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William Byron's triumph at Martinsville Speedway not only made his day at 'The Paperclip,' but also uplifted Jeff Gordon's and more than 1500 people's moods last Sunday. The iconic 0.5-mile-long short-track saw Hendrick Motorsports make history in the sport with a 1-2-3 finish during the 2024 Cook Out 400, on a weekend when the racing outfit celebrated its 40th anniversary as well.
Former driver of the #24 Chevrolet at Rick Hendrick's team and four-time NASCAR Cup champion Gordon recently reacted to what was a momentous occasion for the team.
Serving as Hendrick Motorsports' Vice Chairman currently, the 52-year-old spoke of how he did not expect his future after racing to look as it does currently, and what William Byron's win last Sunday made him feel about it.
He elaborated to Racer.com's Kelly Crandall and said:
“I didn’t know if I was going to like being in this role, working as much as I am. But from being a driver to basically a desk job and being in the office every day that’s not where I envisioned my life going. But days like today and weeks like this, years like what we’re already off to, celebrating, makes it beyond what I could ever imagine and dream of."
Jeff Gordon's words give us a glimpse of how more than 1500 Hendrick Motorsports employees and their families and friends felt like when William Byron managed to cross the finish line in P1 last weekend.
Jeff Gordon elaborates on the nervous moments leading upto William Byron's Martinsville victory
Despite a late-race caution flag that threatened to take away chances of one of Hendrick Motorsports' cars winning, William Byron managed to keep the lead during the 2024 Cook Out 400. Byron led teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, both of whom have a Cup Series championship to their name, for a 1-2-3 victory.
Speaking on the 26-year-old's ability as well as the nervousness on top of the pit box, Jeff Gordon told Kelly Crandall:
"I felt like I was in the car there about 50, 60 laps to go because it reminded me of when you’re leading and you feel like you’re going to do something really, really special, you start thinking about the moment. You start getting choked up a little bit. I was like, ‘Stop, stop, stop, can’t think that. We got to a long way to go here."
NASCAR heads to Texas Motor Speedway next weekend for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 on April 14, 2024.
