“I love that man”: Jeff Gordon candidly talks about his ‘best teammate’ who sparked his interest in NASCAR Cup Series 

Jeff Gordon has mentioned that Ken Schrader shaped his NASCAR CUP career. He called him his best teammate, stating the veteran racer helped him learn the sport and kept the mood light in the Hendrick shop. Gordon also said that they remain close friends today.

Gordon saw Schrader's talent while racing open-wheel events. That sight sparked his interest in stock car racing and led him to explore NASCAR more closely. Gordon then joined Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) and began full-time Cup racing in 1993.

During an interview with RACER magazine, the now-HMS team president opened up about his early days in the team.

"One of my first teammates, Ken Schrader, was my best teammate. He had been in the series for about 10 years by the time I got there, and he was a fun-loving good guy, great driver, and an all-around help for a rookie like me," Jeff Gordon said.

Gordon's early years at Hendrick started in 1992. He moved from open-wheel and Busch racing after impressing Rick Hendrick in a race at Atlanta. At that time, Hendrick Motorsports ran two cars, driven by Schrader and Ricky Rudd. Schrader was already a veteran driver with many years in Cup racing. Hendrick Motorsports helped Gordon adjust to Cup life.

"Seeing his talent made me interested in NASCAR and wanting to know more about it. Then when I got there and we ended up as teammates, I could see Ken was supportive of the whole Hendrick organization and open to sharing ideas and information, but also someone who always kept us laughing. We're still great friends to this day; I love that man," he added.

Gordon's entry from USAC and open-wheel ranks to Hendrick also helped change NASCAR's image in the 1990s. He won four Cup titles and made the No. 24 car one of the sport's best-known brands.

While Gordon left full-time driving in 2015 and moved on to a vice chairman and co-owner role at Hendrick Motorsports, Schrader continues racing even past age 69. He still races at regional dirt and ARCA events.

Jeff Gordon remembers tensions with Ricky Rudd

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During the interview, Jeff Gordon also named one of his worst teammates. He said that former Hendrick teammate Ricky Rudd, who had been at Hendrick for three years, did not welcome him and saw himself as the lead driver.

Gordon thought Rudd viewed his arrival as a threat to that status.

"Having me arrive in a third Hendrick car was probably something he regarded as disrupting that momentum. But then when he left and started his own team for '94, he and I still got into it. Thankfully, we can laugh about it now," Jeff Gordon said, via the aforementioned source.

Rudd, who has the most career starts (906) in the Cup Series modern era, started driving for his team, Rudd Performance Motorsports, in the No. 10 Ford.