Jeff Gordon played a huge role in popularizing NASCAR in various markets inside and outside the United States. He was in film, television, music videos, and pretty much every other form of mainstream media. One such appearance that he made was on The Ellen Show after winning his third Daytona 500 in 2005.
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He discussed everything from speeding tickets to racing nuances with Ellen when she popped a question about his tendencies when driving a street car. She asked if he felt like the cars were too slow on the road, being someone who sped at nearly 200 miles per hour on the race track every weekend. Gordon replied that it was all relative.
He explained, “If I’ve been in the race car for hours during a race and then I get in a street car, I’m a madman. So, I try to stay out of street vehicles after a race.” He also admitted that he was one of the worst backseat drivers and constantly instructed the drivers to change lanes or turn left or turn right.
NASCAR drivers spend more time in stock cars than behind street cars from the moment they make their debuts till the day they retire. It is quite understandable that someone as invested as Gordon has issues with adjusting to the regular cars. Not being adept with them is a small price to pay for being a four-time Cup Series champion.
Will Gordon race in NASCAR again?
Gordon retired from racing in 2015 and currently serves as the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. When asked in 2024 if there was a chance for him to race professionally again, he rejected the notion for valid reasons. He told veteran reporter Jeff Gluck that his racing again would be outright disrespectful to the drivers who compete regularly.
He detailed, “So first, it’s out of respect for the people who do it well and work so hard at it and are tied into their team and tied into the vehicle on a weekly basis. It’s so hard to compete with that — I don’t care how talented you are.” He used the struggles that Kevin Harvick faced during the 2024 All-Star race weekend practice as an example to make his case.
Harvick had been retired for only six months at the time. Gordon also admitted that he has lost the edge and killer attitude that are required to compete at the highest level. So, even if his body cooperates, his mind won’t. At the end of the day, the closest he gets to racing action himself is when he drives his street car from home to the Hendrick Motorsports head office.
