 24 and 48 teams. I am a fireman and a janitor. I put out the fires and clean up the messes. I oversee the things that don’t make the race cars go faster, so the guys like Chad (Knaus) and Steve (Letarte) can concentrate on doing that. In reality, I am like a mini human resource department for the team.”

In other words, he was in charge of team administration. So, he took care of hiring employees and letting some employees go. This also included handling interviews, employee work hours, overtime and he even oversaw purchase approvals. With regard to the last part, he took care of the financial aspect of running the team while Jeff Gordon did the driving. He also reported to the crew chiefs and they collectively made decisions together. However, Landis himself had the authority to execute the decisions while the crew chiefs focused on the races.

READ MORE: “…We Haven’t Seen That in Years” – Jeff Gordon Looks at the Bigger Picture as NASCAR Drivers Struggle With the Next Gen Car