Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon has reflected on the rewarding experience from last November when Kyle Larson finished in third at the season finale race and collected his second NASCAR Cup title.
Larson also gave Hendrick Motorsports its 15th Cup championship after Denny Hamlin looked like the clear favorite. Many expected him to walk away with his first Cup championship, but Larson found the right opportunity at the last minute after teammate William Byron’s tire went flat.
Gordan talked about watching the finish from Chase Elliott’s pit box and letting it soak in during the final laps on the way to the victory lane.
“I was still in so much shock. I was excited and then I got down off the [ No. 9 Pit] box and I think it started to sink in as I was walking to victory lane,” Jeff Gordan said.
“I think right now, where I am is just incredibly proud of knowing we put ourselves in that position. Our folks worked extremely hard and they did it.”
Gordon and the team are prepping for the 2026 season, which starts in the third week of February at Daytona International Speedway. Hendrick Motorports will also field a full-time entry in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this season with rookie Corey Day full-time, the first time in 20 years.
Jeff Gordon Talks About Exciting Chevy ‘Upgrade’ To Level Up With Other Competitors
Jeff Gordon also admitted that Hendrick had trailed other teams in aerodynamics and that the new car updates have put the cars on a more even footing.
Chevrolet revealed its updated body for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series in mid-November 2025. The race car will keep the Camaro ZL1, which was first introduced in 2018, with just some minor tweaks. These include a larger hood power dome, a reshaped front grille, and more pronounced rocker panels along the sides of the car.
Tests took place last November. And the four-time NASCAR Cup champion, calling it an upgrade, noted that the changes still take time to ‘fine tune.’
“I do think we’ve been a bit behind when you look at aerodynamics. … I feel like we’ve gotten ourselves on a level playing field with them… I get really excited when I think we’ve got something that’s an upgrade. I don’t want to get too caught up in that because sometimes, it takes time to fine tune that change,” Jeff Gordon said.
NASCAR is also set to increase its horsepower at select short tracks and road courses, add a new road course at San Diego Naval Base, and a possible change in the playoff format is expected to be announced this month.
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