Jeff Gordon Stunned by Kyle Larson’s Miami Masterclass as Hendrick Motorsports Dominates
Kyle Larson’s jaw-dropping victory at the Homestead Miami Speedway has sent shockwaves through NASCAR, and no one was more captivated than Jeff Gordon, the legendary vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. In a race that unfolded like a Hollywood blockbuster, Larson snatched the win from teammate Alex Bowman with just seven laps to go, claiming his 30th career NASCAR Cup Series triumph and his second at Homestead. The Straight Talk Wireless 400 on March 26, 2025, wasn’t just another win—it propelled Larson closer to becoming Hendrick’s third-winningest driver, trailing only Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Gordon, watching from the pits, broke his silence post-race, delivering a candid take that left fans and insiders buzzing.
Larson’s path to victory was anything but smooth. Starting 14th, he battled early setbacks, including a pit-road collision with Josh Berry’s No. 21 Ford that punched a gaping hole in his car’s side. Crew chief Cliff Daniels gambled by keeping Larson on the track rather than pitting for repairs, a decision that paid off as Larson clawed his way to the front. “I got in the wall too many times,” Larson admitted, reflecting on his high-line heroics. “But I kept plugging away. This is one heck of a drive.” His margin of victory—1.205 seconds over Bowman—underscored his resilience, with Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, and Denny Hamlin rounding out the top five.
Gordon, a 93-time Cup winner, couldn’t hide his awe. Perched on Bowman’s No. 48 pit box, he watched Larson’s late-race surge unfold. “You just can’t count out Kyle Larson, especially at this place,” Gordon said, praising Larson’s fearless wall-riding style. “His car doesn’t fall off when he puts it up on the fence. It’s like watching him at Knoxville or Eldora.” The comparison to Larson’s dirt-track mastery highlighted what makes him a standout at Homestead, where precision near the wall can make or break a race. Gordon’s insight added weight to Larson’s triumph, especially given the obstacles—damaged car, poor restarts, and all.
Bowman, meanwhile, was left ruing a golden opportunity. Leading 43 laps from pole, he held off challengers until a costly scrape with the wall in Turn 4 opened the door for Larson. “I choked that one away,” Bowman confessed. “I hit the fence pretty bad and lost the feel in the right front.” Despite the heartbreak, Gordon saw promise in Bowman’s season-long progress, noting his team’s momentum since late 2024. “They were in the top five all day, contending at the end. That does a lot for a race team,” he said.
The race wasn’t Larson’s only headline. After winning Friday’s Craftsman Truck Series race and finishing fourth in Saturday’s Xfinity Series event, he narrowly missed a rare triple-header sweep—last achieved by Kyle Busch at Bristol. “He’s deserving of it,” Gordon said of Larson’s near-miss, underscoring the weekend’s intensity.
Hendrick Motorsports’ dominance shone through, with William Byron, Larson, and Bowman sitting 1-2-3 in the standings, and Chase Elliott in sixth. Yet, Larson remained humble: “None of us are the best car yet. There’s work to do.” As Ryan Blaney’s engine failure after leading 124 laps added drama, Larson’s win stole the spotlight. Gordon’s stunned reaction said it all—this was a race for the ages, and Larson’s star is only rising.
