“I Had No Idea”: Jeff Gordon Reveals the Magnetic Pull of NASCAR Short Tracks, Even for F1’s Mark Webber

Neha Dwivedi | 04/10/2025
NASCAR Cup Series former driver Jeff Gordon during the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway.

Short tracks look set to continue being part of the Next Gen era, with Goodyear, NASCAR, and manufacturers all searching for ways to breathe life back into racing. Since 2022, the parity among the cars has left many short-track events looking like a game of follow-the-leader, frustrating fans who come expecting elbows-out action.

More often than not, position changes hinge on pit strategy rather than drivers muscling their way forward. Yet Jeff Gordon recently reminded fans of a time when short tracks brought the kind of electricity that not only hooked NASCAR loyalists but even turned the heads of Formula 1 stars.

In a conversation with RACER, the Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman didn’t hesitate when asked about the best track he ever raced in NASCAR. “It’s hard to beat Bristol, because it’s the ultimate exhilaration for a NASCAR driver, to experience the acceleration and cornering ability of a stock car, and for the challenges it offers,” he said.

Gordon broke it down in racing terms: How the rear end gets light rolling into the corner, then the banking loads up heavy, demanding total control. Drivers can work the bottom or the top, all while managing tire wear. “Even now, coming to it as a commentator or visitor, I watch it as just a pure fan,” he admitted.

The appeal, Gordon added, stretches beyond the NASCAR fraternity.

“And funnily enough, Mark Webber reached out to me and for the second time he’s saying, ‘Mate, I want to come to Bristol!’ I met him at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, and he was asking me about Knoxville, Eldora, the Chili Bowl, and so on. I had no idea he loved short ovals,” said Gordon.

Gordon had already taken Webber to Knoxville, and the Australian loved every second driving at the track. Now, he plans to take him to Bristol, a bucket-list stop for anyone who has only seen NASCAR from afar.

When pressed on the best track he has ever experienced behind the wheel, the four-time NASCAR Cup Champion pointed to Europe’s Nürburgring.

“Chevrolet graciously took me there last year when they were testing the Corvette ZR1 and ZR1X, so I went through the normal industry pool training, and then I got to tool around in the Z06 for a couple of days. And I’ve gotta say, it is the ultimate track: there’s just no other place like it,” said Gordon of the track in Germany.

Asked which track he wished he could have raced, Gordon pointed to Belgium. Spa-Francorchamps, he explained, is both a favorite and a family tie.

Gordon has visited the track with his Belgian wife and has even driven on it too. For Gordon, the track is more than a postcard setting. It’s a driver’s track, fast, challenging, and one of the great racing theaters in the world.

Post Edited By: Leslie Xavier
Jeff Gordon Mark Webber

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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