Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon have celebrated their share of NASCAR championships. But even after decades of winning at the sport’s highest level, moments like Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway never get old.
And this time, the cameras captured their reactions.
Kyle Larson secured his third NASCAR Cup Series championship during Sunday’s season finale, giving Hendrick Motorsports another title before the race had even reached its halfway point.
Video shared by Motorsport.com captured Hendrick, Gordon and members of the No. 5 team as the championship became official.
There were congratulations, embraces and plenty of reasons to celebrate.
But there was also one rather unusual detail: Larson was still racing.
WATCH: Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon Celebrate Kyle Larson’s Third Championship
Unlike the winner-take-all championship finales of previous seasons, NASCAR’s return to the Chase format meant the title could be decided before the final checkered flag.
That’s exactly what happened Sunday.
Larson clinched the championship at the conclusion of Stage 1, setting off celebrations among the Hendrick Motorsports leadership and crew while the season finale continued around them.
The footage shared by Motorsport.com offered a behind-the-scenes look at the reaction, including Hendrick and Gordon as the significance of the moment began to sink in.
A separate photograph shared by the Jeff Gordon Online account captured Gordon embracing Marshall Carlson, president of Hendrick Companies, following Larson’s championship-clinching performance.
For Gordon, the moment carried a special connection to Hendrick Motorsports’ history.
The four-time Cup Series champion spent his entire full-time NASCAR Cup career driving for Hendrick. Today, he serves as the organization’s vice chairman, helping guide the same team where he built his Hall of Fame career.
And on Sunday, he watched another Hendrick driver add his name to the organization’s championship history.
Hendrick Motorsports Had a Championship to Celebrate and a Race to Finish
Perhaps the most entertaining part of the footage was what happened after the initial celebration.
There was no packing up early or calling it a day.
Larson still had a race to finish, and crew chief Cliff Daniels and the No. 5 team still had a job to do.
The Motorsport.com video showed the Hendrick crew returning its attention to pit-road duties, a reminder that even a championship celebration doesn’t stop the work during a NASCAR race.
For Larson, Sunday’s title marked his third Cup Series championship, joining the crowns he earned in 2021 and 2025.
All three have come with Hendrick Motorsports and Daniels atop the pit box.
The latest championship further strengthened Larson’s place among the organization’s most successful drivers, following the accomplishments of Gordon and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson.
For Hendrick, whose organization has spent decades building one of NASCAR’s most successful operations, it was another moment to enjoy.
And for Gordon, it was another opportunity to celebrate a championship from the other side of the pit wall.
The video captured something fans don’t always get to see: the people responsible for building a championship-winning organization experiencing the moment their work pays off.
Only this time, they had to get right back to work afterward.
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WATCH: Exact Moment Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon React to Kyle Larson’s Third NASCAR Title