Jeff Gordon is a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, three-time Daytona 500 winner and five-time Brickyard 400 winner. But what have mechanics got to do with it?
As Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon crossed the pond to visit the AMR Technology Campus in leafy Northamptonshire to help celebrate Valvoline Mechanics Month in March, he met with Aston Martin Aramco Number One Mechanic – and huge NASCAR fan – Michael Beard to explore how success behind the wheel is only possible with the talent, skill and expertise of the mechanics behind you in the garage.
Meeting in the race bays where our F1 cars are assembled, the pair shared experiences they have in common, with tales from their respective lives in the fast lane and highlighted that while some aspects of F1 and NASCAR are very different, winning on the track is as much in the hands of the mechanics as it is the driver – no matter what the series.
An entertaining and illuminating two-way Q&A, this is what happened when Jeff met Michael...
Michael Beard: "I've seen all sorts of incredible things at the AMR Technology Campus, but it's not often you find a NASCAR Cup Series Champion here. Jeff, what brings you to the home of Aston Martin Aramco?"
Jeff Gordon: "It's great to be here! Thanks to the partnership we have at Hendrick Motorsports with Valvoline and the partnership Aston Martin Aramco also has with Valvoline, we got the chance to meet in the United States last year when Jessica Hawkins took the wheel of a special edition Valvoline two-seater NASCAR Cup Series car. After that, we said if we're ever in the UK we want to visit the AMR Technology Campus and it just so happened during Valvoline Mechanics Month we would be this side of the pond. We heard about how impressive this place was and I must say it's mind-blowing."
MB: "It's brilliant to have you here. I was actually lucky enough to visit the Hendrick Motorsports campus in North Carolina when we were in the States..."
JG: "What did you think?"
MB: "It was incredible. I don't think I've ever been to a facility of that size. It was hugely impressive. One thing I found particularly fascinating was how each driver has a pool of chassis and they rotate through them from race to race, whereas our drivers have just four for a season and three are always travelling to race venues."
JG: "Yeah, for you guys in F1 it's so modular, right? You can add updates to the car through the season whereas ours is more we build a complete car but then we have different cars for different tracks."
MB: "What similarities and differences do you think there are between our two campuses?"
JG: "The size is obviously one thing we have in common. At Hendrick Motorsports we have multiple cars for each of our teams and drivers, so we need space for that. We have four cars with different teams looking after them and we build our engines in-house. Our facility is set up perfectly for what we do. Over 40 years it has grown and expanded and we're very proud of it."
MB: "That's another thing I noticed. Everything was so streamlined and established from engine build all the way through to chassis build. Off the top of my head, you were sending 16 engines out on a weekend to different cars and customers."
JG: "There's a true mechanic for you, recognising the details! [Laughs.] And it's a similar story here it seems. You've got the most modern facility in F1, you've got your own wind tunnel, and the scale at which you do things is amazing."
MB: "On the subject of scale, what you've achieved in your career is vast. What's kept you so driven?"
JG: "I started racing as a young kid and the first time that you see that chequered flag wave and you're crossing the line, you become addicted. I was fortunate to not only enjoy the driving aspect and the car and all that goes into it, but I had success as well.
"As you grow up, you realise that it's not an individual sport. It's you in the car, the people that make the car, and the people that make the team. As I got older and got into the Cup Series in NASCAR and had success there, I realised just how important people and the relationships that you build are, and when you accomplish success, you're doing it together. That's what drove me. It's also what I miss now that I'm not driving; having that relationship as part of the team as a driver."
MB: "I can appreciate that. I've just finished my trackside role of 10 years, travelling around the world, to a role based here. You have such a camaraderie with all the team, be it mechanics or drivers, and that bond you've built over years on the road is what keeps you going."
What's always driven me has been aiming for the top and never wanting to settle for less than the best.
JG: "100 per cent. I'm in a similar place to you now. Your job has evolved inside the team and you're building new relationships and different connections tied to the success of the team. And I've gone from being a driver to an executive role. There's nothing like being the driver of the car, but now I get to cheer for all our cars and contribute in other ways the best I possibly can, enjoying what takes place on the race weekends in a different light.
"During all that time travelling to Grands Prix around the world, you'll no doubt have always been looking for an extra edge, from shaving tenths off pitstop times to finding more efficient ways to work. What motivated you to keep striving for better?"
MB: "For me it was always wanting to do the best I could and help put the best package on track for my driver and team. You turn up to a race wanting to win. You don't turn up to take part, you're always striving to get the best out of yourself and to give the best tools to your driver to enable them to get the best out of the car. That's what's always driven me, always aiming for the top and never wanting to settle for less than the best."
JG: "A goal of mine was to never to be the weak link. I knew that people were putting countless hours into race preparation and I wanted to make sure I was equally prepared, so that when they had to count on me they could."
MB: "As drivers and mechanics, we often spend more time together in a race season than we do with our families, so having a good relationship is vital. How did you build a bond with your mechanics?"
JG: "I always made sure we spent quality time together, like having a dinner whilst on the road where everybody gets together and cuts loose a little bit. In Dover, Delaware, there's a secret place that some of the teams like to go to. You sit at long tables and you're cracking open crab shells and just having a good time. Stuff like that is a great way to take your mind off the competition and the daily grind and just get closer to one another.
"We would spend a lot of time talking about racing, which is super important, but taking time to go as a team outside of that and do something else was always important as well.
"How did you build your relationships with the different drivers you worked with?"
MB: "Whenever we got a new driver in the team the first step of building that relationship was establishing trust. I was Lance's front-end mechanic for four years, strapping him into the car before he went out on track, so we had to have that trust because, ultimately, I was the person looking after his safety.
"Once you gain trust, you can start building your relationship, making the driver feel comfortable within the team and comfortable giving you feedback as well.
"Trust leads to good communication and that means the driver can explain exactly what they want from the car."
JG: "And as a driver, I can tell you, we're pretty particular!"
MB: "[Laughs.] Communication is vital, isn't it? As mechanics we can't feel what you as the driver feels inside the car, so we need to have that dialogue to understand. How did you translate what you were feeling to help the mechanics understand how the car could be improved?"
JG: "Luckily, most people working in NASCAR have some kind of racing background, even if it's just go-karting once in a while, which is super helpful because they can understand a lot of what you're saying and feeling – but not everybody does.
"So, I always felt it was important to make a conversation as open to all as possible and make people feel comfortable that they could ask for more detail. If people weren't quite understanding what I was describing, I wanted them to feel free to ask questions knowing that I wasn't going to shut it down or make them feel as though they had asked something silly. Creating that environment really helped."
MB: "And finally, before I let you explore AMR Technology Campus further, I wanted to know how much value you put on your mechanics and their role in all the success you achieved on the track?"
You have to trust the mechanics because you're putting your life on the line.
JG: "They were critical. Motorsport is truly a team sport and every single person, every mechanic, is crucial to success. You talked earlier about trust. You have to trust the mechanics because you're putting your life on the line and the success of the team is dictated by the things that the mechanics work on. So having that relationship and being able to rely on them, as well as them relying on me, is what makes motorsport so unique. It's great.
"Before I go, I've got one more question for you. What would you say is the most rewarding aspect of being a mechanic?"
MB: "It's definitely when you get good results as a team. There's nothing you want more than seeing your driver and your team succeed. When you know you've put in a faultless weekend and given the perfect car to your driver, that's fast and reliable, and they convert that into a great result, that's the best part of the job."
Related content
Valvoline Mechanics Month ends with visit from NASCAR Champion Jeff Gordon
Read more
Aston Martin Aramco and Valvoline welcome new Aspiring Mechanics Programme cohort
Read more
Ben Fitzgerald on the game-changing AMR Technology Campus and what it takes to get an F1 car on the track
Read more
Icons of originality: Valvoline unites Jessica Hawkins and Jeff Gordon for historic driver matchup in Charlotte
Read more
Aston Martin Aramco reaches milestone technical collaboration ahead of 2026 F1 regulations
Read more
Advancing workplace inclusivity with Valvoline and Jessica Hawkins
Read more
Developing the next generation of F1 mechanics with Valvoline™ Global Operations
Read more
Celebrating unsung heroes: We team up with Valvoline™ Global Operations to shine a light on mechanics
Read more
Aston Martin Aramco and Valvoline™ Global Operations collaborate to celebrate Valvoline Mechanics Month
Read moreI / AM membership
The ultimate fan experience.
Get closer to the team with unparalleled access, behind-the-scenes insights and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and enjoy exclusive competitions, rewards, offers and more.
