Imagine driving a car at 200 mph in the oval for close to three hours. And then going onto the road, adhering to speed limits and speed cameras. The shift was a huge mental challenge for even the best of the best. Jeff Gordon detested driving home post-races. After his third Daytona 500 in 2005, Gordon went on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where he revealed his tendencies while driving a street car.
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NASCAR drivers spend more time in stock cars than behind street cars from the moment they make their debuts till the day they retire. Host Ellen was intrigued to know how they actually drove on the streets.
She asked Gordon if he felt like the cars were too slow on the road. After all, he was used to driving at nearly 200 miles per hour on the race track every weekend. Gordon replied that it was all relative.
“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,” explained Gordon, before admitting that he was one of the worst backseat drivers.
While taking a ride as a passenger, Gordon would constantly instruct the drivers to change lanes or turn left or turn right.
Ellen had more intriguing points to ask Gordon. She wondered what would happen if the other driver slammed on the brakes in case a small animal ran out while they were racing so fast and close to each other. “Animal comes out, animal’s in trouble,” Gordon replied. He recalled turtles appearing at the Daytona racetrack.
“At that speed, it destroys the car and the turtle. It’s unfortunate for the turtle, and it’s unfortunate because it’s going to ruin your day.”
Ellen wondered why they didn’t put up more fences to prevent this, and Gordan agreed. “I have no idea how these turtles get out there. It’s like the cartoon. He thinks he can win.”
Well, with Gordon in the field back in the day, not just the turtles, most drivers found it hard to win. Jeff’s four Cup Series titles stand testament to his dominance in NASCAR.
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, giving valid reasons. The 53-year-old told veteran reporter Jeff Gluck that it would be outright disrespectful to the drivers who compete regularly.
“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,” detailed Gordon.
He also pointed to the struggles that Kevin Harvick faced during the 2024 All-Star race weekend practice as an example to reiterate 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 present, the closest he gets to racing action himself is when he drives his street car from home to the Hendrick Motorsports head office. And he follows the rules and speed limits quite diligently.
