Jeff Gordon transitioned from the racetrack to the broadcasting booth after wrapping up a spectacular 25-year driving career in 2016. Initially stepping into the role of a guest analyst, Gordon lent his expertise to NASCAR on Fox broadcasts, particularly during Xfinity Series events.
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He teamed up with seasoned announcers Adam Alexander and Michael Waltrip, bringing a fresh perspective as one of five active NASCAR drivers who moonlighted as guest analysts for Fox Sports in the 2015 Xfinity Series season.
In 2021, Gordon, however, decided to hang up his broadcasting headset to embrace a new challenge as the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, becoming the second-highest-ranked official behind Mr. Hendrick himself.
The move marked another big shift in his career, from analyzing races to shaping the future of one of NASCAR’s most storied teams. But in the middle of the two endeavors, after hanging up his helmet in 2016, Gordon had also switched to the role of a full-time announcer with Fox, much to the delight of his peers. His entry into broadcasting was met with playful advice from his fellow drivers.
Brad Keselowski, with a nudge, advised Gordon not to try to outtalk Darrell Waltrip and to bone up on old car trivia to keep up with Mike Joy during broadcasts. Furthermore, the owner of RFK Racing encouraged Gordon to arm himself with a repertoire of corny dad jokes to match wits with Chris Myers.
Kevin Harvick, who had also moonlighted as a Fox analyst, warned Gordon that his biggest hurdle would be getting a word in edgewise with Darrell Waltrip dominating the conversation in the booth. Kyle Busch, on the other hand, didn’t offer any advice to Jeff Gordon; instead, he quipped, “Darrell I love you but man hopefully Jeff Gordon- he can handle the booth.”
Meanwhile, Chase Elliott chimed in about Gordon’s potential broadcast bias, saying, “He was talking about he was gonna have a hard time not being biased towards you know one of the four Hendrick Motorsports cars and I’m thinking to myself man you have all the right in the world to be biased.”
Reflecting on the advice from his peers, Gordon couldn’t help but remark with a touch of irony, “I was gonna say I thought these were my friends… They never gave me any advice when I was a driver.”
Gordon dedicated a significant chunk of his post-racing career to broadcasting, spending six years with Fox Sports, watching the races unfold from high above in the commentators’ booth.
Gordon recently explained why he swapped his Fox Sports broadcasting gig for a vice-chairman role at Hendrick Motorsports
During an episode of Harvick’s Happy Hour, Gordon shared, “What happened was I looked at doing TV and it’s half the season… It was challenging, and I like that.”
He continued, “But what was happening as soon as TV would end, I immediately, and even in between, I was going into the office and trying to do more things with Hendrick Motorsports.”
“I wanted to stay in touch… I felt like I was a stranger. I’d walk in, they’re like, ‘Okay, he does TV but he’s got this role over here.’ I feel like I was doing a good job with TV I didn’t feel like I was doing a good job on that side or really adding value.”
Having begun and ended his racing career with Hendrick Motorsports without ever switching teams, Gordon not only established a great career with 93 of the team’s 312 victories but also solidified his lifelong bond with the organization.
