NASCAR: Drivers Jeff Gordon Fans Should Root For In 2016

Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

Team Hendrick

The obvious (and easy) route for Gordon fans in 2016 would be to latch onto a driver that runs for Hendrick Motorsports.

Of the four drivers Chase Elliott would be the prime choice seeing as how he is replacing Gordon in the No. 24 machine. Elliott is a driver with a ton of talent which has been witnessed over his last two seasons running in the Xfinity Series. Elliott won the Xfinity Series title in 2014 and contended for the title in 2015 while winning a race in the series.

Elliott isn’t the only viable option at HMS though.

Gordon is a car owner on the No. 48 team of Jimmie Johnson. Now that his driving days are over, Gordon’s role with the No. 48 could be the closest that his fans see him get to the track again. If Johnson is too much of a stretch (and for some it will be) Dale Earnhardt Jr. could be a prime landing spot as well. Earnhardt Jr. is a short-term investment for those Gordon fans who don’t want to commit to someone like Elliott. Earnhardt most likely will only race for another 2-3 seasons during which time he should be a title contender in his quest to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title.

Cheering on Earnhardt as his career comes to a close could be acceptable for Gordon fans. Lastly there is also Kasey Kahne, but unless you already liked Kahne on some level I don’t see many Gordon fans going in this direction in 2016.

Next: Not Feeling Chase Elliott?