THE MODERATOR: We’ve been joined by two gentlemen who do not need an introduction, Mr. Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon.
Congratulations on that win with Kyle and the 5 car. We’ll go ahead and open for questions.
Q. Does this feel the same as it did 30 years ago?
RICK HENDRICK: I don’t remember 30 years ago (laughter). But this feels awful good. I guess coming back here, we haven’t run the oval. This was just super special.
I know the first one, watching this guy get the inaugural race, was unbelievable. I don’t know that I’ve been this excited, crawled through the fence to see the fans, never done that before, never got to drive the pace car before.
Very excited about the race and how it ended.
JEFF GORDON: Yeah, I mean, I just think this year’s been special. Obviously with Rick driving the race car, but Kyle driving the Indy 500, Rick participating in that. Just to be there on the sidelines watching how that all unfolded.
As much as we’ve all loved the history of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I think being here for the month of May, those events when we were here in May, just makes you appreciate it that much more. The fans and everybody that makes this speedway so special.
I don’t know. I just feel like today, especially with that car, that paint scheme, the one that was going to run that day, just seemed to bring it all full circle, made it very special.
Q. Kyle said he’s coming back in May. Have you signed off on that?
RICK HENDRICK: Not yet (smiling).
Q. The last 20 laps, what were both of your thoughts seeing Kyle pick everybody off? How excited were both of you seeing him pick off car after car?
RICK HENDRICK: Yeah, I was surprised. The first five cars were saving fuel. He was coming through the field like a rocket. Hard to pass, but he made it look a little bit easier to pass.
So then I was worried when he got up to, like, second or third. We started worrying about fuel on the first overtime. They said we had enough to do one. We were holding our breath. If there had been another one, I don’t know if we could have made it.
But he put on a show. That’s Kyle Larson.
JEFF GORDON: I mean, what I loved about driving this track is what I loved watching some of the competitors, especially Kyle there at the end, do. You’re thinking about how to set up a run, right? How do you make these passes happen? He had a good car, a little bit fresher tires. Still it’s very, very difficult to pass up plenty of guys that didn’t come up through there.
I just enjoyed watching him work that traffic, whether it was get a small run off of turn four, go into one, then just dive in there, make them look in their mirror, spotter say something, something to get them off their line. It’s all about creativity, finding ways to pass.
I enjoyed that a lot today, to watch Kyle come up through there. You could just tell he had a lot of passion behind the wheel today. I don’t know exactly what was driving that other than he wanted to win the Brickyard 400 really bad.
You could tell, he was driving with a purpose. Yeah, I got nervous when he got to third because at that point, if it went green the rest of the way, it looked like it was going to get difficult to get by the 6 or the 12, if the 6 could make it all the way.
He seemed to have the progress he needed up until that point. I think that caution coming out was certainly good for us. Obviously not good for the 6. It was good for Kyle to be able to line up there in the front row with the 12.
Q. At the start of the first overtime, Kyle has the best line on the inside, what was going through your mind seeing all of that unfold?
RICK HENDRICK: Well, I thought that put us in a great position when he pulled off and we were on the inside. As quick as his car was, I felt like he could take care of the 12. I was more worried about the 45 behind us than I was maybe the 12. I thought maybe if we didn’t get a really good start, the 45 might make it three-wide.
I felt like he was going to be in good shape. That probably opened the door for us to win the race.
JEFF GORDON: Yeah, the only thing I’ll add to that, I’m listening on the radio to our engineers and their calculations for fuel. They were basically saying the 6 was supposed to run out of fuel on the back straightaway coming to take the green. I was worried that if he took the green and we were stacked up behind him, that could be the end of our race, or just hold the 5 up enough to let some others get some momentum. I was really worried about that.
But the best-case scenario happened, which is the 6 knew he was running out. I’m assuming fuel pressure dropped and he came to pit road. To then put Kyle up there on the front row, and that was really in the preferred front row spot, too.
If you could map it out or plan it out, that’s exactly the way you want it to plan out. Blaney would have loved to have had the inside, I believe.
Q. Rick, this day was special being able to drive the pace car, signing autographs. Coming back here after the ebbs and flows of May, what did it mean to be able to cap off this with a victory here?
RICK HENDRICK: We were disappointed because of the weather. We really wanted to get back and finish the 600. We brought that car back with the paint scheme that was on the 600 in the INDYCAR. It was special.
I think that gave Kyle a lot of, I guess, momentum, motivation. I think we all felt like we were disappointed, disappointed a lot of fans. We couldn’t help it. The weather did it. At the same time a year of planning goes into doing something like that, and in a perfect world you qualify fifth. We had a speeding penalty and all that. But we were sitting in a great spot with him in the 600 if we went back to racing. Did a super job in that car.
I think it was just a combination of disappointment after all the planning. Then to come back here, this was a special day. I’ve never driven a pace car before. I can’t tell you why I went over in the fans other than they were hollering. I was just excited and hung out with them. That might be the first time an owner ever did it, but it was fun.
This is a special place. The oval is special. 30 years ago we celebrated with Jeff. Hard to believe it’s been 30 years, but…
This is a special place.
Q. It’s Rick Hendrick winning at a Roger Penske track. You are friendly rivals in the business world and on the track. Have you ever over the years thought about owning or building a racetrack?
RICK HENDRICK: No (smiling). Not being smart, no.
Q. They said going into this race 81% of the Brickyard 400 winners were either present or future NASCAR champions. Now it’s up to 82%. What is it about this race that brings out the championship-worthy drivers?
JEFF GORDON: It’s a technical track. There’s a lot of different ways to approach the corners, how you arc in, how much brake you use, when you release the brake, working with the team to get the car set up right.
I’ve always felt like the best teams rise to this occasion as a whole. I think the 5 team is very, very strong, one of the best teams out there obviously. I think they now having this win under their belt, it’s really going to kind of set the tone for the rest of the season of who’s the biggest threat for the championship.
I know this is not Phoenix, but it’s about momentum, confidence, being able to step up in the biggest moments. I think today was one of those big moments for this team – for everybody out here today.
THE MODERATOR: We’re joined by our crew chief, Cliff Daniels. We’ll keep the questions rolling.
Q. Jeff, you used the term ‘creativity’. What was it that stood out to you that you have an appreciation for that I can’t see since I’ve not done what you’ve done? How has that grown through the years with your organization?
JEFF GORDON: Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of great drivers have it. Especially with his dirt background, you have to have that ability, or you learn that you’ve got to search around the racetrack to find speed or find ways to pass. There’s not a lot of grooves here. We know it’s very narrow. You’re playing in a very tight window.
Even he said it to me when I talked to him after the race. Yeah, I was just surprising them. That’s sometimes a method that works. But then the spotters are telling the next drivers, Hey, he just dove in and made a pass here. Then that driver understands and they learn and start looking. Then you got to try something else. Whether it’s get to their outside, arc in, get a run off the corner, force them into the corner to overdrive it. Whatever it may be, you have certain things at your disposal.
Some guys have a bigger toolbox than others. He seems to have a lot of ’em.
Q. Rick, Jeff used the phrase ‘surprise’ in terms of Kyle surprising the competition. How does Larson surprise you in what you see him do?
RICK HENDRICK: Every time I see him make some of the moves that he makes, three-wide, how he will go down under, figure out a way to set a guy up. I think when these cars are so equal, it stands out more than it did when you had a big advantage with aero or whatever in the years past.
This car just brings the field together. You just don’t see other people, they get in the lead and they’re good, but how to work somebody and get by them clean.
I ask him, What made you feel so good in this today?
He said, The INDYCAR. I learned a lot driving the INDYCAR, how to set people up and watch, working the corners.
He’s just a student. I think when I look back to Tim Richmond and Jeff Gordon, Jeff Gordon is the best I’ve ever seen.
JEFF GORDON: Oh, stop (smiling).
RICK HENDRICK: But I think Jeff will say this: in equal equipment, the guy is really hard to beat. If you just get him even…
I think his confidence level, coupled with his God-given talent, it’s just a lethal combination. This guy over here gives him the best stuff, always in his ear. They remind me of Ray and Jeff or Jimmie and Chad. Just standing back listening to them, the confidence they have in each other, it’s pretty remarkable.
When I said no on the racetracks, Roger Penske is one of my best friends. We vacation together. If I win a race, he texts me. If he wins a race, I text him. We kid each other. Keep it in the family.
We’re competitive. We want to win. But he sets the standard for energy that I’ve never seen, to do what he does seven days a week. He’s a great guy, a great friend. I just wanted to add that because he’s a very special friend of mine, so…
Q. Cliff, there was one point in the first two stages where Kyle asked you what he needed to be doing. You said something about, I need you to save as much fuel as you can and pass as many cars as you can. How did he do that really well? How did that help for the last stage where he was in a better position to be able to pass guys, his race craft in general today?
CLIFF DANIELS: I think Mr. Hendrick explained it really well. Some of the INDYCAR experience of getting the timing of the runs, Kyle definitely had a vision of what that needed to look like. As he was setting up timing the runs, when it was off timing, he was doing a lot of fuel savings at that point.
To your point, yes, that statement at face value may sound like those two are completely opposed, pass cars and save fuel, sounds impossible. His vision for what he needed to do to get a run, and when the run was not timed to save fuel as you’re building the next run, I think that was a bit of an edge today that he carried with him behind the wheel that I don’t know that anybody else had. I’m sure they’ll go back and study the data and get better next year.
Kyle certainly had that advantage today.
Q. Kyle said after the race that he felt like this win was a full-circle moment going back to May. With this win today, he is now in the regular-season points lead. There was a chance he might not even be in the Playoffs a couple months ago. Does this feel like a full-circle moment? Not that May went badly, but certainly missing the 600, does this bring it full circle, make you feel like it was all worth it?
RICK HENDRICK: We’re very thankful we got the waiver. I think everybody knew, NASCAR knew, we were there and we were ready to get in the car had the race continued in Charlotte. We were there.
I think if we had blown the race off completely, probably wouldn’t have gotten the waiver. We talked about it. Cliff was all on board with him doing that race. He knew what it meant to him.
I think the disappointment in the 600, not being able to finish that race, bringing that paint scheme here, was extra motivation.
I’m glad that NASCAR gave us the waiver. We were there. I mean, I think that’s the difference. We were there. If it hadn’t rained, I think he could have won that race.
I’ve got texts from folks at Chevrolet, Mark Reuss loved the paint scheme. I can’t tell you the disappointment we all had with the way that weekend ended up. I do think this was a celebration more than normal because of the disappointment we all had not finishing the job.
Q. Jeff?
JEFF GORDON: All I can say is when we were here in May talking to different people that are on race teams, whether it was McLaren or some other friends that I’ve made that have attempted or have competed in this race a few times over the years, they said something that stuck with me. Man, this place can bring the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It’s that kind of emotional place where so much is riding on it, so much history here.
When days like today happen, it just doesn’t feel any better as a competitor. When we weren’t able to get the finish there at the end of that race in May, it was a pretty big low. The weather was the real low.
I rode in the plane with Kyle on the way to Charlotte, he was pretty disappointed in himself. I think that’s just Indianapolis. You’re pushing all the time. Sometimes when you’re pushing, you’re not going to get the results you’re hoping for. Days like today, you’re going to push and you do.
Yeah, definitely came full circle.
Q. Cliff, the restart with Brad pulling off at the last minute, there’s been some conversation, in that situation, should NASCAR permit a rerack of the field? In Blaney’s case he’s technically the control car, but he’s in the lane that is not advantageous for him. If he had that option, he would have taken the inside. In that kind of scenario, should NASCAR allow these guys, give them a lap to repick?
CLIFF DANIELS: I understand it being highlighted because of it being this race, the situation because it was front row.
There’s been so many times in Cup races where we’ve seen that from 5th, 10th, 20th. It’s no different. Everybody knows that’s the rule. If I go to race South Boston Speedway in a late model on Saturday night, it’s the same rule.
I understand the question. This isn’t anything new to completely shut down the race and rerack because you had a guy pull off in a row. Every other racing series, you fill the row, you take the green flag and move on.
I just don’t see it as that big of a concern.
Q. You’ve had a lot of speed over the last five, six weeks. Particularly Iowa, Nashville, Chicago not necessarily the results to correspond with the finishes. Is that frustrating? Are you encouraged by the fact you have this speed and you’re showing up week after week and you’re in the mix?
CLIFF DANIELS: I think it’s the right kind of frustration. People ask how special the wins are, what do you learn from the wins.
I think to some of the most successful organizations, teams, players, you learn more from when you fail than when you do from when you win. For us, where we’ve had the fast cars, days we would consider a failure because he had a great car and had a mistake, got taken out, there’s a lot to be learned in that. It’s painful along the way, but it teaches you so much about yourself, your resilience, how you build your process as a team.
I’m a big process guy for how our team operates, how we communicate. Today was all about the resilience of the team. We had a pit stop that got away from us, a very odd situation. Of course, I was a little frustrated in the moment. Ultimately our pit crew did a great job to communicate their way through what that issue was.
Yes, we had to pit off sequence at that point and kind of got behind. What we were able to do as a team collectively throughout the end of the day was our process of how we communicate, what Kyle sees behind the wheel, what he thinks about the questions he’s asking me, the information I’m getting from the engineers. Then of course everybody below that is helping behind-the-wall support, over-the-wall execution, all those things have to come into play on a day like today.
A long-winded way to answer your question that, yes, when you have a great car and you don’t get the finish that you want, that can be frustrating, but that can also be a great learning opportunity to build your team. We always take those opportunities.
Q. Cliff, this is your 20th win in the Cup Series. You’ve had quite a few big ones. Where does this one rank compared to the championship race in Phoenix, the Coke 600?
CLIFF DANIELS: Yeah, it’s amazing. Certainly today was a blessing. I told Kyle this. Some days things just don’t work out for you. Today worked out, so what a blessing.
How to rank it? I have no idea. I would love to know from Jeff or Mr. H how they rank their wins. One day a long time from now I’ll get a chance to look back and think about how to rank them.
It’s been really special, and very thankful to have the leadership of Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, and everybody at HMS, to encourage our team and keep us going. There’s so many people behind the scenes. It’s more than just me and Kyle. There’s so many people behind the scenes at the shop, with us on the road every week that contribute to all these wins.
It’s way more than what does this win mean for me or Kyle. It’s everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. Mr. H right now sitting on the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 this year, pretty amazing.
To be at this point in the year, it’s special. How to rank it? I have no idea. Certainly acknowledging the blessing and the great day that it is.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, guys, for coming in today. We appreciate all your time.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
