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NASCAR: Jeff Gordon Is A Perfect Fit For The No. 88 Team

By Cole Mentzel

Jul 25, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon (right) and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (88) during practice for the Crown Royal Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 25, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon (right) and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (88) during practice for the Crown Royal Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /
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With Dale Earnhardt Jr. out for the next two races due to concussion-like symptoms, NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon will drive the No. 88 car.

It’s been one of the biggest stories over the past two weeks. NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is suffering from concussion-like symptoms and has been forced to take a break from the action while he recovers.

In his absence, he invited former Cup Series driver Alex Bowman to take over for him. Bowman drove well at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, squeezing into the top-10 and staying competitive before losing a tire and hitting the wall, resulting in a 26th-place finish.

After Earnhardt Jr. was ruled out for the next two races at both Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway, the already-scheduled Jeff Gordon return became a reality.

After Gordon retired from full-time Cup Series racing at the end of the 2015 season, it was clear that he was obviously still interested in making a return someday but it certainly didn’t seem like it would be this soon.

Gordon’s continued involvement with Hendrick Motorsports serves at the motivating factor and the fact that he’s taking over for a teammate he had for the last eight years of his career makes his substitution more meaningful.

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To be clear, this most likely would not have happened if FOX Sports was still covering their portion of the schedule, as Gordon is dedicated to his job as an analyst with the network. However, with their coverage ending after Sonoma, Gordon had gone on vacation and was available for Indy when it became apparent that Earnhardt Jr. could be out for longer than just one week.

But one question that has been brought up during the process of his return centers around why Hendrick Motorsports wouldn’t just bring 23-year-old Alex Bowman back to the track instead of bringing Gordon out of retirement.

While it would certainly be another great opportunity for Bowman to get experience racing with an elite team, there’s simply no way you pass up the opportunity to bring back an all-time great for the sport.

With 797 career starts, 93 wins and some of his best racing at tracks like Indy and Pocono, it was a no-brainer. Anytime you can bring back a driver with that much experience and that much popularity, you do it every time. Plus, Gordon raced last in November, meaning he’s only been out of the car for about eight months.

There’s really no better option out there.

Rick Hendrick offered his thoughts on the upcoming weekend (via FOX Sports):

"“Jeff’s a team player,” Hendrick said. “I know he’ll be ready, and I know Dale has incredible trust in him. It’s going to be an emotional weekend (at Indianapolis) with Dale not being there and seeing Jeff back behind the wheel. (No. 88 team crew chief) Greg (Ives) and the team did a great job at New Hampshire, and they have the full support of our organization.”"

In the process, NASCAR is going to benefit greatly. Darren Rovell of ESPN noted a spike in NASCAR’s social media engagement after the announcement was made. Some fans who may have planned to skip out on the races because of Earnhardt Jr.’s absence will be pleased to see another HMS great in the No. 88 car.

While it’s fun to sit back and think about Gordon’s return, it’s also necessary to remember what Earnhardt Jr. is going through. With concussions serving as one of the most controversial sports injuries today, it’s great that he’s taking his time in the recovery process.

He told The Dale Jr. Download podcast that he is going to take the process “slow” and that he would “strictly follow the advice of [his] doctors.” He went on to explain that he is continuing to struggle with nausea and balance issues.

must read: Jeff Gordon To Drive The No. 88 For Next Two Races

As Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues a challenging recovery, his No. 88 ride will be in good hands. Hopefully we’ll get to see him back on the track as soon as possible.

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