NASCAR: 5 drivers who pulled a ‘Tom Brady’
By Randy Smith
Drivers who pulled a “Tom Brady”: No. 3 – Jeff Gordon
The word NASCAR is arguably synonymous with the name Jeff Gordon. If not for the four-time Cup Series champion, the sport arguably wouldn’t have earned the popularity from which it has benefited for decades. The driver of Hendrick Motorsports’ #24 Chevrolet took stock car racing to unseen levels, and his departure wasn’t clear-cut either.
After announcing in 2015 that he would retire from full-time competition, Gordon found himself back in the driver’s seat the following year in the #88 Chevrolet when former teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. had to sit out the second half of the season due to issues stemming from a concussion.
Gordon split the ride Alex Bowman, Earnhardt’s future full-time replacement, and recorded the best finish of his 2016 season, sixth place, at Martinsville Speedway.
He hasn’t competed in a stock car since, but he did find himself in another post-retirement race during the 2020 iRacing stint when NASCAR was sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like Darrell Waltrip, Gordon moved from the race track to the booth to begin a career in broadcasting. He has since left the booth to take on an increased ownership role at Hendrick Motorsports.
Gordon found himself coming out of retirement from that career as well when he returned this season to call the March race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
And the three-time Daytona 500 champion has once again found himself coming out of retirement, as he is set to compete at IMSA’s Porsche Carrera Cup at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With an interest in competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year, this race will most likely serve as a warm-up for the NASCAR Hall of Famer.
Who knows? Gordon may even have one more NASCAR race left in his arsenal.