Three Decades on From the Day Hendrick Motorsports and Jeff Gordon Broke Dale Earnhardt’s Heart

The 1980s and 1990s were a time of domination by one single driver – Dale Earnhardt. It was mostly him winning the Cup Series with one or two other winners interspersed in between. His domination needed breaking, and most would’ve thought that break would come from one of the other established drivers. But it came in the form of a young, rather dashing Jeff Gordon.

Dale Earnhardt won 6 Cup Series championships between 1986 and 1994 – that is 6 championships out of a possible 9. That shows the extent of his domination in that period. He was really hard for any driver to beat, and there was no one that could find a way around to beating him.

But then came in Jeff Gordon. The young Californian had been a force to reckon with from a young age when he used to compete in midget racing. Having been very successful in that part of the racing circuit, he was looking for a step up to IndyCar. But IndyCar couldn’t become a reality for him due to lack of funds.

That lack of funds turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the next door that opened for him was NASCAR. A chance in NASCAR first came in the form of Roush Racing. Disagreements between Jack Roush and Gordon’s stepfather meant that it didn’t work out too.

And again, another door opened for him at Hendrick Motorsports. Rick Hendrick saw him racing and didn’t bat an eyelid before signing him up. The next few years were spent laying a foundation in the erstwhile Winston Cup Series before he astonished everyone in the 1995 season.

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The 1995 season was well and truly Jeff Gordon’s season, as he won the season comfortably, beating Dale Earnhardt to his 8th Cup Series (and 3rd consecutive). That season was Gordon’s announcement to the world and the rest is history. Exactly 27 years on from that win on November 12th and Gordon’s legacy stays in everyone’s hearts and minds.

Jeff Gordon- A NASCAR Icon

4 championships are a huge achievement, and that’s proven by the fact that Gordon’s 4 are only bettered by 3 people – Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson, and Richard Petty. So it’s safe to say, he knows what needs to be done to win.

Having dedicated his career to Hendrick Motorsports and having received so much support from the team all those years, Gordon decided to shift to a management role in the team after his retirement.

He took up the role of  Vice-Chairman at Hendrick Motorsports and also co-owns the #48 car that Jimmie Johnson used for his 7 Cup Series wins in the 2000s and 2010s. Gordon’s expertise and experience at the highest level look to be working well for the team.

Hendrick Motorsports won the 2020 and 2021 Cup Series with Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson respectively. They were also in contention for the 2022 trophy with Chase Elliott having reached the Championship 4. If not for the incident with Ross Chastain, and the wreck following it, the team could have had their third Cup Series in as many years.

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The Hall of Famer is a definite feature among the top names whenever a list of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time is released. His inclusion is hardly debatable. For those who saw him race, it was a treat; those who didn’t can enjoy the highlight and relive the legacy of Jeff Gordon.