Jeff Gordon says he’s “pretty confident” Kyle Larson will pass his four NASCAR Cup Series championships, now that Larson has won his third.
Larson won his third title Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Asked by PRN whether Larson could eventually top his total, Gordon did not hesitate.
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“Well, I’m pretty confident it’s going to happen. They not only have a great driver, but they’ve got a great team. Cliff Daniels is an amazing leader and crew chief,” Gordon said.
“So when you look at how strong that group is, and when you can keep a group like that together, you know what’s coming down the road, which means more success,” he said.
Larson and Daniels have won all three of Larson’s titles together. Their first season together, in 2021, produced 10 wins and a championship.
They won again in 2025 and repeated this year. Larson went winless in the regular season before winning three Chase races, at Gateway, Kansas and Talladega.
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He clinched the 2026 title after Stage 1 on Sunday.
Hendrick Motorsports has locked up the pairing. Larson signed a five-year extension in February that runs through 2031, and Daniels signed a multiyear deal to stay on as his crew chief.
Gordon won his four titles in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001. Jimmie Johnson followed with seven at Hendrick, including five straight from 2006 through 2010.
Gordon has seen what a stable pairing can do. Ray Evernham was his crew chief for his first three titles, and Robbie Loomis led the team for the fourth.
Daniels also has a link to Johnson. He was Johnson’s crew chief for the final season and a half of Johnson’s full-time Cup career, before Hendrick paired him with Larson.
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That pairing has now produced three titles in six seasons, and Gordon pointed to the team’s continuity as a reason for his confidence.
Larson’s latest title was the 16th Cup championship for Hendrick Motorsports, the most of any team. At 34, he has time to keep adding to his total.
Gordon, now Hendrick’s vice chairman, has stayed in racing as an executive since his full-time driving career ended in 2015. He said after Sunday’s finale that Larson’s third title still left him stunned. He has also compared the No. 5 team to some of the sport’s great groups.
Gordon said he has no interest in protecting his place in the record book. “So I’m fully expecting that, and I welcome it and I applaud it. I love seeing all of our teams go out there and win races and championships and break any records of mine or others that are out there,” he said.
Larson is now one title behind Gordon and four behind Johnson, who remains Hendrick’s most successful driver.
Larson will open his title defense in the 2027 Daytona 500 on Feb. 21.