Kevin Harvick jokes about why Rick Hendrick's wife Linda "gonna be mad" after HMS's 1-2-3 finish at Martinsville

Fox Sports analyst Kevin Harvick jokingly remarked that Linda Hendrick, wife of Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, might be the only person not pleased with the team's 1-2-3 finish at Martinsville Speedway during their 40th anniversary milestone weekend.

William Byron dominated the latter part of the Cook Out 400 and emerged victorious ahead of his HMS teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, scripting history as the first team to sweep the podium at the famed half-mile oval. However, Alex Bowman managed only an eighth-place finish in the event.

Kevin Harvick quipped that Linda Hendrick might have anticipated a better result from the team during their 40th-anniversary celebration, perhaps hoping for a 1-2-3-4 finish instead of the already impressive podium sweep. Reflecting on the dominant outing for Hendrick Motorsports, Harvick said in the latest episode of his Happy Hour podcast:

"The only person that's gonna be mad is probably Linda [Hendrick], I said this on the broadcast. She's gonna be mad because Alex Bowman finished eighth. She's gonna be like 'Why didn't we have 1-2-3-4?'"

Harvick referenced Linda Hendrick's cameo in the Netflix documentary where she raised questions about why all Hendrick Motorsports drivers didn't make it to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs last season. According to Harvick, this emphasizes her high expectations for the racing team and the business group. He explained:

"That's my favorite thing about the Netflix show, that's one of my favorite lines when Linda said that 'I expect to have all four in the playoffs, We should have all four in the championship 4.' Those are the expectations that they quietly have... I don't think she is really joking, the expectation from Hendrick Motorsports or Hendrick Automotive Group is to be the best..."

Kevin Harvick also highlighted Rick Hendrick's high expectations for his organization, and commended his knack for putting together a winning team.

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Kevin Harvick lauds Henrick Motorsports' achievement at Martinsville Speedway

The NASCAR Cup champion lauded the HMS drivers for delivering the results in front of the 1500 employees and family members who had gathered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the team's maiden victory.

Kevin Harvick compared the pressure of the moment to that of fighting for the championship in the season finale. He said on his podcast:

"There's just very few teams that can first have that much history, and second to be able to able to perform under that pressure, with everybody being there...The pressure of having to under those circumstances, and how much they enjoyed being able to enjoy those moments."

"When the pressure's on... that's like racing for the championship right there, with 1500 of your own employees there. Those are the moments that you live for as a driver."

William Byron secured yet another milestone victory for the team after winning the Daytona 500 earlier in 2024, marking his third victory of the season.