Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, and Kyle Larson share insights into their long-standing relationships and the culture at Hendrick Motorsports. They discuss contract stability, team dynamics, and how the organization balances professionalism with a family atmosphere. Kyle Larson opens up about his transition from sprint cars to NASCAR and how Hendrick supports his passion for dirt racing. The trio reflects on leadership, pushing limits, and the unique blend of business and racing that drives their success.
Kevin Harvick sits down with Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, and reigning champion Kyle Larson for a wide-ranging conversation following Larson’s new five-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports. The group discusses why the long-term deal made sense for both sides, why Larson feels at home with HMS after winning a championship, and what Hendrick and Gordon saw in Larson when they first brought him into the organization. They also break down what separates Hendrick Motorsports from the rest of the garage, how the team has built a culture that continues to produce record-breaking Cup Series wins and championships, and what Larson’s expectations are for the 2026 season as he looks to defend his title.
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"to be linked with you know Hendrick cars dot com through the five years. Cliff Daniels also to just keep the band together is yeah is the best part. That's a challenge. Yes in today's world keeping keeping everybody together. And Jeff you went through your whole career at Hendrick Motorsports from a driver standpoint."
Hendrick Motorsports is a famous racing team in NASCAR that has many wins and keeps its drivers and team members for a long time.
Hendrick Motorsports is a prominent NASCAR racing team known for its success and long-term driver and crew member relationships.
"...u were going after him what was the what was the intrigue he's biased he has that sprint car dirt biasness..."
The Oldsmobile Intrigue is a medium-sized car made about 20 years ago that was comfortable to drive and a bit sportier than some other cars. It was made to attract younger people who wanted a nice, modern car. People might talk about it when remembering cars from the 1990s.
The Oldsmobile Intrigue was a mid-size sedan produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s, known for its smooth ride and somewhat sporty handling. It represented Oldsmobile's attempt to appeal to younger buyers with a more modern design and performance focus. It might be mentioned in discussions about 90s sedans or brand loyalty, especially with a nod to its name 'Intrigue.'
"...I want to know how the conversation went about racing sprint cars because when this guy raced and Jimmy Johnson raced and everybody was there it was a zero tolerance..."
Sprint cars are small, very fast race cars that race on short dirt or oval tracks. They have big wings on top to help them stick to the track when they go around corners.
Sprint cars are high-powered, small race cars designed primarily for short oval or dirt track racing. They are known for their lightweight construction and large wings that provide downforce, making them very fast and agile on dirt tracks.
"...I did some Silver Crown racing some midget racing when I first got in NASCAR in the Bush Grand National Series..."
Silver Crown racing is a type of car racing where special cars race on dirt or paved tracks for longer distances than usual, helping drivers gain experience.
Silver Crown racing is a form of American open-wheel dirt and paved track racing featuring high-powered cars with large fuel tanks for long-distance races, often seen as a stepping stone in dirt track racing careers.
"...when I first got in NASCAR in the Bush Grand National Series and it was exhausting to me..."
The Bush Grand National Series was a NASCAR racing series where drivers competed in stock cars to gain experience before moving to the top NASCAR races.
The Bush Grand National Series was the former name of NASCAR's second-tier national stock car racing series, now known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series. It serves as a developmental series for drivers aiming to compete in the top-level NASCAR Cup Series.
"...I did some Silver Crown racing some midget racing when I first got in NASCAR in the Bush Grand National Series..."
Midget racing is a type of car racing with very small, fast cars on short tracks, helping drivers learn how to race well.
Midget racing involves small, lightweight open-wheel race cars designed for short track racing, often on dirt or paved ovals. It is a popular grassroots motorsport that helps drivers develop car control and racecraft.
"...et racing when I first got in NASCAR in the Bush Grand National Series and it was exhausting to me I I thought I ..."
The Buick Grand National is a fast and powerful car from the 1980s that many people liked because it could go really fast and looked tough. It had a special engine that made it stronger than regular cars. People talk about it when they discuss cool old cars and racing.
The Buick Grand National is a high-performance version of the Buick Regal produced in the 1980s, famous for its turbocharged V6 engine and aggressive styling. It gained a cult following for its impressive power and was a dominant force in street racing culture. It is often discussed in the context of American muscle cars and racing heritage.
"exotic cars ferrari's especially really exotic lamb lamborghini's ferrari's and"
Lamborghini is a company from Italy that makes very fast and flashy sports cars that many people dream of owning.
Lamborghini is an Italian manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs, famous for their exotic designs and powerful engines, often competing with Ferrari in the high-performance car market.
"exotic cars ferrari's especially really exotic lamb lamborghini's ferrari's and"
Ferrari makes very fast and expensive sports cars from Italy. They also race cars in big competitions like Formula 1.
Ferrari is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer known for producing high-performance exotic cars and having a rich motorsport heritage, especially in Formula 1 racing.
"exotic cars ferrari's especially really exotic lamb lamborghini's ferrari's and"
Exotic cars are very special and rare cars that are usually very fast and look different from normal cars. They cost a lot of money.
Exotic cars refer to rare, high-performance, and often expensive vehicles that are typically produced in limited numbers and have unique designs or advanced technology.
"so we're at the Daytona 500 you got the the two-time Daytona 500 defending champion"
The Daytona 500 is a big car race where drivers race fast cars on a big oval track. It's the most important race in NASCAR, like a championship game in football.
The Daytona 500 is a prestigious NASCAR Cup Series race held annually at Daytona International Speedway. It is considered the most important and famous race in NASCAR, often referred to as the 'Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing.'
"so we're at the Daytona 500 you got the the two-time Daytona 500 defending champion you've got two-time champion defending champion Kyle Larson how is this race different"
NASCAR is a group that organizes car races where drivers race special cars on oval tracks. It's very popular in the US.
NASCAR is a major American motorsport organization that sanctions stock car racing events, including the Daytona 500. It features highly competitive races on oval tracks with specially built race cars.
"they make great horsepower and great horsepower paid off at Daytona"
Horsepower tells you how strong a car's engine is. More horsepower means the car can go faster and accelerate quicker.
Horsepower is a unit of measurement for engine power, indicating how much work an engine can perform. In racing, higher horsepower generally means faster acceleration and higher top speeds.
"I would say that the offseason planning for Daytona it's probably when I'm most proud I mean I love the playoffs in the in the championship run but over the offseason I feel like that's where every department is just going through the details"
Offseason planning is the time when racing teams get ready for the next season. They fix their cars, plan strategies, and make sure everything is ready to race again.
Offseason planning in motorsports refers to the period between racing seasons when teams analyze performance, develop strategies, and prepare their cars and personnel for the upcoming season.
"aerodynamically anything that they can do to you know find ways to make that car go faster be slicker in the air just all the tiny details"
Aerodynamics is about how air moves around a car. If a car is shaped well, it can move faster because the air doesn't slow it down as much.
Aerodynamics refers to the study of how air flows around a car, which affects its speed, stability, and fuel efficiency. Improving aerodynamics can make a car go faster by reducing air resistance.
"the season start off right in the Super Bowl and I love seeing that it's very unique for sure"
The Super Bowl is a very big football game in the US that lots of people watch. People sometimes use it to talk about other big important events.
The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL) in the United States, known for its large audience and cultural significance. It is often used metaphorically to describe a major or highly anticipated event.
""...and our team is ready our pit crews ready and and that just gets me excited...""
In car races, a pit crew is a group of people who quickly fix and refuel the car during the race so it can keep going fast.
A pit crew is a team of mechanics and support staff who service a race car during a race, performing tasks like refueling, tire changes, and repairs to keep the car competitive.
"...ot losing sleep at night because he never won the Daytona 500 I think he's in sleep right now because yeah"
The Chrysler Daytona is a type of car made in the 1980s that looked sporty and was designed to go fast. People remember it because it was different from other cars at the time and had a cool style. It might come up when talking about famous car races or car history.
The Chrysler Daytona was a sporty compact car produced in the 1980s, known for its aerodynamic design and performance-oriented features. It holds significance as a notable model in Chrysler's lineup during that era, often remembered for its distinctive styling and appeal to enthusiasts. It might be discussed in the context of racing or automotive history related to the Daytona 500 event.
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It's exciting to have a long-term contract I don't think you see much of
that these days in our sport. I got pretty lucky I'm in you know my rookie year
with Rick. If he laid a big long contract or a lifetime deal I'm like I'll sign
wherever he tells me to sign. He knew that he could get the job done. Is Rick
on TikTok? He's like yeah. If I could pull my phone up right now. The last 30
texts. I guarantee you 20 of them are TikTok. What's the most difficult thing
managing this guy?
Thank you first off for for taking the time. It's not every day that you get
all three of you guys to sit down in one room and have a conversation. Not every
day we all do. We can have a team meeting if we need to when we get
done. But you know I think it's obviously you're coming in off your second
championship. You're coming in off 15 cup championships and you know I think
that the interesting part to me is just everything that you guys have done as
a group. But the first thing is the contract extension. Sign a new contract
five years. I mean that has to make you feel good about where you're at from
from your career and your standpoint and that's stability that goes with it. Yeah
absolutely. You know it's exciting to have a long-term contract. I don't think
you see much of that these days in our sport. So just to know that I'm with the
gonna be with a great organization for the foreseeable future is amazing and
already what we've accomplished in the previous five years I think it was. To
think about what we could potentially accomplish in the next five is something
that I get really excited about and to be linked with you know Hendrick cars
dot com through the five years. Cliff Daniels also to just keep the band
together is yeah is the best part. That's a challenge. Yes in today's world
keeping keeping everybody together. And Jeff you went through your whole career
at Hendrick Motorsports from a driver standpoint. How does that mentally help
you knowing that you have somebody that in an organization that supports you not
having to even worry about where you're at with with everything. Yeah I mean it's
a great feeling doesn't come without its challenges because it's a high bar right
you're constantly pushing one another. You know your teammates yourself within
the organization. But yeah I got pretty lucky come in you know my rookie year
with Rick and and the rookie year wasn't great but things picked up quickly
after that. And so to me I just always knew he took a chance on the young guy
and I knew that I didn't want to go anywhere else after we won the first
championship. I knew then if he laid a big long contract or a lifetime deal
I'm like I'll sign wherever he tells me to sign. But you know it's it's an
amazing organization that supports you and gives you the tools. You know he's
so involved with the people and what it takes he can see when a team is working
and when a team is not working. And he loves to get involved and help create
and you know bring that to a better place. So that's a great environment to be
a part of. But then if you're there long enough there's going to be changes you
know there's there's going to be people come in and out and those are the times
where I think you really find out what you're made of what the organization is
made of. And I think that was what I was probably most proud of is you know as
much as I didn't want to see Ray leave when he did. How did we respond and how
did we get back to win in a championship. So yeah this is exciting you know
because I've had my eye on him you know for a long long time watching sprint
cars and took us a little while to to get him to Hendrick. But you know I Rick
and I talk many times about it is man if we can get him behind the wheel of our
cars with our people our organization he's going to do great things and he's
certainly done that. When you talk about your culture what has it always been
like that from the very beginning because I was fortunate enough to spend a
little time when you guys invited me to make some laps in the car at the All
Star Race and I walked into the building and there was somebody waiting at the
door. Everything was organized everything was clean everything was structured
and it was I felt like I was in a real business and but even when I go to your
car dealerships to spend my money on your car to support everything but it
is it has the business culture from the dealerships always been embedded into
the race teams. I think it's worth it works both ways I think it's a family
atmosphere you know I started 50 years ago in the automobile business with five
people and we started motorsports with five people 40 years 42 years ago and
we we talk about it being a family atmosphere but we want to win and we
want to be professional and you know we lean on each other but we treat each
other like a family but it doesn't mean that you don't want to push for
excellence and do everything you can to build on the organization and make it
better and it's all about people I don't care what kind of business you're in
it's you're in the people business and I think what's happened since we brought
Hendrick cars on with Kyle it's brought the two organizations closer together
and so they will come over Jeff comes over cliff Chad and they'll speak at the
seminars with all the automotive group automotive group spends a lot of time
over at motorsports some of the training we do at Hendrick University the team
goes over and gets embedded in that training so it's it's I love the way
it's working together and I think the culture you know people determine what
the culture is going to be and they hold each other to a high standard and it
it's it's amazing for me to sit back and watch what's developed over the years
what do you remember about the conversation amongst each other when you
were going after him what was the what was the intrigue he's biased he has
that sprint car dirt biasness to him what was it for you that said okay yeah
let's do this no well I I watched him because we built motors for him when he
was at ganassi and so I would walk up to the car and and talk to him and then
congratulate him and he never would say much to me I couldn't get him to talk
to you know I'm just has he opened up any a little bit that's good but no and
and and Jeff had talked about him and we Jeff actually brought him to me back
before he ever got in a car we're gonna ask him and that's where I made a mistake
and if I had listened to Jeff we would have been down the road further but then
when I met with Kyle and Jeff and I did and we knew that he could get the job
done if we put him in the right situation and and boy did it work out the
first year with ten wins and championship so you know it again building
a team around him we never knew a cliff would be as good as cliff is as a leader
and more than just a crew chief but a leader a leader in the company what
surprised me about Kyle I knew he was talented I knew he could drive anything
but but I didn't maybe expect him to one put the work in as much as he does he
works really hard a closet worker yeah he really is yeah but also the way he
pushes cliff me obviously he pushes everything right he's on the edge and
that pushes cliff to make sure that that car can live there on the edge right
that he can tune the car to get it to do what he wants it to do and and so they
push one another to to just constantly raise the bar with the speed of the car
the the abilities of the team and and I mean it to me when you're around these
guys it's pretty obvious why they're successful for sure and for for you you
just signed a new contract we're talking about how you got to Hendrick Motorsports
I want to know how the conversation went about racing sprint cars because when
this guy raced and Jimmy Johnson raced and everybody was there it was a zero
tolerance is that right yeah we weren't racing anything else so how did you
approach that conversation when you first started well it's funny because I
listened to Rick saying he made a mistake back the first time I went to
Hendrick but I'm sitting over here thinking like I kind of glad they did
because I probably put it in a long time ago but yeah now what I remember from
the conversation was one just kind of being nervous you know because I had
gone through a big journey you know in 2020 and losing my job and whatever and
and I had this great you know opportunity in front of me to race for
Hendrick Motorsports and you know the conversation went really good but then at
the end of it he's like is there anything that's important to you you know
that you want to Mike oh boy here we go it's like I'd still really like to race
sprint cars and assuming you know that yeah you know seeing Casey and you know
everybody just kind of be restricted I thought that they would say yeah yeah
no you know if you're gonna race for us you're gonna you're gonna be committed
to this but Jeff jumped right in it was like no you know we're we're kind of
changing you know how we've been in the past and and we're you know open to it
and they've never said no to a race that I've wanted to run you know since then
which is pretty incredible I'm sure Rick would love if I hung it up right now
listen I had never watched dirt vision and so the first time I turned it on he
was lower turning flips over and I text him I said hey what is this you know and
he said well that's an old one yeah so did you talk did you have to talk him
into that well so I'm gonna go back a little bit further to February of 20 when
we were in Daytona and and your contract I think was up at Genasi in a year
and so we were having some conversations in the in the bus lot and he threw it out
at that he's like hey you know I'm come to the Hendrick one day you gotta let me
race sprint cars and and so I kind of and at that time I believe I don't know if
you were talking to Tony Stewart by that time Stewart Haas was interested if he
was gonna be available as well I'm sure everybody was and so I remember even
after that conversation coming back to Rick and saying you know if if Larsen's
an option I think racing sprint cars is gonna be pretty big to him and and Rick
was open to I mean he you know listen he supports a group that helps them
thrive at their job and if there's an idea that somebody has or something yeah
he doesn't love seeing him flip and and and he's investing right in their future
and so he'll certainly make comments about it but when he also sees somebody
that's happy doing it and thriving it and maybe even makes him better at their
job on Sunday he's gonna be the first one to jump on board so would you have
raced more sprint cars if if I wasn't like him you like you like just sticking
to the Sunday stuff one thing yeah when I was I went back and forth I did some
Silver Crown racing some midget racing when I first got in NASCAR in the Bush
Grand National Series and it was exhausting to me I I thought I didn't
think I was as good on Saturday as I wanted to be doing it he's different
like he can just hop in all these different things and apply it or or put
it behind him and I just I was stock car stock car stock car and and once you
get to a place where you're doing it all the time and not doing the dirt stuff
is really hard to go back to the dirt so we had this conversation one day I
believe it was it might have been at the go-kart track when the kids were out
there running around and it was just a coincidence that both of us had a
conversation about tiktok so I have received this I got this tiktok video
from Rick one day that he sent a clip of Keelan and I and Kyle was like I so I
asked Kyle I'm like is is Rick on tiktok he's like yeah can you explain to me
your tiktok usage because I was completely caught off guard when you sent
me a clip from tiktok if I could pull my phone up right now I get the lab the
last 30 texts I guarantee you 20 of them are tiktok well how did this start I'm
sorry well I started tracking cars really on tiktok yeah okay yeah you know
exotic cars ferrari's especially really exotic lamb lamborghini's ferrari's and
I get different colors and and then if I see a car that I really like yeah I'm
below the picture up somewhere it is you know the dealership then I'll call
them and see if it's a sale but then but then I followed the racing stuff to
actually I saw him do an interview and it wasn't a real interview it was AI
something and he said something about he wasn't gonna race anymore and I
immediately fired off at him yeah what are you doing and I told Jeff I said
what's Larson talking about over here you know and it wasn't true but his
algorithms trying to get me in trouble well I just I mean you got a he sent you
a tiktok of you flipping or something right not a tiktok like multiple number
of tiktoks me crashing like are you alright I'm like yeah Rick that was like
six years ago but well that was that was one of those things that that for me
was was was pretty funny so we're at the Daytona 500 you got the the two-time
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