Jeff Gordon and Ray Evernham’s partnership is ranked among the best in the NASCAR Cup Series. Together, they won three titles and 47 Cup Series races with Hendrick Motorsports in the 1990s. But every good thing must come to an end, and that was the case with this partnership. Dodge’s offer to Evernham was too good to turn down, and he left Gordon at the end of 1999. This event is credited with fracturing the bond between the two, but Gordon has now revealed what ultimately pushed Evernham away from HMS and the No. 24 team.

“So I had to go to Ray one day at the end of, I think it was the end of ’99, if I’m not mistaken, and just said, ‘Hey, I think we’re probably going to have to end the Busch Grand National Series team, and we’re not going to be able to have information on the Cup side.’ And he took offense to that.”

For Jeff Gordon, that conversation became the defining moment in the breakdown of one of NASCAR’s most successful partnerships.

Evernham had taken on a new task before the end of the 1999 campaign. He was hired by DaimlerChrysler to lead Dodge’s comeback to the NASCAR Cup Series after a long hiatus. Evernham would ultimately create the new Dodge program from the ground up. He oversaw the development of the Dodge Intrepid R/T that debuted when the manufacturer officially returned to Cup competition in 2001.

Gordon never held his longstanding crew chief accountable for seizing the opportunity. In fact, he actually thinks Evernham was the best candidate for the position. The seven-time Cup winner clarified that following the spectacular 1998 campaign, winning 13 races and a Cup Series trophy. But that was their highest peak, and neither of them could pave the way to match or repeat the magic of 98.

Additionally, discussions about who should have received more credit for their prior achievements began to take precedence over celebrations of victories. Jeff Gordon admitted that although drivers naturally garner the majority of public attention, Evernham had every right to believe his engineering prowess should be given equal credit.

The unity that had driven their championship run gradually gave way to finger-pointing as the victories halted. Jeff Gordon believes the partnership could have survived if they had simply communicated better for another season. When Dodge’s offer arrived, however, both men faced career-defining decisions.

Evernham chose to build something entirely new. On the other hand, Jeff Gordon decided his future remained with Rick Hendrick, whose faith in him had launched his Cup career. Those discussions with Hendrick eventually resulted in a lifetime relationship with the organization. This ultimately led to Gordon becoming vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports.

The situation became even more complicated because Gordon and Evernham also jointly owned a Busch Grand National Series team backed by Pepsi. As Evernham prepared to join a rival manufacturer, Hendrick Motorsports understandably grew concerned about proprietary Cup Series information flowing outside the organization. Gordon was tasked with delivering the difficult news that their shared team would have to come to an end.

Looking back today, Jeff Gordon doesn’t regret the decision itself. What he regrets is how he handled it. He admits Evernham understandably took offense, and believes the conversation could have been approached with far more empathy. That experience became one of Jeff Gordon’s biggest life lessons.

Their friendship remained strained for the next few years. But time ultimately healed the wounds. Today, Jeff Gordon says the two have put everything behind them. He even called Evernham one of his best friends and someone he still deeply admires.