Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, and Kyle Larson Interview

Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour presented by NASCAR on FOX

Fox Sports

Leisure, Sports, Automotive

4.8 • 523 Ratings

🗓️ 26 February 2026

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Kevin Harvick sits down with Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, and reigning champion Kyle Larson for a wide-ranging conversation following Larson’s new five-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports. The group discusses why the long-term deal made sense for both sides, why Larson feels at home with HMS after winning a championship, and what Hendrick and Gordon saw in Larson when they first brought him into the organization. They also break down what separates Hendrick Motorsports from the rest of the garage, how the team has built a culture that continues to produce record-breaking Cup Series wins and championships, and what Larson’s expectations are for the 2026 season as he looks to defend his title. 0:00 - Intro 0:40 - Hendrick Motorsports Joins The Show! 1:09 - Larson Signs Long-Term Extension 4:10 - Culture At Hendrick Motorsports 6:35 - First Time Going After Larson 9:58 - Larson’s Experience In Sprint Cars 12:56 - Rick Hendrick Using TikTok 14:56 - What Makes The Daytona 500 Special 20:56 - Managing Kyle Larson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's exciting to have a long-term contract.
0:03.0	I don't think you see much of that these days in our sport. I got pretty lucky. I'm in my rookie year with Rick. If he laid a big long contract or a lifetime deal, I'll sign, I'll sign wherever he tells me to sign. We knew that he could get the job done. Is Rick on TikTok? He's like, yeah. If I can pull my phone up right now, I can see it. 30 texts.
0:22.0	I guarantee you 20 of them are TikTok. Is Rick on TikTok? He's like, yeah. If I can pull my phone up right now,
0:20.8	the last 30 texts, I guarantee you 20 of them are TikTok.
0:24.9	What's the most difficult thing managing this guy?
0:28.7	You on two,
0:29.2	Bob,
0:29.8	California's Kevin Hartford doesn't.
0:35.5	Thank you, first off, for taking the time.
0:41.3	It's not every day that you get all three of you guys to sit down in one room and have a conversation.
0:46.3	Not every day we, all three of us ever get together.
0:49.3	We can have a team meeting if we need to do when we get done.
0:52.3	But, you know, I think it's, obviously,
0:55.0	you're coming in off your second championship.
0:58.2	You're coming in off 15 Cup championships.
1:02.0	And, you know, I think that the interesting part to me
1:06.0	is just everything that you guys have done as a group.
1:09.5	But the first thing is the contract extension sign a
1:14.1	new contract five years I mean that has to make you feel good about where you're at from
1:19.7	from your career and your standpoint and that's stability that goes with it yeah absolutely you know
1:23.9	it's exciting to have a a long-term contract I don't think you see much of that these days in our sport.
1:30.3	So just to know that I'm going to be with a great organization for the foreseeable future is amazing.
	...

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