NASCAR Hall of Famer and four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon has surprisingly praised Team Penske. As the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, he noted that Penske has unlocked success at Kansas Speedway. After a strong performance by a Penske driver, Gordon noted that the team discovered something special at intermediate tracks. His comments have circulated in the NASCAR paddock, sparking talks about the performance gap between Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske in the 2025 season.
Gordon’s Honest Assessment
In one of the post-race media sessions, Gordon did not hesitate to give Penske the hand in its mastery of the setting. They understand something that we, so far, have not yet quite figured out, Gordon said. When we get to Kansas, they just get dialed in. Corner speed, balance, or tire management – they appear to have it all.
Gordon, with several Kansas wins in his driving career, knows only too well how technical the 1.5-mile oval can be. The song requires both meticulous set-up work, air plan development, and flexibility as the weather changes and track varies during the race. He marvelled at the fact that, to Penske, he always manages to find grip and balance, even where circumstances change radically between stages.
Team Penske’s Dominance
The performance history of Penske in Kansas in recent years is self-explanatory. Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Austin Cindric have all charted good results at the facility, and the automobiles driven by the team have demonstrated impressive balance, corner speed, and long-run pace.
The Kansas 2025 race was not an exception. Penske again spearheaded the most laps and made near-perfect pits. Their aerodynamic efficiency, shock-tuned and data-driven development, are the building blocks of their continued success, pointed out by the analysts.
Other industry giants such as Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing continue to be competitive across the board, but Penske has proven to be competitive in intermediate tracks, such as Kansas and Las Vegas in particular.
What Does It Mean To Hendrick Motorsports?
To Gordon and the Hendrick camp, the domination of Penske is a challenge and an incentive. Hendrick drivers, including Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and William Byron, have all been fast this season, but the team has had its share of tire wear and balance issues in the middle of the run. Gordon admitted that Hendrick is not far behind, but admitted that Penske might be having a very important advantage because of his more sophisticated approach to simulation and engineering.
“We’re researching all we can,” Gordon said. “Credit to Penske, they have set the bar high. But we are not sitting still, I can tell you.”
Looking Ahead
Kansas has often served as a litmus test for playoff performance. Gordon’s comments may signal a shift in Hendricks’ technical strategy. The team plans to implement new aerodynamic changes and refined suspension setups for future intermediate tracks.
Back home, though, Penske is now feeling bolder, since they enter the postseason with several wins already in their pocket. Their domination of tracks such as Kansas has strengthened their team as a championship-level competitor. Summing up, with his usual humility and competition, Gordon said, “They have discovered the winning ingredient, this time, and we have to discover what made it into the recipe.”
