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Jeff Gordon remains Hendrick Motorsports’ most successful driver, holding four NASCAR Cup Series championships (1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001) and 93 Cup victories. That’s the third-most in Cup Series history behind only Richard Petty and David Pearson. His success throughout the 1990s and early 2000s helped transform Hendrick Motorsports into a NASCAR powerhouse. Establishing a legacy of dominance that continues to influence the organization today and also inspires the younger lot, like Kyle Larson, who looks up to legends like him and Tony Stewart for his growth. As he wins his second title at Phoenix, he’s also chasing Jeff Gordon’s legacy of four. And Gordon recently spoke about his playful jab at the No. 5 to push him to do so. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Gordon’s motivational jab at Larson Speaking post the race, Gordon recalled how he often teased Larson about his championship count, a running joke between mentor and driver that dated back to Larson’s lone Cup title from 2021. He revealed his seven-word reminder he keeps giving him: “Buddy, you’ve got three more to go. You’re only at one.” The line, meant as good-natured motivation, became something of a team-wide joke heading into Phoenix. But Larson made sure the math changed, winning his second career Cup Series championship in a dramatic finale at Phoenix Raceway. He closed the gap on Gordon’s four titles. The moment symbolized more than just another title; it represented a generational passing of the torch within Hendrick Motorsports. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad “I have the utmost respect for his abilities behind the wheel and couldn’t be more proud of the effort that Rick put into bringing him to Hendrick Motorsports,” Gordon said. He was referring to team owner Rick Hendrick’s decisive move in 2021 to sign Larson after his year-long suspension from NASCAR. That gamble quickly turned into gold, with Larson delivering ten wins and a championship in his comeback season, the most dominant campaign by a Hendrick driver since Gordon’s own peak years in the late 1990s. Gordon’s familiarity with Larson goes back years before they became colleagues at Hendrick Motorsports. “I’ve known Kyle for many years, watching him race Sprint cars and always knew that if we could put him behind the wheel in a Hendrick Motorsports car, he’d do special things,” he said. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Indeed, Larson’s pre-NASCAR résumé reads like a dirt-track legend’s, with wins in USAC, the World of Outlaws, and the prestigious Chili Bowl Nationals. Gordon, who often credits Larson’s versatility as one of the most unique skill sets in motorsports, played a key role in supporting Hendrick’s decision to bring him on board. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad But Gordon also knows greatness comes with expectations. “I believe that records and championships are meant to be broken. As long as he’s on our team, I want him to win ten,” Gordon added. “He and I have a good relationship. You motivate people in different ways. He motivates himself by measuring and looking at what’s next.” Those words reflect the constant push within Hendrick Motorsports to stay at the top, a culture forged by Gordon and carried forward by stars like Larson, Chase Elliott, and William Byron. Larson had also shared his thoughts on Gordon’s legacy during Thursday’s Championship 4 Media Day, when he said, “I’ve always really looked up to Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, and they’re multi-time champions. Just getting a second would mean I’m closer to them.” For Gordon, now Hendrick’s Vice Chairman, that lighthearted banter has evolved into genuine mentorship. The two share a rapport built on shared ambition, perfectionism, and a mutual drive to win. With Larson now halfway to Gordon’s four titles and just five shy of Jimmie Johnson’s seven, the playful line has transformed into a new challenge for the future. Gordon’s tease lit the spark, but Cliff Daniels kept the fire alive. While in the race car at Phoenix, Kyle Larson was sure he was out of the hunt in terms of the NASCAR Cup Series championship. ‘Never quit’ attitude of Cliff Daniels Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick and vice chairman Jeff Gordon each admitted in post-race press conferences that they, too, had all but left the No. 5 team for dead. But crackling through the radio static was a steady and believing voice throughout it all. The same one that has helped guide the squad through an especially tumultuous season. The same one that refused to give in, no matter how bleak the situation on Sunday or in 2025 became. And in the end, crew chief Cliff Daniels was right. He was right all along. His never-surrender attitude and messaging reached their ultimate payoff on Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway as Larson overcame a blown tire and a one-lap deficit to rally to a most improbable title, the team’s second and the organization’s 15th. “He works so hard. He puts in so much effort, not only on this team but on himself personally,” Larson gushed during a post-race interview. “We all want it so bad for ourselves, but even more for him and his leadership and how hard he works at it. I knew all four of the Championship 4 drivers’ cars would be pretty equal this week. I knew our teams were pretty comparable. But I knew I had Cliff Daniels, and that’s something nobody else had.” On the surface, history will show Daniels’ two-tire call on the team’s last two pit stops was his biggest contribution to Sunday’s race win. But as pivotal as that decision was in the outcome, his steadfastness in the face of doubt was contagious all season long. And though others doubted, including several within the team, Daniels maintained that the No. 5 team was far from done. “I heard Cliff going, ‘We’re OK here guys.’ I don’t know exactly what he meant by that because we were running out of laps,” Gordon said. “You can just never say it’s over. Never quit and never count out Cliff Daniels and Kyle Larson and this number five team.” This sums up their entire season, really. This whole race was like their entire season, and you’ve just got to love that fight.
