CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In 2015, Hendrick Motorsports found itself on the precipice of a 12th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
Ultimately, Jeff Gordon finished third in the championship standings, and coming up just short has fueled the organization's fire entering 2016.
“We’re really excited," Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick said. "If you’ve been to the top of the mountain, it’s hard to sit out there in Las Vegas and not be on that stage. We’ve got a real commitment with our organization. We’ve worked hard. All the crew chiefs and engineers and the drivers, we’ve never worked together any better or as much as we have toward the end of the year and in the offseason. I give them a lot of credit.
"Our guys are fired up. We’re fired up."
That was evident Thursday afternoon at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, as Hendrick Motorsports helped close out the annual Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour.
As Dale Earnhardt Jr. approaches a decade with Hendrick Motorsports, he was asked how he feels entering the new season -- his second with crew chief Greg Ives.
"We’re winning races, I’m having more fun than I’ve ever had driving race cars, and I’ve got to give the company all the credit, Rick a lot of credit," he said. "There’s just so many good people working there and it’s such a fun place to be. The cars are the best in the garage, the people are the best, and every time you get in it you’ve got all the confidence in the world that it’s going to do what you want it to do. Like I said, we’ve had more fun in the last two years than I can ever remember having. Just hoping it keeps going from here."
Like Earnhardt, Kasey Kahne is also entering his second year with his crew chief Keith Rodden. And the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet SS also anticipates improvement with a full year together under their belts.
"We spent the time and communicated and did the things that we needed to do together," said Kahne, pointing to a "solid" first year as a team. "We need to figure out how to have a little bit more speed working together, but I really like working with him."
Jimmie Johnson, meanwhile, has a plethora of experience with his crew chief, and his six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships have set lofty expectations for the No. 48 team each and every year.
"We’re looking out the windshield, not the rear-view mirror at the championships we’ve had. We’re looking forward to the championships we want this year."
Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick
He acknowledged that he was disappointed to be eliminated early in the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup due to a "simple mechanical problem," but was pleased with his five wins and the momentum he took into the offseason as he looks for even more success this year.
"We won at Texas and had a really strong finish to the year, but I guess we’ve put the bar pretty high for ourselves as the No. 48 team," he said. "I’m happy that’s the case and look forward to really living up to that this year.”
Joining the three veteran teammates in 2016 will be Chase Elliott, who moves to the Sprint Cup Series full-time behind the wheel of the No. 24 Chevrolet SS.
Helping that transition -- in addition to the leadership of his experienced teammates -- will be crew chief Alan Gustafson. And Elliott said the two have already discussed what it will take to put together a successful rookie season.
“No matter where we start – good, bad, ugly, great, fantastic, wherever it is – I think if we can start at that point and improve, that’s how we’re going to be able to achieve our goals," Elliott explained. "I’m really confident in that entire team. They are definitely a winning race team. We really have no excuse if I do my part on my end to go and try to compete for some really good runs and hopefully some wins. I think that’s something to shoot for."
Hendrick reiterated that what he was most proud of in 2015 -- and as the calendar turned to 2016 -- is how well the entire organization worked together.
That was never more evident, he said, than when more than 600 team members gathered for the annual season kickoff lunch on the Hendrick Motorsports campus, joined hands and shouted, "Stronger together."
"We know it’s a tough sport. It’s going to be a very competitive sport, but we’ve got some of the best talent and they’re all working together. It doesn’t make a difference what kind of business you’re in, it’s all about the people, and we’re stronger together," he explained.
"I’m just real proud of the organization. Proud of all the wins, but we’re looking out the windshield, not the rear-view mirror at the championships we’ve had. We’re looking forward to the championships we want this year."
The excitement from all four drivers and the team owner was palpable with the Daytona 500 just a month away.
And Hendrick set the first goal early in the year.
"Can’t wait to get to Daytona," he smiled. "We’ve had pretty good luck down there in all the plate races. So, no pressure guys, but I’d sure like to start the season off with a win at Daytona.
"No pressure.”