Jeff Gordon drops a 4-word verdict on HMS’ well-executed practical joke for William Byron’s Daytona 500 race

Hendrick Motorsports vice-chairman Jeff Gordon recently shared his amusement over a funny video posted by the team on social media. @teamhendrick took to Instagram and shared a video where William Byron was the subject of a practical joke. Byron is the defending champion of the Daytona 500, the Great American Race, and as the Daytona Speedweek gets underway, the #24 team is thinking of a back-to-back victory.

While winning the Daytona 500 is already a feat second to none in NASCAR, Byron's victory was even more special. His win came on the occasion of Hendrick Motorsports celebrating its 40th anniversary since the team's first NASCAR Cup Series start in 1984. The 27-year-old HMS star would want to be a double Daytona 500 champion.

The humorous clip starts with a member of William Byron's No. 24 team asking him how he felt about the prospect of winning back-to-back Daytona 500 titles. William Byron responded:

"It'd be sweet, I am excited for it. Let's get down there."

The team member, in a firm voice, as if trying not to give away the joke, instructed Byron to "let that sink in."

As Byron walked ahead, a literal wash sink appeared behind a door, making the phrase quite literal and turning the statement into a well-executed prank. The social media caption also humorously reinforced the joke with the same phrase: "Let that sink in."

Jeff Gordon, clearly amused by the joke, commented on the post with a four-word reaction:

“What in the world.”

Jeff Gordon is one of the most successful drivers in the sport's history. He was so fast behind the wheel of a stock car that some even suggest that NASCAR once tried to slow him down intentionally.

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What is the Jeff Gordon 4-second rule?

Known as one of the sport's most dominant drivers, Jeff Gordon claimed 93 Cup Series victories and 81 pole positions during his successful career with Hendrick Motorsports. His success during the late 1990s was so overwhelming that some NASCAR insiders speculated the sport may have intentionally tried to slow him down.

A long-standing theory suggests NASCAR officials had an unwritten rule to throw caution flags if Jeff Gordon managed to build a lead of four seconds or more. The alleged "4-second rule" was apparently an effort to keep races competitive and maintain the audience's interest.

Gordon once addressed this controversial topic in an interview, revealing that conversations had taken place behind the scenes. He explained that his former crew chief, Ray Evernham, once relayed concerns from NASCAR officials. Here’s what Gordon said in the clip shared by FIVE WIDE Sports on X:

“This is racing, but this is a sport, an entertainment sport. And so what happens on the track, if it's not entertaining, people aren't gonna wanna watch it. Ray (Gordon’s former crew chief) had a conversation with someone. They said, listen boy, y'all are stinking up the show."

“And that's not good for NASCAR. You need to be thinking about that. And so we had that conversation. So we actually had a signal in the car. If I had a big lead, they would say, okay, one-second lead. All right, two-second lead. Three-second lead. All right, Jeff, you're at four seconds. And it would never get more than four seconds,” Gordon confirmed.

This shows how much NASCAR cares about its fanbase. It would seemingly go to any lengths to not lose its audience, even if it means slowing down a racing driver.