Inherent within every title chase, no matter the era, there’s a growing sense of pressure that escalates after every weekend. Successes or challenges from the race before build upon themselves, creating new levels of expectation as the season marches towards Phoenix Raceway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s especially true in the current playoff format, where\u00a0all four Hendrick Motorsports\u00a0drivers \u2013 Chase Elliott<\/a>, Kyle Larson<\/a>, William Byron<\/a> and Alex Bowman<\/a> \u2013 are trying to survive and advance this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, hoping to ultimately place their name as the 15th\u00a0NASCAR Cup Series champion in organization history.<\/p>\n Whether it’s the\u00a0season long battles that helped shape\u00a0the sport or the most-recent playoff format\u00a0that features 16 drivers and multiple rounds of elimination, the month of September has always felt like go time\u00a0around the race shops.<\/p>\n \u201cThese days, every lap, every race is a qualifying lap,\u201d said NASCAR Hall of Famer and Hendrick Motorsports<\/a>\u00a0vice chairman, Jeff Gordon, speaking of the modern NASCAR playoff format. \u201cThe intensity of every lap, you\u2019re not saving equipment. There is not one stone unturned. I was down in the shop, and the No. 5 team<\/a> was prepping, and I was just blown away how much information is being fed to the driver, how much the engineer and the teams, the spotter \u2013 how much everybody is taking in.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a lot more simplistic back when this all first started.\u201d<\/p>\n RELATED: From Winner to Champion: Relive Jeff Gordon\u2019s NASCAR Cup Series championship all in one place<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThese days, every lap, every race is a qualifying lap.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff Gordon<\/p>\n While Gordon\u2019s title journeys (1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001) were different from today, they were no less stressful. That was especially true in 1997.<\/p>\n Gordon was locked in a tight championship\u00a0battle heading into the NAPA 500 season finale at Atlanta Motor Speedway, holding a 77-point advantage over second-place Dale Jarrett and an 87-point lead over third place, Mark Martin. His mission was clear; he needed to finish 18th\u00a0or better to earn a second title. But that proved much easier said than done.<\/p>\n After crashing on pit road during the initial practice session, the California native required a backup car just to qualify. More trouble awaited, however. During qualifying, an oil leak spilled onto his tires, forcing Gordon to lift during his only attempt, and the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet wound up starting 37th. The nerve-o-meter was pegged.<\/p>\n RELATED:\u00a0NASCAR playoff standings after Gateway: Larson, Byron, Elliot add to Cup Series playoff\u00a0cushion<\/a><\/p>\n On race day,\u00a0Gordon battled a ton of traffic early on and had a very loose car to contend with. Halfway through the race, it looked as if his title chances had dimmed. However, through grit, determination and the team’s\u00a0championship mettle, Gordon leaned on crew chief Ray Evernham and the \u201cRainbow Warriors\u201d to make the right adjustments. It eventually worked, as the brightly hued\u00a0No. 24 worked its way up to 17th, just enough to clinch the championship.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI compare (our current) system to \u201997,\u201d Gordon recalled. \u201cIn 1997, it was me, Mark (Martin) and Dale (Jarrett), coming down to the final race. That was one of the most stressful situations I can ever remember having. It was terrifying. To go through that, week after week for 10 weeks \u2013 no thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s situations like these in his driving history that also allows Gordon to relate to what the drivers are currently going through heading into this weekend\u2019s first elimination race at Bristol<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the (emotional toll) is part of the challenge (of winning a championship),\u201d Gordon said. \u201cIt\u2019s part of the strengths and weaknesses of our competitors. If mentally, you are stronger than others, then that won\u2019t break you down as much. If you have a bad day, shake it off. You don\u2019t let the stress get to you. That goes for everybody. From crew chief, engineer, pit crew, driver, spotter, everybody on the team, the game is more mentally challenging than it\u2019s ever been.\u201d<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/98champ41.jpg\"\/)
Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 team celebrate one of their four NASCAR Cup Series championships<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/hms-4-cars.jpg\"\/)
All four Hendrick Motorsports’ teams vying for a spot in the Round of 12 this weekend at Bristol<\/p>\n