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The 2025 season felt like Hendrick Motorsports was reminding everyone who they are. William Byron kicked things off with three big wins, including two straight Daytona 500 victories in two years, and went on to win the regular series championship. Kyle Larson followed through with another trademark run, locking in his second championship in five years. After a few seasons of ups and downs, the team looked every bit like its old self again. Still, Jeff Gordon isn’t treating this as the finish line. As the season winds down, the four-time Cup Series champion is more focused than ever and is pushing Hendrick Motorsports to reach even higher next year. ADVERTISEMENT Jeff Gordon reveals postseason plans Speaking on the NASCAR Live podcast, Gordon said, “Yeah, always work to be done. Always things that Mr. Hendrick is focused on investing in only to help our organization grow and get better. And for us, it’s about delivering on all those promises to our people. And, you know, the offseason. A lot of work to be done to show in Daytona in February next year to make sure that. You know, we’re hitting on all cylinders and go compete for another championship.” It’s important to note the sheer determination and hard work that went into a splendid season. All this didn’t come easy. The team opened the Round of 16 with a weak showing at Darlington Raceway, their first playoff race in 2025, where none of their cars finished inside the top 15. At the next stop, World Wide Technology Raceway, the results improved slightly, with some top 12 finishers, but execution errors and strategy missteps exposed cracks in their early playoff game. Despite that shaky start, Hendrick Motorsports bounced back. With two drivers in the mix at Phoenix Raceway, Kyle Larson delivered when it mattered the most, securing his team’s 15th Cup title. Although William Byron’s late caution helped Larson win, it came at the expense of his own triumph. But with all that behind them, Hendrick Motorsports is ready to pull out the late shifts and burn the midnight oil to get Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott into the championship mix next year. ADVERTISEMENT Alex Bowman entered 2025 on the back of a promising 2024 campaign. But the new season turned into a grind, steady, yet frustratingly endless through all 36 races. Despite flashes of speed and plenty of fight, Bowman wrapped up the year 13th in points with six top fives, 16 top 10s, and poles at Homestead and Bristol to show for it. However, the points that helped him slide into the Round of 16 quickly came undone after a 40-second pit stop derailed his playoff hopes. ADVERTISEMENT Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Gordon added, “Well, listen, I, really enjoying the moment and what we’ve accomplished. This has been a great year for Hendrick Motorsports…But there’s more work to be done. You know, there’s things that we can do to be better, right? We’ve got to get that 48. Alex Bowman. You know, Blake Harris, team allies, an important partner of ours, and we got to get that team better, so we’re very focused on that. You know, the 9 team was strong and right there all the way, you know, to that Round of eight, but we want more for them too, you know.” Moreover, Chase Elliott pulled together a remarkably consistent 2025 regular season. He finished in the top 20 and every one of the first 17 races and carried an average finish of around 11th. While that kept his No. 9 Chevy locked into the playoffs, it masked an even greater issue. He remained winless until the race at EchoPark Speedway, leading just 95 laps till that point. However, 2025’s Most Popular Driver‘s playoff run was a mix of resilience and vulnerability that ultimately highlighted two troubling themes, inconsistency and misfortune. After his bounce-back win at Kansas Speedway secured a spot in the Round of eight, he looked poised to contend, but a disastrous 40th-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway derailed that momentum and left him 62 points below the cut line. ADVERTISEMENT While he has shown flashes of top-tier speed, dominance was missing, and he had only one true playoff win in recent seasons. Analysts flagged his lack of urgency when it mattered most, and Gordon looks to change all of this while aiming to get all four of his drivers in the Championship 4 next season. Gordon vows to support the No. 48 team next season Jeff Gordon is leading HMS’s efforts to revive the No.48 team after a challenging 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season in which Alex Bowman went winless. While other Hendrick drivers celebrated playoff success, Gordon emphasised the importance of restoring the legacy, one defined by seven championships under Jimmie Johnson. ADVERTISEMENT Gordon said, “There’s a lot of pride there for a Hendrick car, but specifically the 48, when you look at the seven championships that have come from that car. We want to keep that going for the company, for the people that worked so hard on that car, as well as for our sponsors.” Beyond history, the No.48 team continues to provide valuable technical insights and data to the organisation, strengthening Hendrick Motorsports as a whole. He added, “That team has contributed tremendously to the success of this company, to all of our teams. They add a lot of value in what they bring, the information that comes from Blake (crew chief) and his team and Alex.” Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Gordon stressed that rebuilding competitiveness is a priority. He said, “We know there’s things that need to be improved there. It’s a big part of our focus in this off-season. That’s giving Alex and Blake the tools that they need. And making sure we are surrounding them with all the things that can help strengthen their team and button up some of those things.” The push reflects Hendrick Motorsports’ dedication, not just to honouring past successes but also to leveraging the No.48 team’s expertise and potential for future victories
