Jeff Gordon reveals how he ended up with Hendrick Motorsports

There was a time when Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports weren’t synonymous, and it all happened thanks to a race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Gordon, driving for Bill Davis Racing and in a Ford, turned heads at NASCAR‘s Atlanta 300.

It was a race that featured a ton of Winston Cup Series talent. The Busch Grand National Series had never raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Gordon had rallied off his third straight pole award in a row.

Jeff Gordon would go on to race hard and apparently, was smoking tires while he did it. Rick Hendrick couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

While Hendrick was impressed with what he saw from the No. 1 Ford driver that day, he thought for sure he had a deal with the manufacturer that would keep him from Hendrick Motorsports.

However, as luck would have it, Jeff Gordon’s roommate worked at Hendrick. Andy Graves, Gordon’s roommate, talked to him after a meeting at HMS. After confirming he didn’t have a deal, the driver talked to the team and soon enough, they were paired together.

Hear it from Gordon himself in the video below.

Ever wonder how my time with @TeamHendrick came to be? It all started in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/mZO5KdQB7D

— Jeff Gordon (@JeffGordonWeb) January 5, 2024

Hearing stories like this is always fun. Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports are one in the same at this point. With all of their history, there are still stories to be told and tales to be unearthed.

And good news for you, I found highlights of that win that caught Rick Hendrick’s eye all those years ago.

Jeff Gordon ran out of fuel and still won in Atlanta

Three races in a row, three pole awards. Jeff Gordon started his sophomore campaign in the Busch Series hot. Atlanta Motor Speedway was hosting the series for the first time and there was a chance to make some noise.

Against a field that included drivers such as Dale Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt, Harry Gant, and more Cup talent – Gordon shined. His No. 1 Baby Ruth Ford was at the top of the field. Even after pitting on a closed pit road due to running out of gas, Gordon still went on to win.

It was the first victory Gordon had in the Busch Grand National Series.

Jeff Gordon finished that season with 11 pole awards and three wins to finish 4th overall. He then went on to join Hendrick Motorsports the following year, beginning his journey to NASCAR greatness.