“There Are Limits to It”: Jeff Gordon Absolves Chase Elliott for Biggest Reason of NASCAR Failure but With a Note of Caution

While William Byron has been the standout Hendrick Motorsports driver this season, unsurprisingly, Chase Elliott has dominated the headlines when it comes to NASCAR’s most successful team. The 2020 Cup champion missed the playoffs for the first time in his career in a season largely marked by average to below-par performances by the #9 driver. There was another big factor that was blamed too, something HMS Vice-Chairman Jeff Gordon opened up on recently in a conversation with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Elliott missed a chunk of races due to a snowboarding incident in the early part of the season, setting him back against the competition during the regular season. So is putting a ban on extra-curricular activities off the track the solution? Gordon doesn’t believe so.

Jeff Gordon feels Chase Elliott did no wrong participating in off-the-track stuff

During the conversation, the four-time Cup champion made it clear that while the teams expect the drivers to be at their physical and mental best when they come to race on a weekend, that can only be achieved if the drivers do what they like doing during the week. Taking his own example, Gordon said that for almost his whole career he used to participate in a variety of off-track stuff to aid his preparation for the racing weekends, and this is something he also encourages his drivers to do.

“Guys, we want you to come to the racetrack on Sunday and be as well-prepared as you possibly can be to drive the race car. That’s physically, mentally, and balance in every way possible, and to me, that means that you have to have your home, life, and friends and family and relationships and activities that contribute to that.”

Having said that, the HMS legend said that he expects the drivers to be wise about it, and participate in activities only after calculating all the risks and rewards associated with it.

“I don’t have a problem with these guys doing things. You know, just be smart about it,  do it, just make wise choices as you’re doing it.”

“I love that Chase is snowboarding and doing things that make him happy and he enjoys, same with Alex, and same with William. So we support that, but there are limits to it, and those guys have to make those decisions,” concluded Gordon.

🗣️ @JeffGordonWeb on drivers extracurricular activities ⬇️

💯 “They have to have a certain amount of responsibility of their own choices and decisions.”

Where do you land on the debate?

🎧 → https://t.co/qesEcbHBRS pic.twitter.com/UAdBZOJxic

— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) October 5, 2023

Gordon believes drivers will be more cautious from now on

Gordon did indeed point out that seeing how Elliott’s season transpired after his injury, drivers might indeed worry about their off-track activities more and perhaps view the risks with greater urgency.

“Is he going to make different choices because of what he has gone through and seeing how being out of the car has impacted his season? Maybe, and that’s on him,” added Gordon.

While his teammate Kyle Larson is expected to increase his activities outside NASCAR along with new IndyCar duties, it will indeed be fascinating to see how Chase Elliott approaches the next season.