“We want them to go race hard” - Jeff Gordon on Kyle Larson-Chase Elliott rivalry for regular season championship

Jeff Gordon, the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, recently addressed the intense rivalry between their two-star drivers Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship as the regular season reaches its climax. Elliott and Larson stand in first and second position, respectively, in the regular season championship standings.

Jeff Gordon, who has won the four Cup Series championship for HMS, spoke to reporters ahead of this Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and stated that he wants to see both the drivers push their limits and race aggressively while maintaining sportsmanship for the regular season title.

Speaking with NBC Sports about the competition between Larson-Elliott for the title, here’s what Gordon said:

“I think it’s pretty clear at Hendrick how we expect teams and drivers to race against one another and how they’ve got to go and compete not only against their competitors but against one another. They have a pretty good understanding about that. We want them to go race and race hard, but we want them to come out the other end in one piece and may the best team, the best driver get that regular season championship.”

With five races remaining in the regular season, Elliott is currently leading the Cup Series points standings with 703 points, while Larson sits second, just three points behind the #9 HMS driver. They are prime contenders to win the regular season title this season.

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Jeff Gordon explains what Chase Elliot did differently this season after their struggles last year

The last NASCAR season was a nightmare for Chase Elliott as he missed out on six races due to a leg injury and was suspended for one race. As a result, he was unable to win a race and missed the playoffs for the first time in his Cup career.

However, Elliott and his #9 HMS team made a strong comeback this season by winning at Texas Motor Speedway and have been consistently performing every week with an aim of more wins and great finishes.

Further in the interview with NBC Sports, Jeff Gordon addressed what makes points leader Elliott different this season compared to last year. Gordon credited the progress made by the #9 driver and his crew chief to their setups and consistent performance.

Here’s what Jeff Gordon said (via nbcsports.com):

“I just think at the end of the year, one, they started making progress on the setups and with consistency. I also think Alan Gustafson and Chase have a very, very good relationship. I think they made a commitment to one another how hard they’re going to work and bring the whole team together to turn things around this year. And then you’ve got to win and they did.”