Coming Out of Retirement: NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon fills in for Driver

One of the biggest headlines in sports this past week was retired professional stock car driver Jeff Gordon coming out of retirement from NASCAR and substituting for one of his race car driving buddies and former teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Yesterday, Gordon drove Earnhardt’s number 88 race car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and finished in thirteenth place. When asked what it felt like to return to the driving wheel, Gordon replied: “It was a fight. Wow," said Gordon after finishing 13^th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race won by Kyle Busch. "The challenges to be out there against the best, especially on those restarts ... I got my butt kicked on those restarts. It was embarrassing… Other than that, I thought it went really well”(foxsports.com). Gordon was more than happy to substitute for his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, who is battling concussion-like symptoms.

Gordon is not the first pro athlete to come out of retirement. However, the expectations that he was going to win the Brickyard 400 was non-existent. After the race, Gordon did something else special: he shared a ceremonial lap with fellow NASCAR driver and longtime Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart. “Stewart and Gordon took a ceremonial lap driving side-by-side in what is expected to be their final race in the state that has celebrated their racing prowess. After they parked on pit road, Gordon went over to Stewart and gave him a hug”(espn.com). This was a loveable moment. Two future NASCAR Hall of Famers driving on the biggest stage for probably the last time in their storied careers. Two classy professionals, with differing expectations. Both have been through adversity. Both have respect for their competitors. And, believe it or not, both Gordon and Stewart both hail from the state of Indiana. But the story was more about Jeff Gordon and what he was able to accomplish in Dale Jr.’s absence. Thirteenth place was not great, but it was certainly better than 28^th or 30^th.

Gordon has one more race to compete in, before Earnhardt Jr. comes back. He hopes to make the most of this final opportunity. The race is scheduled to take place at Pocono Raceway, where Gordon has done well at- “In 46 career races on the 2.5-mile track in Pennsylvania, Gordon has won 6 times and has 20 top 5 finishes”(heavy.com).Nevertheless, for NASCAR fans, seeing the sport’s biggest star competing one last time is a special privilege. Regardless of how he finishes, he should go down as one of the greatest stock car drivers in NASCAR history.