"They seemed to be business as usual" - HMS' Jeff Gordon says Kyle Larson-waiver drama didn't impact team's approach

Jeff Gordon has reckoned it was "business as usual" for Kyle Larson and the Hendrick Motorsports team during the past week, despite the fact that the organization was anxiously awaiting the verdict of the waiver request.

In the past few weeks, Larson's championship hopes have hung in limbo, with NASCAR delaying the decision. The #5 HMS team raced at World Wide Technology Raceway without any clarity on whether their driver was eligible for the playoffs or not. The announcement came after the weekend at Gateway, paving the way for a sigh of relief.

After Larson's victory at Sonoma, Jeff Gordon was asked if the uncertainty had an effect on the team members. Gordon replied that the top bosses at HMS were anxious, however, the rest of the organization remained focused on preparing for the upcoming race weekends.

"I didn't see it affect the majority of the team. I think it was on the minds of Cliff and Kyle and Rick and Jeff Andrews and myself and Chad, at that level, maybe on the PR/media side of things. But as far as how that trickled down the team, I didn't see where they were really wavered by it," Gordon told Bob Pockrass at Sonoma.

"But no, they seemed to be business as usual and prepping for the next race, the next two races, the way they normally do. I think the best medicine in any of those situations is getting back to the racetrack," he added.

As such, it appears that Larson and his team weren't distracted by the waiver drama and the potential implications of the driver being deemed ineligible for playoff participation. Their efforts can be seen in the team's results— a top-10 result at Gateway, followed by their third victory of the season at Sonoma.

---

Jeff Gordon highlights Kyle Larson's composure throughout the waiver drama

Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman, Jeff Gordon has shed light on Kyle Larson's character, highlighting his ability to remain calm and composed in tough situations. Gordon mentioned that Larson remained unfazed and composed even as NASCAR delayed the verdict.

The four-time NASCAR Cup champion insisted that Larson was inherently a calm and cool person. He said in the post-race press conference (via Speedwaydigest.com):

"I would say he's very calm and cool through a lot of things, maybe even too much sometimes. But it is just sort of his personality and his upbringing and the way that he handles things, and that really works well for you when you've had a bad weekend or something that hasn't gone well."

However, Gordon conceded that Larson became anxious as time went on and was worried after the race weekend at Gateway. However, Gordon managed to instill optimism in the #5 Chevy driver.