“There Wasn’t Even a Third Team”- Jeff Gordon Reveals How a Busch Series Win Sealed His Fate at Hendrick Motorsports

Jeff Gordon is now steering the future of Hendrick Motorsports. But, let us tell you, it wasn’t always a bed of roses. Well, a young whippersnapper, barely old enough to tie his shoes, racing quarter midgets at just five years old—that was Jeff Gordon, a kid with fire in his belly, unstoppable in his pursuit. But when it came to joining the big leagues at Hendrick Motorsports, it was one of his Busch Series races that turned the tide.

Back then, Jeff Gordon was behind the wheel for Bill Davis Racing, burning rubber at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was there, in Atlanta, where fate played its hand. Rick Hendrick laid eyes on Gordon’s driving, and boy, did he see a diamond in the rough!

Jeff Gordon spills the beans on his big break 

Atlanta Motor Speedway is a place where the big fish of the Winston Cup Series swim. It was uncharted waters for the Busch Grand National Series until that day. Jeff Gordon, on a hot streak, had just clinched his third consecutive pole position. In the thick of the race, Gordon was all gas and no brakes, literally setting the track ablaze with his smoking tires. This caught Rick Hendrick’s eye, and boy, was he floored! Hendrick, watching Gordon tear up the track in the No. 1 Ford, was certain that Gordon was tied up in a deal with Ford, making him a long shot for Hendrick Motorsports.

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As per Gordon, Hendrick noticed smoke billowing from Gordon’s car, thinking it was either a tire biting the dust or the engine giving up the ghost. He even thought Gordon was on a one-way ticket to Crash City. Meanwhile, Hendrick was back at his headquarters, talking to the other Jimmy Johnson, the man running the show at Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick was convinced Gordon was Ford’s golden boy.

But fate had other plans. Gordon soon found himself in Rick’s office, mulling over how to bring him into the Hendrick fold. He said, “I think the next day or that week I was at Rick’s office. And we were talking about, you know hey, how did we get you to the hindered motorsports at that time? There wasn’t even a third team. It was a two car operation with Ken Schrader and Ricky Red as a driver.”

Gordon wrapped up that season with a whopping 11 pole positions and three victories, securing a solid fourth-place finish. The next year, he joined the Hendrick Motorsports family, kickstarting his legendary NASCAR career.

It turns out that both Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick were keen on teaming up. Hendrick even admits he went all out to bring Gordon on board. And now the reactions have reached such an extent that the duo seems to be a family, ever since the HMS owner announced that Gordon could handle business pretty well.

Rick Hendrick reveals Gordon is set to take the wheel at HMS

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Jeff Gordon, currently the Vice Chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, is gearing up to take the helm when Mr. Hendrick decides to hang up his hat. But what made Gordon the chosen one for the mammoth task by Rick Hendrick?

In Hendrick’s own words, “Jeff is so sharp. He’s a good businessman. He knows racing and he knows talent. […]He’s a great ambassador for us with sponsors. When Jeff Gordon shows up, the CEO wants to be there.” During his chat, Rick Hendrick also highlighted Gordon’s savvy in juggling the business and racing aspects like a pro.

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Back in 1992, Hendrick made a bold move by bringing a young Gordon on board for the Cup Series, even though Gordon didn’t bring any sponsors with him. Talk about taking a leap of faith! But, as luck would have it, the gamble turned out to be a jackpot. Gordon didn’t just race; he raced to win, bagging 4 Cup Series championships and 93 career victories, making him a legend on the track.