In the high-octane world of NASCAR, the 2025 Cup Series season has seen Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) speed off with an impressive start. The team’s stalwarts, William Byron and Kyle Larson, have each clinched a victory, firmly securing their berths in the upcoming playoffs. Meanwhile, Alex Bowman, who narrowly missed a win at the recent Homestead race, continues to accumulate points, keeping HMS in a dominant position in the driver’s standings. However, as seasoned NASCAR followers will attest, an impressive start doesn’t always translate into championship glory.
Jeff Gordon, HMS’s vice chairman, is all too aware of this reality. As a veteran of the “Next Gen” era of NASCAR, Gordon recognizes that despite their strong start, HMS still has Team Penske, the reigning champions since 2006, in their rearview mirror. Roger Penske’s team, on a quest to bag a fourth consecutive Bill France Trophy, remains a formidable adversary. However, HMS, having been in the shadow of Penske’s success for years, is revving up to challenge the champions.
While Gordon acknowledged their early victories at a recent press conference, he remained cautious, saying, “It’s a finicky sport because you want to get off to a good start…But we’re getting beat you know. The nice thing is, when you get a start like this and you’re up there in the points, it’s the fine-tuning that matters. And what you’re chasing is victories. Just Perfection is what you’re really looking at.”
These early wins, according to Gordon, provide a safety net of points that can mitigate the pressure of do-or-die races later in the season. He cited Kyle Larson’s near-miss at last year’s regular season championship by a single point as an example of how crucial these early victories can be.
Gordon also noted the formidable performance of Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 car, a strong competitor despite a blown motor that robbed fans of a thrilling finish. Blaney’s car had led 124 laps before being forced to the sidelines, a stark reminder to HMS that Penske remains the gold standard in the field.
Despite their rivals’ prowess, HMS has a reason to remain optimistic. All of their race cars have consistently proved to be competitive week after week, a feat that other teams like JGR and Penske are yet to consistently achieve. However, Gordon couldn’t ignore the lackluster performance of Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team.
Elliott, a driver who is expected to vie for race wins every time he steps on the track, has had a less than stellar start to the 2025 season. Apart from a P4 finish at COTA, his record has been middling at best, a worrying trend for someone in arguably the best equipment at the Cup level.
Last year showed promising signs for the 2020 Cup Series champion as he ended a winless streak at Texas Motor Speedway, securing 10 top 5 finishes. However, his current form is not up to par with his teammates. Gordon has been quick to rally the No. 9 team to up their game, stating, “If you’re not achieving what you want to achieve, you know you’ve got to go to work, and you know you’re not meeting expectations.”
As HMS continues to navigate the twists and turns of a challenging NASCAR season, all eyes will be on Elliott and whether he can rebound from his current slump. As they say in racing, it’s not where you start, but where you finish that counts. HMS, and particularly Elliott, would do well to remember this as they round the corner into the rest of the season.
