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Jeff Gordon speaks out after death of ‘dear friend’ Jon Edwards

FaceProfileby:Thomas Goldkamp•04/10/25
Jeff Gordon Darlington
Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

NASCAR has been hit hard by a handful of deaths in recent days. On Thursday, Hendrick Motorsports and Jeff Gordon announced the death of Jon Edwards, the organization’s director of racing communications.

Gordon, in particular, released a heartfelt statement on Edwards’ passing. The two were very close.

“I’m devastated by the loss of my dear friend, Jon,” Jeff Gordon wrote on Twitter. “For almost three decades, we were side by side through every high and low, every celebration, and every challenge. He was one of the most loyal, hardworking and selfless people I’ve ever known, and I will be forever grateful for his immeasurable impact on my life and my career. My heart is with Jon’s family and everyone who loved him. He was truly one of a kind.”

You can view Jeff Gordon’s Twitter post below. He also included a picture with Edwards.

Shigeaki Hattori dies at age 61

Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports aren’t the only ones mourning a recent loss in the sport. Shigeaki Hattori, a former IndyCar driver and Craftsman Truck Series team owner, passed away at the age of 61. He was known to race fans for his career in IndyCar and CART, as well as his Hattori Racing Enterprises organization in NASCAR.

He made an impact on many in the sport, and that included Bubba Wallace. The 23XI Racing wheelman took to social media to react to Hattori’s passing, delivering some kind words and letting the motorsports world know how highly he thought of him.

“Damn this hurts, Shige was always going out of his way to say hello at any point in the weekend and always asking if I was ready to race for him again,” Wallace posted on Twitter. “We lost a good one. RIP my brother!”

That’s a kind statement from Wallace. It’s evident he had a ton of respect for Hattori, and he’ll be missed around the garage. The NASCAR world, and motorsports as a whole, truly lost someone special with his passing.

The same, of course, is true today as Jeff Gordon announced the passing of Jon Edwards. RIP to both.