NASCAR: Jeff Gordon To Drive No. 88 For Next Two Races

On Wednesday Hendrick Motorsports announced that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss at least the next two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events and Jeff Gordon will drive the No. 88 machine in the interim.

Jeff Gordon is coming back to NASCAR, albeit not under the circumstances that anyone could have foreseen.

Team Hendrick announced on Wednesday via Twitter and their official website the Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss the next two NASCAR events as he continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms. Earnhardt Jr. spoke on Monday via his podcast about how he is still dealing with balance issues and nausea. He spoke in the same podcast about the importance of taking this one step at a time and listening to his doctors.

Gordon, who retired at the end of the 2015 season, was in France last week when it was announced that Earnhardt would not be racing in New Hampshire. Leading into the race last weekend it was announced that Gordon would come out of retirement at Indianapolis should Earnhardt not be cleared to run this weekend.

In the announcement on Wednesday from HMS, it stated that Gordon will be in the No. 88 machine for at least Indy and the following weekend in Pocono. After that a decision will be made as to whether or not Earnhardt will be able to return to the track. Team owner Rick Hendrick stressed the importance of Earnhardt healing and recovering.

"Our focus is giving Dale all the time he needs to recover. There’s nothing we want more than to see him back in the race car, but we’ll continue to listen to the doctors and follow their lead. What’s best for Dale is what’s best for Hendrick Motorsports and everyone involved with the team. We’re all proud of him and looking forward to having him racing soon."

Hendrick also spoke about Gordon stepping into the car. Gordon has not run in a Cup Series car since the Homestead finale at the end of the 2015 season. Gordon spent the first part of this season in the Fox broadcast booth.

"Jeff’s a team player. 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. Greg (Ives) and the team did a great job at New Hampshire, and they have the full support of our organization."

Although the circumstances are not ideal, Gordon fans will welcome Jeff back to the track with open arms. In 2015 Gordon did not have the final run in Indy that he was hoping for as he had issues early and was not able to follow up his win in 2014 with another solid finish. On Sunday Gordon will have the chance to re-write the ending of his NASCAR career as he looks to add another win or two to his legacy.

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Gordon will enter the weekend with 93 career Sprint Cup Series wins. Five of those wins have come in Indy and six of them have come in Pocono. Gordon Nation will be hoping that Jeff is able to add to both of those numbers.