In 2011, Jeff Gordon discussed what he saw as the drawbacks of NASCAR’s Chase format. The former Hendrick Motorsports driver argued that wins in a season carried more weight than making the Chase solely based on points.
In 2010, Gordon endured a winless season but went on to compete in the Chase off his points tally. He finished his run in ninth in the standings, while drivers like Jamie McMurray couldn’t qualify for the Chase but won three crown jewel events at Daytona, Indianapolis, and Charlotte.
Reflecting upon the same, Gordon spoke to SB Nation in 2011 and said:
“If you’re talking about the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400, I’d rather have that season than not win the championship. To me, it’s either you win the championship or you win a handful of the biggest races.”
Jeff Gordon called it ‘disappointing’ to miss out on such iconic events. However, his 2011 season told a different story. He scored three wins and got into the Chase, thanks to a new rule that allowed two wild-card entries to the winningest drivers ranked 11th to 20th in points. He scored three top-fives in the postseason but ultimately fell short of the championship and finished the season eighth in points.
Jeff Gordon revealed why he never competed in the Indy 500
Jeff Gordon recently shared his reasoning for never taking part in the Indy 500. While he admitted that it was once a major goal, he explained how the Brickyard 400 fulfilled his desire to race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
During a press conference for the Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte, Gordon spoke about his aspirations for the Indy 500 and said (via X/Bob Pockrass, 0:45 onwards):
“I wanted to race there in the Indy 500. I really did. But, you know, the opportunity wasn’t there. And I go south, and to me, it was all about NASCAR at that point…..And next thing I know, they’re announcing the Brickyard, and that, to me, is when all the stars aligned.”
“Once I won in a Brickyard 400, kind of an Indy 500, it didn’t seem to be as important to me because I didn’t realistically think I could win the Indy 500, but I could win more Brickyards,” he added.
Jeff Gordon has won the Brickyard 500 a record five times, the most by any driver. His last win at the track came in 2014, when he broke the tie with Jimmie Johnson for most wins at IMS. The triumph remains his only crown jewel win post-2010, while he competed in his final Cup season in 2015.
He’d previously won three Daytona 500s, three Coca-Cola 600s, and six Southern 500s.
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Edited by Samya Majumdar
