40 years of racing legacy entails immense hard work. Rick Hendrick kicked off his Cup Series enterprise in NASCAR back in 1984. Legendary speedsters like Geoff Bodine, Ricky Rudd, and Ken Schrader left their bits of legacy in his team. However, Hendrick Motorsports turned a new era when a scrawny youngster by the name of Jeff Gordon appeared in 1993.

He immediately took Hendrick’s legacy to a different level, joining a small elite group of drivers whose first race victory was the Coca-Cola 600. What followed were three decades of acquiring 93 race wins and four Cup Series titles, and also a growing business role in HMS. What lay at the back of this blooming story was a meaningful incident.

When Hendrick helped out Jeff Gordon in his misery

Anybody who is in their 20s goes through some kind of tough time. For Jeff Gordon, it was his failing marriage amidst a growing NASCAR career. Gordon met with Brooke Sealey, who was Miss Winston and also the face of the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, in 1993. They married in 1994 – but the following decade brought trouble to their bond. While Gordon’s NASCAR job soared with resounding success, his married life was plummeting. Ultimately, it culminated in separation after Sealey filed for divorce in 2002. The dramatic case revealed the cracks in Gordon’s personal life – but at the same time, it strengthened his professional life.

Jeff Gordon went on to compete as a top racer until 2015, bringing HMS several accolades. After his retirement, he joined Fox as a broadcaster and also helped Rick Hendrick with the team. In 2021, he became the vice chairman of HMS, second only to Hendrick. The latter recently showered appreciation on Gordon’s prowess in an interview with Kelley Earnhardt Miller. “Jeff always had a great business head on his shoulders. He knew the organization so well. You know, I’d go back to that chemistry and being able to grow people from the inside. I was telling him the other day, I was, ‘What was it, 15 years ago that you quit driving.. that you were here?’ He said, ‘I’ve been here 30 years.'”

Then Hendrick recollected how Jeff Gordon‘s sensational divorce ultimately made their own bond stronger. It all started with a hapless Gordon seeking refuge one night. “When he goes through a divorce, he told me…’You know, you told me if I ever was in town, I could come spend the night with you.’ And I thought, ‘What? Something’s wrong here.’ He’s sweating his shirts all wet. He said, ‘I just want to tell you, I’m getting a divorce.’ I’m like, ‘Oh man, that’s good’… Better for me… One night he’s in the kitchen, and he said, ‘Hey, I’m going to the mall.’ I’m like, ‘Okay, son.’ We were laughing what a difference this has made.”

As Gordon cultivated a fruitful bond with Hendrick, he did the same with his crew chief.

When solid faith led to a victory

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True, a successful businessman can always make the right decisions. However, they should also be able to recognize when to shift the executive burden. Jeff Gordon saw that need during the 1994 Coca-Cola 600 race. It had been 41 races and the Rainbow Warrior driver was still seeking his elusive Cup victory. His best finish was second, coming at Charlotte in the 1993 edition of the Coca-Cola 600. After two top-five finishes and three top-10s in the opening four races of the 1994 season, Gordon and the No. 24 team hit a rough patch with five finishes outside the top 20 in the six races before the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Despite leading on the first lap, he quickly faded as Rusty Wallace emerged as the leader. He led 187 laps and looked to clinch the prestigious win – until the final pit stop. While Wallace changed for four fresh tires, Gordon’s crew chief was onto something else. Ray Evernham called for changing only two tires – something that seemed unfathomable to both Gordon and the reporters standing by.

Although the proposition seemed a bit off the charts to Jeff Gordon, he trusted Evernham’s decision. “I’m not thinking about (two tires at all). It was not even on my mind to do anything like that until Ray called for it and I didn’t know why he called for it but I don’t know if I even questioned it. When you came down pit road most of the time, back then especially, you’re thinking, ‘Four tires and fuel.’ That’s just the standard. So, I was a little surprised to hear him say that but I had complete confidence in Ray. So, I was like, ‘He must have something up his sleeve. He must know something I don’t know, so, OK.’” Lo and behold, that pit call proved to be Gordon’s ticket to victory.

Evernham reflected on Gordon’s first win, saying, “I remember Jeff crying — I was like, ‘What are you crying about?'” Evernham told the newspaper. “He’s emotional.” Securing your first win is always an emotional experience. Luckily for Gordon, he got used to that sweet taste of success and ended up stamping his mark on the sport as a HMS legend.

Jeff Gordon’s history with Hendrick Motorsports is evergreen. As he grows his executive role in the organization, more thrilling stories are likely to follow.