‘This one’s definitely for Jon.’ Larson delivers special NASCAR win for Hendrick’s team
It’s been a tough week at Hendrick Motorsports, but Kyle Larson brought smiles to his teammates on Sunday.
Jon Edwards, the NASCAR team’s longtime director of communications, died Thursday. He was 52. The University of North Carolina graduate had served as Jeff Gordon’s public relations representative since 1994 and was the primary media contact for Larson since he joined Hendrick in 2021.
Larson grew close with Edwards over the years, noting a trip to Dubai for a Formula 1 race after his Cup Series championship four years ago. He remembers “just knowing I was gonna have Jon Edwards” as his right-hand man gave him more comfort early in his time at the legendary racing team.
“This one’s definitely for Jon,” Larson said on pit road, tapping a sticker featuring Edwards’ face after his dominant Cup Series win Sunday. “He’s just a great guy here. We’re going to miss him. Wish he was going to be here with us to celebrate, but I know he’s celebrating with us in spirit.”
‘There’s no other way to do it for a great like him’
Gordon emphasized how crucial a dedicated public relations representative is to a team’s success.
There were times when Edwards would call out Gordon and put emphasis on certain priorities. He understood how easy it is to get caught up in the week-to-week of the NASCAR schedule, and made sure conflicts didn’t obstruct worthwhile opportunities.
Edwards always let Gordon know when he had an opportunity that shouldn’t be passed up. And if Gordon was busy that day, Edwards may acknowledge that the interview could be done in the future — but oftentimes, it was something along the lines of: “Whether you do it tomorrow or another time, you need to do it.”
“If (Edwards) believed in it, then I believed in it,” Gordon said. “And I think Kyle (Larson) felt the same way when he was working with him. It was always just a good balancing act, and plus, he loves motorsports. He loved his job and was easy to work with. That’s the kind of person you want on your side in that role.
“Jon would want us to be here racing. I don’t even think he’d want us to honor him. He’d want us to not say his name at all. He always wanted to go under the radar, be this unsung hero. But there’s no other way to do it for a great like him.”
‘That’s his legacy’
As Larson said throughout the weekend: Edwards would not have wanted everyone to be sad.
Like most at Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels was close with Edwards, even having conversations with him late last week. It’s been especially rewarding to see the outreach from the NASCAR community and all the people whom Edwards touched. His network grew larger over the years, a testament of how well he built relationships throughout his career.
“Jon had the same high level of care and concern and love for others, regardless of who it was, and that just made him such a joy to be around,” Daniels said. “To lose him as a friend and a teammate is sad and tough for all of us, but it’s also almost brought about a little bit of peace and joy for his life, to see how many people he touched. And that’s his legacy.”
Daniels, who considers himself a “big don’t-jinx-it guy,” said Edwards would come up to him before every race and start his sentences: “When we win...”
“Jon, no! You can’t say, ‘when we win,’” Daniels recalled with a smile. “And then every Sunday, Jon would say: ‘Yeah, once we kick their ass today, Cliff, we’re going to do this later.’ I miss that, and I enjoyed that interaction before every race — he knew it was fun to say, but he also knew it would twist me a little.”
Edwards is already missed. But Larson is still doing Larson things, and Victory Lane became the place of congregation for Hendrick Motorsports after his dominance in both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series races at Bristol.
