“He did so much pushing that I didn’t need to…he expected that from me…and I made sure that I had my s— together.” Jimmie Johnson, a 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, said these words this year about his former crew chief. That is none other than Chad Knaus, with whom Johnson has won 81 Cup Series race trophies. This level of legendary success was possible only under the work ethic which Knaus espoused – and which resonates across Rick Hendrick’s garage.

Hendrick Motorsports fetched its 15th Cup Series championship last weekend. It marked the latest for the team, where Jimmie Johnson once raced under the guidance of Chad Knaus. While Johnson is no longer part of the fold, Knaus is. What is more, he has his finger on the pulse of the team’s continued brilliance.

Rick Hendrick’s executive spills the beans

With 15 titles and 320 Cup race trophies, there must be a secret work ethic that HMS religiously follows. Yet, as Chad Knaus, currently serving as the team’s Vice President of Competition, divulged, it is not much. Rick Hendrick’s executive spilled the beans in an interview: “Quite honestly, I think we just continue to fall back on the processes that we’ve had in place. Our teammates are super strong, and everybody’s extremely motivated at HMS. We don’t really need to do a whole lot of extra than what we do in each and every single week.” 

Well, that echoes the strong work ethic that Rick Hendrick had imbued for his team 40 years ago. He started out of a single garage in 1984, and the sweat of his brow made a star-studded enterprise. Chad Knaus, among other legendary icons, has contributed to sustaining and building that enterprise. So, considering the 40-year legacy that HMS already holds, Knaus finds it surprising that fans still ask about how the team fetched its 15th Cup Series title. “Yeah, it’s funny…because people have asked me so many times over my career, ‘How do you guys turn it up?’ What’s the motivational speech for these guys? What is it that you do in these high-pressure situations?” 

Kyle Larson and William Byron were definitely in a high-pressure situation at Phoenix last week. Denny Hamlin dominated the title race with 208 laps led. And after a season’s best of 6 trophies, it looked like the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran was the champion. However, a caution on lap 309 shuffled the grid and brought out Larson to the front, and the No. 5 Chevrolet brought Rick Hendrick his latest title. A big controversy erupted over the finish, as fans and peers felt bad for Hamlin considering his struggles.

Nevertheless, Rick Hendrick’s brilliance can hardly be understated. His team fetched laurels elsewhere as well, as Chase Elliott fetched his 8th Most Popular Driver award. A month ago, Chad Knaus was named the recipient of the venerated 2025 Smokey Yunick Award. It is an annual recognition, instituted in 1997, recognizing an individual who has demonstrated exceptional innovation in motorsports.

While Chad Knaus divulged his team’s secret, Rick Hendrick cherished long years of success.

A surreal feeling for Rick Hendrick

After Kyle Larson crossed the finish line ahead of his playoff competitors, Rick Hendrick had a flashback. The NASCAR Cup Series team owner took a trip down memory lane, reflecting on how his team grew over the years. From starting his dream in the early 1980s with humble beginnings to becoming the owner of one of the best-achieving NASCAR teams, Hendrick has come a long way. HMS would not win its first championship until over a decade after its 1984 debut, with Gordon finishing the deal in 1995. But since then, the team has picked up 320 race trophies, including 10 Daytona 500s, alongside the 15 titles.

“It is a big number. It means I’m an old man,” Rick Hendrick said. He recollected times with past drivers like Tim Richmond and Darrell Waltrip. “It’s kind of a neat deal to look back. You get so busy, you don’t look back. But I started looking back at the old pictures, when I was a lot smaller, with (crew chief) Harry (Hyde) and Tim Richmond and Darrell, and you think, ‘We’ve had a lot going on for these 40-some years.’ I love the people in the sport. I love the family kind of atmosphere. I’m excited to go do it again.”

Rick Hendrick is on a long rollercoaster ride, and he does not intend to stop. As 2026 rolls into view, let us wait and see what HMS has in store for us next.