In the last NASCAR media tour, Jeff Gordon mentioned the possibility of retiring from his career if he wins the 2014 NASCAR championship. The stock car racing driver said he was jokingly serious about his statement.
The 42-year-old racer has already won four NASCAR championships under the Winston Cup. He won in 1995, 1997, 1998, and in 2001. In 2004, Nextel/Sprint started sponsoring the NASCAR races. According to Gordon, his trophies won’t be complete until he has one that reads Sprint Cup, which is his last goal before he retires and spends time with his family.
Gordon began racing at the young age of 5 and gained interest in sprint car racing when he was just 13 years old. His family then moved to California to support his love of racing, as there were more opportunities for young racers there. Before he was 18 years old, he had already won the USAC Midget Car Racing Rookie of the Year. At 20 years old, Gordon was named the youngest racer to have won the season championship for the United States Auto Club.
Gordon has 88 cup winnings to date, and has had only two winless seasons since 1993. A section of the interstate highway in North Carolina was also named the Jeff Gordon Expressway in 2012 to commemorate his 85th career win.
Last Thursday, the NASCAR Media Day was held in Daytona Beach. The press had the chance to ask Gordon about how serious he was about his statement in last month’s media tour. The racer replied by saying that winning the championship may trigger him to retire, as he wanted to end his career on a high note.
The only thing that is holding him back from retiring now is his love of the sport, and of course, a Sprint Cup trophy.
Jeff Gordon: Champion
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