Jeff Gordon’s name is etched into the history of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Driving the rainbow-colored No. 24 car for Hendrick Motorsports, Gordon made history by winning the inaugural Brickyard 400 on August 6th, 1994, the first of his five Cup Series victories at the iconic Oval. Now, Indianapolis has always had a special place in drivers’ hearts, but the history-laden pavement was reserved exclusively for IndyCar racing for 85 years. That changed in 1994 and instantly became one of the most prestigious races on the calendar.

After a three-year hiatus, NASCAR returns to Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile layout once again. Featuring the Next Gen cars for the first time on the famed oval, a lot has changed since NASCAR last raced on the track. However, what remains the same is the excitement among fans, who are looking forward to seeing their favorite NASCAR drivers compete on the 400-mile track in the Cup and Xfinity Series.

Jeff Gordon has high hopes for Hendrick Motorsport drivers

Having won at Indianapolis five times across his illustrious career, no NASCAR driver is more aware of the race’s significance than Jeff Gordon. Currently serving as vice president at Hendrick Motorsports, the 52-year-old will hope that the current roster will find success on the track. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Alex Bowman have combined two top-five finishes and five top-ten results across 20 races at Indianapolis. However, none of them have competed in the Brickyard 400 in the last three years, during which, both Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott have won Cup championships.

In a video uploaded on Instagram, Jeff Gordon said, “We’re coming up on 30 years since the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994. A lot of amazing memories going back to that event. Just the excitement, the energy the crowd certainly brought. All the fans came out, but also the competitors. How badly we all wanted to win that event. Here we are, 30 years later, going back to the Oval at Indianapolis. Hendrick Motorsports and all four of our drivers are ready to go. I hope one of them gets a victory, 30 years later after that first one.”

While the 1994 Indianapolis Motor Speedway race wasn’t Jeff Gordon’s first win of his career, nor did it win him a Cup championship, the victory was a significant one for many reasons. The win effectively brought the spotlight on a then 23-year-old Jeff Gordon, a sophomore in the Cup Series. The victory became the start of one of NASCAR’s all-time greats’ careers and gave him the self-belief to take things to the next level. With four Cup championships in his career, it’s fair to say that Jeff Gordon did exactly that.

With a playoff spot assured for all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers, confidence will be high that NASCAR’s most successful team will get a result at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Only five races remain in the Cup Series before the postseason begins in Atlanta, and the aim will be that one of Hendrick Motorsports drivers will finish at the top of the table at the end of the regular season to secure 15 playoff points. As for Kyle Larson, there is unfinished business on the track, after failing to do ‘The Double’ in May, due to severe weather conditions. With at least 257,327 fans in attendance on the track, and many more tuned on television, all eyes will be on Hendrick Motorsports at Indianapolis.

Nostalgic fans hope Jeff Gordon’s success can be recreated

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Following Jeff Gordon’s Instagram video, fans were quick to pay tribute to the NASCAR legend and his famous victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With Gordon having won at least one race in Indianapolis in each of the last three decades, fans were hopeful that William Byron would secure the win at the Oval. By doing so, the 26-year-old will continue the tradition of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports car winning on the track. One fan wrote, “Get that 24 in victory lane so that it is the champion for every decade anniversary! 1994, 2004, 2014, and hopefully 2024.” Another fan echoed that sentiment by saying, “It would be really cool to see the 24 car in victory lane 30 years later”.

For some of the older NASCAR fans, Jeff Gordon’s win at Indianapolis was one of the most memorable achievements they had ever seen. Writing on X, one fan said, “Hells yeah Jeff……. I remember that race and let me tell you my house was on fire…… Rainbow Warrior won the day ……. HMS”. A long-term Jeff Gordon fan paid tribute to the 52-year-old, saying, “I can’t believe it’s been 30 years…been here for the whole ride🥰…thanks for all my autographs thru the years. 🏁♥️”

Remembering Jeff Gordon’s last race win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2014, a Hendrick Motorsports fan expressed their wish to see one of the team’s cars secure victory on the Oval. The fan wrote, “@jeffgordanweb it would be awesome for one of the Hendrick cars to be in victory lane (#9) but it would be amazing to see the #24 in victory lane for the 6th time. I was there to see you get your last win there on the 20th anniversary 2014.”

Do you think a Hendrick Motorsports car will win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Let us know in the comments!