CONCORD, N.C. - As a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion driver with 93 victories, co-owner of Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 car, former TV broadcaster and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, one could quickly surmise that there's not much Jeff Gordon hasn't done in stock car racing.
And one would be wrong.
Gordon has yet to experience a title in his current role as vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, a resume hole either Kyle Larson or William Byron could fill on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway as the duo make up half of the Championship 4 contingent.
Larson won his first title in 2021, and Gordon came back aboard to begin 2022. And on Tuesday, he admitted that his time spent back with the company in a new role has given him a new appreciation for it. He also believes a championship would feel different than any he's been a part of prior.
"Just being here, really more ingrained in different areas of the business and getting to know the people on another level and seeing them go to work and seeing them prepare for races, prepare for seasons, celebrate wins, deal with losses personally and professionally, you get emotionally invested in that," Gordon told HendrickMotorsports.com. "When it doesn't go the way you want it to, it's more devastating and you're kind of along for the ride with the teams and the same thing when it goes well. It's just a great experience to be a part of that with them."
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That feeling was certainly overwhelming for all involved this past Sunday at Martinsville Speedway as Byron, driving the same No. 24 car Gordon took to prominence in the 90's, clinched a spot in the Championship 4 with a walk-off victory that included winning the pole, sweeping both stages and registering the event's fastest lap. In fact, it was a performance reminiscent of Gordon, who often dominated races in the same fashion in his heyday.
And while Gordon certainly remembers those days fondly, his newly found, intimate knowledge of the behind-the-scenes work that makes days like Sunday possible gave him a new appreciation in the aftermath.
"To see the teams perform at the level they did all week and just be so proud of that and know it didn't just happen by itself, it happened through a lot of hard work with a lot of people that helped to make that happen," Gordon said. "I really love this moment - not just Sunday - but the Monday, Tuesday Wednesday, the weeks and months leading into this of seeing everybody come together to really pull this off.
"I think we had engines on the dyno Monday morning and then, nobody is sleeping. It's one mission and I love being part of that and seeing that and that's a lot different than when I was driving. It was, focus on your car, your team and you don't realize the depth of where all that effort comes from. You know it's there, but you don't know it in the way I know it now and that's really special."
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Even with Larson and Byron, that strengthening of bonds over the years is evident.
Larson ran his first full season in the Cup Series with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2014 while Gordon was still competing in the No. 24 car. Like many at the time, Gordon was quick to recognize Larson's immense talent and also similarity of their backgrounds with Larson also coming from dirt racing.
Over the years, Larson has often referred to Gordon, as well as Tony Stewart, as a driver to whom he tried to model his career after. And Gordon said, that continues, even today.
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"I know he has certain goals and aspirations and that drive comes from wanting to accomplish great things against great drivers," Gordon said. "He uses me a little bit, like, 'Hey, you have four championships, and I only have one, I need to get another one to get closer to you.' And we joke and laugh about that.
"Kyle is definitely somebody I recognized his talent and met with him early and appreciated the dirt racing from my dirt background. I really wanted to see him at Hendrick Motorsports ... I knew if we got him here, he would excel. And he has."
And speaking of excelling, Byron and the 24 team have now reached the Championship 4 for a third straight season, a streak surpassed only by Kyle Busch (five) in the format's history. And Sunday's big victory was just the latest in an ever-growing list that also include back-to-back DAYTONA 500s, scoring the company's 300th win at Texas Motor Speedway in 2023 and reaching victory lane at Martinsville in 2024 as Hendrick Motorsports celebrated its 40th anniversary.
It's been a march of steady progress since Byron's first Cup Series season in 2018. His points finishes in the last five years read 14th, 10th, sixth, third and third. This year, he entered the playoffs as the regular season champion for the first time.
But it all started in 2016, the year after Gordon retired from full-time competition, as Byron signed as an 18-year-old prospect with Hendrick Motorsports in August to run in the Xfinity Series the following season.
And since, Gordon has watched with the rest of the racing world as Byron has emerged and elevated to the top of the sport. And there would seemingly be just one, last step to take.
"He was so fresh and so new to racing in general that it was more about guiding him and being patient and making sure he was surrounded by the right people," Gordon said. "Obviously, it clicked when (crew chief) Rudy (Fugle) got here and it took off to another level. But I think his progression, his readiness, his maturity - and you've seen that progression over the last couple of years now - I just feel like the whole team is aligned and has shown all year that they're championship material."