Without a doubt, the Daytona 500 is one of the most prestigious races in the world. Jeff Gordon knows that pretty well having won it three times—all of them with Hendrick Motorsports. The North Carolina-based team last won it in 2014 when Dale Earnhardt Jr was still driving with them. It’s been eight years since they last won in Florida.

Jeff Gordon joined HMS as Vice Chairman in 2021 and is eager to see them win at the Daytona 500. It has been as agonizing for the NASCAR legend as it has been for HMS’s fans. The closest HMS came to win was with Dale Jr in 2015 when he finished third. Despite having four top 10 finishes to his name, Chase Elliott has a best finish of fourth at the Daytona 500. Gordon recently talked about the issues in Florida for the team.

Jeff Gordon explains how it could work at Daytona 500

Speaking on SiriusXM Nascar Radio, Gordon said, “You know, I don’t know why that it just struck me off-season when I started thinking about going to Daytona and the preparations for it. It’s been a while since we won at Daytona 500 but almost even competed for the Daytona 500.

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“We go down there and sit on the pole and are super fast but once we get in the 500, we have just not been able to get ourselves aligned and get positioned. And that’s what it takes, it takes a lot of effort with your teammates. It takes a lot of effort with finding some other folks to work with. It’s strategy, it’s staying out of trouble, it’s so many things. I look back at my career and think about this.”

The Daytona 500 proved disappointing last year for both HMS and Chase Elliott as he could only manage 10th position. This time around they are expected to do better with Gordon’s experience and knowledge.

Chase Elliott the key for Hendrick Motorsports

Chase Elliott has been performing really well for the past few years. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion has definitely benefited from Jeff Gordon’s arrival at Hendrick Motorsports. Elliott has been impressive at Daytona International Speedway with two poles and two Duel wins.

He was unlucky to score a runner-up finish at the Daytona International Speedway in 2021 but has the chance to go all the way this year. Gordon’s experience of the circuit will come of good use to the 27-year-old. The Georgia-born youngster has already learned quite a few things from the NASCAR Hall of Famer and continues to keep learning.

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A lot of Hendrick Motorsports’ hopes for Daytona rely on Elliott. A win in Florida would be some way to kick-start his 2023 campaign. Can Chase Elliott make Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports proud in the most anticipated race of the season?