End of an Era: Jeff Gordon Announces Retirement After 2015 Season

Gordon and owner Rick Hendrick after their record fifth win at Indianapolis
last season (Google Images)

Jeff Gordon has run every race he has entered since November 15th, 1992 and the season finale at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Now over two decades since that first race, on January 22, 2015, Gordon announced that the 2015 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway would be his final start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, at least on a full-time basis.

Champion driver and NASCAR on FOX commentator Darrell Waltrip famously made his opinion known at the time of Gordon's first start that he didn't believe the California driver would be able to make it in the Winston (now Sprint) Cup Series. He appeared to have a point, as Gordon started 21st and finished 31st after a wreck in that first start. But now, four championships and 92 wins later, I think DW would agree that Gordon's done ok for himself at NASCAR's top level. But his success in stock car racing also transcends his on track victories. 

Gordon is from California, is great with the media and is one of, if not the most recognizable face in the sport of stock car racing today. His professionalism and personality made him an ideal guest for talk shows and an ideal spokesman for sponsors. His off track credits also include hosting Saturday Night Live in 2003 and voicing Jeff Gorvette in Pixar's 2011 film Cars 2. Through appearances like these, Gordon has been able to help bring NASCAR beyond its southern roots and propel it onto a national stage and brought new fans into the fold. Throw in the great work that the Jeff Gordon Foundation does for children with illnesses like cancer and, like him or not, it's almost impossible to argue that Gordon has been nothing but good for the sport.

Speaking of loving or hating him, Gordon is perhaps one of the most polarizing figures in the sport. This is because he is seen by many as a pretty boy; just a spoiled rich kid who had his stepfather help him buy his way to the top. This was the biggest reason that lead to his rivalry with Dale Earnhardt; he was the antithesis of the Intimidator. Earnhardt described himself as someone who could "win a race on Sunday and feed the cows on Monday;" a blue collar, working class, average Joe that fans could relate to. Gordon and Earnhardt were the two most successful drivers in the late 1990's and, because of this, they garnered a lot of media attention. This coupled with their feuding fan bases, one would assume the two racers hated each other as much as their fans did. But that was simply not true.



Gordon and Earnhardt share a moment on pit road (Google Images)

Both drivers had a mutual respect for each other, but that didn't mean there weren't a few good natured jabs thrown in. Earnhardt was the one who dubbed Gordon "Wonder Boy" and, even though he won the second NASCAR event at Indianapolis in 1995, Earnhardt declared himself the first man to win the Brickyard 400. The joke being that Gordon had won the first race at Indy the year before. But Gordon had a few unforgettable highlights too. When it seemed Gordon was a lock to win the title in 1995, Earnhardt said, "if he wins, he'll have to toast everyone with milk." On stage at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel after winning the title, Gordon did exactly that. He raised a glass of milk and toasted his rival on a "great season man." Later in his career, when Gordon won the spring 2007 race at Phoenix and tied Earnhardt at 76 wins, he took a victory lap with a black flag emblazoned with the Intimidator's legendary No. 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr called "really classy." While the fans might have been the ones to create this rivalry, Earnhardt and Gordon were great friends on and off the track.

Personally speaking, I was always an Earnhardt fan. But not just because of his success. I was young at the time, so a great deal of my decision making went into how the cars looked. Plain and simple, Earnhardt's jet black, silver trimmed Monte Carlo was so much cooler than Gordon's Chevy with the big, girly rainbow on the hood. I'd like to think any other seven year old boy would have found that to be an easy decision too. "The Man in Black" or "The Rainbow Warrior?" It was really a no brainer.

Gordon drives to victory lane after I saw him win the fall 2014 Dover race,
potentially his final victory in the Sprint Cup Series

But now, looking back on how the sport of NASCAR was back then versus how it is today, Gordon doesn't seem all that bad anymore. Now that he's retiring, one of the last of the old guard is hanging up his helmet. While I'm still not a fan of Gordon, it's hard to not have respect for how he carries himself and for the great amount of success. 92 wins, four titles, three Daytona 500s, 77 poles and 454 top tens to date? A quarter of those numbers is a career for most drivers. Yes Gordon might have had more help getting to the top, but he clearly had the talent to stay put once he got there. It will be strange to see the No. 24 car with a different driver next year; or perhaps not even on the track at all. But while his car will have a different driver (cough...chaseelliott... cough), Gordon has already signed on to be a color commentator for select FOX Sports Xfinity Series broadcasts.

While it will be an adjustment seeing him behind a microphone instead of behind the wheel, Gordon has done everything you can possibly do and won all there is to win in NASCAR. Heck, if he wins at Kentucky this year, he'll have won at every NASCAR track he's ever raced on (including Rockingham and North Wilkesboro). He's retiring on his terms and, unlike many other drivers, he's going out at the top of his game. But perhaps the most important thing is that Gordon is leaving this sport much better than it was when he first arrived on the scene 22 years ago. And for that, every race fan owes him a big thank you.