HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Jeff Gordon has meant so much to Rick Hendrick that the Hendrick Motorsports owner struggled to decide whether he considers the driver like a younger brother or a son.
“It’s both the same – he’s family to me,” Hendrick said. “I love him like he was my brother or my son. He has been there for me, and I've been there for him.”
He called Gordon “a rare commodity,” who has the skills not only to dominate on the racetrack, but the chops to host Saturday Night Live and Live with Regis and Kelly and the appeal to appear on the cover of Fortune.
“He opened up a whole new world of fan base to us, to the sport of NASCAR,” Hendrick said. “He connects with everybody. He connects with young, old, male, female. You know, he's been -- he never did anything to alienate anyone. The only reason they didn't like him is because he won too much. But he's never been disrespectful to anyone or any driver. He created such a role model or a total package, it's hard to think you can replace him.”
Chevrolet Group Manager for NASCAR Programs Pat Suhy agreed that Gordon has been “a great ambassador to the sport” who “attracted a new generation of fans.”
And Alba Colon, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series program manager for Chevrolet, said that new generation has been lucky to watch Gordon on the track as he helped change the face of the sport along the way.
“To talk about what is great about NASCAR is synonymous with talking about Jeff Gordon,” Colon said. “This generation has been honored to see Jeff Gordon race and to witnessing how great he is. At the same time, we at Chevrolet have been privileged to count Jeff Gordon as an ambassador for our brand. He represents what our brand is about, true American values, the real heartbeat of America. He has always been passionate about our vehicles, about our brand. All his 93 great wins have all been behind the wheel of a Chevrolet. It can’t get better than that.”
Ultimately, Gordon’s impact on Hendrick Motorsports and the sport of NASCAR as a whole aside, Hendrick is simply glad to have had Gordon in his corner.
“I'm just so thankful, as much as I love racing, that I got to race with him, that I didn't have to race against him,” he smiled. “But more than the wins, the friendship means the most to me.”
The feeling is mutual.
“Oh, my gosh,” Gordon said when asked about Hendrick. “For Rick to want to hire me, number one, and then all that we've accomplished together, to get him his first championship, to contribute to Hendrick Motorsports in the way I have, I'm just so thankful because I got an opportunity to drive for the best owner, the best organization, work with the best people, and I wouldn't have 93 wins and four championships and have a shot at a fifth if it weren't for Rick, as well as what he's taught me off the track as a businessman, as a person, as a father. I mean, he's been so, so much to me.”
Fortunately, the man Jim Campbell -- Chevrolet’s U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports -- called “the unequivocal example of a Chevrolet race car driver” won’t be going anywhere.
Though he will no longer be on the track, Gordon will still be a pivotal part of Hendrick Motorsports.
“I'm just thankful that we're going to still be together and still do things together -- hopefully do more together, and he'll have time and maybe I can slow down, he can help me take a load off of me,” Hendrick said. “He's just special, and I couldn't care for anybody any more than I do for Jeff Gordon.”