NASCAR: Could Jeff Gordon leave TV after 2018?

Could Jeff Gordon’s days commentating on NASCAR on Fox Sports be numbered? He appears ready to move on from TV, and take a bigger role in ownership.

Jeff Gordon is a fan favorite no matter where he goes. He’s a four-time NASCAR champion, a part-owner of Hendrick Motorsports, and a television personality for Fox Sports. He is on top of the stock car racing world, even two years removed from full-time racing. But could his days on television be coming to an end in the near future?

In speaking to SportsBusinessDaily reporter Adam Stern, Gordon was very noncommittal to continuing his television role with Fox Sports after his contract expires at the end of next season. With an increasing ownership role with Hendrick Motorsports, some have wondered if his position proves to be a conflict of interest.

This topic has come more to the forefront after Gordon’s confrontation with Ryan Newman on pit road at the end of last week’s race at Dover.

Gordon had this to say to SportsBusinessDaily on his current situation:

"I’ve really enjoyed it; it’s been a lot of fun, very educational. To me, it’s the best way to step out of driving, because it’s enough pressure to make you work hard at it but it’s also an adrenaline rush because it’s live TV. And I’ve also learned a lot about the sport and people in the sport. But, yeah, if my role increases here (at HMS), it’s hard to do both. I can do both right now at the level that I’m at."

It would likely come as a surprise to Fox Sports to see Jeff Gordon depart their broadcast team after just three years on the air. Many have praised Gordon as a fresh voice in an aging team, with Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, and Larry McReynolds having worked on TV with FOX since 2001. Gordon has also been considered for other roles on television, including co-hosting Live with Kelly Ripa, before Ryan Seacrest took that spot.

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A move to focus on ownership is inevitable, though, for Gordon. With Rick Hendrick giving Gordon co-ownership of his team, it is expected that he will be the leader of the organization as the Hall of Famer transitions away from the track in the coming years. Gordon and Hendrick reportedly often communicate about the future of HMS, and it would surprise no one if Gordon had a lot of input on the selection of William Byron for the #24 Chevy next year.

Assuming that Gordon does make the transition off of television and fully focuses on ownership in the near future, that will create a void in the NASCAR on FOX team. There are two potential paths this could take, one from within the team and one from outside. Fox Sports could bring Larry McReynolds back into the main booth from his “rules analyst” position, though this could be only a short-term solution. One does have to wonder how much longer he, Mike Joy, and Darrell Waltrip will be working on TV.

The other direction that FOX could move is to hire from outside their family, perhaps from their competitor NBC. With Dale Earnhardt Jr. joining the NASCAR on NBC team in 2018, there has been some speculation about the role of Jeff Burton going forward. Could Jeff Burton fit with the NASCAR on FOX squad? He is younger than his competition within Fox Sports at this time, and has the experience on TV to speak from.

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What do you think, will Jeff Gordon depart television to focus on his role with Hendrick Motorsports after the 2018 season? If so, who replaces him on the NASCAR on FOX team?