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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JULY 27: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Axalta Chevrolet, left, and team owner Rick Hendrick pose with trophies after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The John Wayne Walding 400 at the Brickyard Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images)
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JULY 27: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Axalta Chevrolet, left, and team owner Rick Hendrick pose with trophies after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The John Wayne Walding 400 at the Brickyard Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images)
The Hendrick Motorsports team has been in operation since 1984. During that time, Rick Hendrick has always been in charge of the team and is still going strong. However, back in 1996-97, he received a massive health scare when he was diagnosed with leukemia. At the time, he was 47 years old, and the prognosis was grim. As it turned out, doctors revealed that at his age, 95 percent of the people in that bracket died within two years.
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ATLANTA, GA – JULY 10: HMS team owner Rick Hendrick looks on before the 53rd Annual Quaker State 400 NASCAR race on July 10, 2022 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
However, this is Rick Hendrick we’re talking about, so he soon fought back and defied the odds. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the team was in the midst of a tense start to the 1997 season. It all kicked off with the 39th running of the Daytona 500, where the Hendrick Motorsports drivers ran riot. Admittedly, the race finished under a caution flag, but it didn’t matter, as the drivers gave their boss the best present.
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How did Jeff Gordon lead the Hendrick Motorsports charge?
During the race, Gordon averaged an astonishing 148.295 mph in his #24 Chevrolet. Meanwhile, teammates Terry Labonte and Ricky Craven tailed him all the way until the chequered flag dropped. Safe to say, they all crossed the finish line one behind the other, to register the first 1-2-3 finish in NASCAR’s modern era. A recovering Rick Hendrick confessed to the Baltimore Sun, “Jeff, Terry and Ricky gave me a real shot in the arm. It’s hard to believe we could have three cars running like that at Daytona. This is the best medicine I could get.”
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Bildnummer: 02649617 Datum: 15.02.2007 Copyright: imago/UPI Photo
Jeff Gordon (USA / Chevrolet) feiern den Sieg des Gatorade Duel 2 Qualifikationsrennens in Daytona 2007 – PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY (DAY2007021534); Vdig, quer, Sieg, Sieger, Jubel, jubeln, Siegesjubel, Gestik, zeigen, Fingerzeig, Pokal, Trophäe Gatorade Duel 2 Nascar Nextel Cup 2007, US Rennserie, Autorennen, Qualifying Daytona Beach Daytona International Speedway Freude, Motorsport Herren Einzel Einzelbild optimistisch Randmotiv Personen Objekte
Honestly speaking, if NASCAR had podium ceremonies, it would have been the first podium lockout. To make matters even better for Jeff Gordon in particular, he went on to win the 1997 Cup Series championship. This was his second of four titles, and he managed it with an astounding 10 wins during the campaign.
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WATCH THIS STORY: WATCH: Dale Earnhardt’s Classic Act for Hendrick Motorsports Rival Jeff Gordon That Proved Why “The Intimidator” Was Loved by NASCAR Fans
