“We both had plans, and they kind of got shattered”: Rick Hendrick explains how mutual admiration formed inseparable bond with Joe Gibbs

Rick Hendrick will send two drivers to bring home the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship, and so will Joe Gibbs. With the four championship drivers being Kyle Larson, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, and Chase Briscoe, this year’s Championship 4 is going to be a showdown between Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing.

Despite being the fiercest rivals on NASCAR’s ovals, Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs are close friends in real life and have immense respect for one another. In a recent interview, Mr. Hendrick reflected on his relationship with coach Gibbs. The automotive tycoon also said that nobody respects Gibbs as much as he does.

“Joe and I have had some good times, and we’ve had some sad times together,” Hendrick said. “There’s nobody I respect any more than I do Joe Gibbs, and the great organization he’s put together. I admire the man for his strength and what he’s gone through. I lost a son. He’s lost both sons. We both had plans, and they kind of got shattered.

Rick Hendrick lost his only son, Ricky Hendrick, in a plane crash en route to a race in Martinsville, Virginia, on October 24, 2004. Gibbs, on the other hand, lost both his sons, one to a degenerative neurological disease in 2019 and the other to an illness that was not revealed to the public in 2022. Both were 49 years old at the time of their demise.

“We have a bond and a friendship that, no matter what happens on the track, we talk during the weeks,” Hendrick continued. “If I win two races, he’s on me, and I tell him, ‘Now you’ve won three of four, now it’s time to quit and let us have a chance.’ We want to win, but we have a tremendous respect for each other.”

The Championship race scheduled for this weekend is going to be all about mutual respect, as well as cut-throat competition. Named Championship 4, the 312-lap race will be televised on Peacock (Sunday, November 2, 3 pm ET) with live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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Rick Hendrick opens up about Alex Bowman’s lackluster season

Alex Bowman was the only driver from the HMS camp who didn’t make it past the Round of 16 this year. Furthermore, he has been winless since Chicago in July 2024. Is Bowman currently in his career’s worst slump? Rick Hendrick weighed in on the matter.

Bowman does have six top fives and 16 top-10 finishes this season. So, it’s not like he lacks the speed. And neither is there a lack of effort. The way Hendrick sees it, Bowman just needs to ease up a bit.

“I think they put a lot of pressure on themselves,” the NASCAR Hall of Famer pinpointed.“They had a good start on the year. There have been some tracks that Alex was our best car. That team is working hard on getting better everywhere.”

"I think they’re showing great signs. But you’re always going to have someone that’s following the rest of the group,” he added.

Bowman is under a three-year contract with Rick Hendrick’s team that will keep him in the No. 48 Chevy Camaro through 2026. He has won eight races since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2018 and made the playoffs on seven occasions. His career-best finish of sixth in point standings came back in 2020.