NASCAR legend and current vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon, has opened up about the emotional toll of continuing to race in the wake of his good friend and Hendrick Motorsports team member Jon Edwards’ sudden death. In a post-race interview at Bristol, Gordon said walking into the garage for the first time since Edwards’ death just hit different.
Jeff Gordon Opens Up on Emotional Toll of Jon Edwards’ Absence
Edwards’ sudden death shocked the NASCAR community, with many fans wondering how the Hendrick Motorsports camp and Gordon were processing the expected news and loss of a beloved team member. Kyle Larson, whom Edwards last worked with as his lead public relations representative, dedicated his Bristol win to Edwards.
In a post-race interview, Larson said, “This one is definitely for Jon. He’s just a great guy here. We’re going to miss him. Wish he was going to be here with us to celebrate, but I know he’s celebrating with us in spirit.”
Speaking candidly during a post-race media session at Bristol, Gordon revealed how the garage felt different without his close friend. “It’s been a rough week, I’ll be honest. I lost somebody that was like a brother to me, and so many other people that he impacted,” shared Gordon.
Edwards, who had been by Gordon’s side for nearly two decades, died unexpectedly. Gordon shared that when the team is faced with such a tragedy, they honor the person by doing what they would have loved. In Edwards’ case, that was racing. Gordon believes that Edwards would have wanted the Hendrick Motorsports team to be at the Bristol race.
“He wants to go under the radar and be this kind of unsung hero, I guess. There’s no other way to do it, any other way for a great like him,” Gordon said.
“But, yeah, I think we’ve just — sometimes it’s therapeutic, but it’s also not really an option either, like you mentioned. You just try to learn from it and grow from it and bond together as an organization, as a team together, and I think that’s what Jon is going to do in this case for us.”
Having spent nearly three decades at Hendrick Motorsports, Edwards left behind a huge legacy. Other drivers and teams also paid tribute to the man who helped extensively behind the scenes at Hendricks Motorsports.
“I just want to say thank you to everybody that has been sending messages, making phone calls. Obviously, the tributes here on the car,” added Gordon.