Did Jeff Gordon ever participate the Indianapolis 500? All you need to know
Jeff Gordon is undoubtedly among the greatest racing drivers in the history of NASCAR. While he dreamed of racing in the Indianapolis 500 growing up, Gordon never took the chance to fulfill his dream, though he once drove in the prestigious race as a pace car driver.
Gordon is a 53-year-old former NASCAR driver who currently serves as the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. During the 2015 season, the Californian was tapped to drive the pace car at the Indy 500. He later flew to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 as part of his final full-time schedule in the Cup Series.
So why did Jeff Gordon pass on the chance to make his Indy 500 dream a reality? Let’s find out.
Jeff Gordon could not compete in the Indy500
Jeff Gordon moved to Pittsboro, Indiana as a teenager to chase the dream of making it to the big league. Since he lived near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Gordon grew a desire to race at the Indy 500 one day.
However, when Gordon debuted in NASCAR in 1993, running at “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” seemed a far-fetched idea. His full-time drive in the stock car racing league made it challenging to add a massive race to his schedule.
In 1994, the former driver somewhat lived the dream after winning the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That season saw NASCAR’s inaugural race around the 2.5-mile oval track.
The 53-year-old won five times at the Brickyard, making him the most successful driver on the track among NASCAR drivers. He tied seven-time F1 champ Michael Schumacher for most wins in Indianapolis, with the former Ferrari driver winning the US Grand Prix in 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.
With Gordon staying in NASCAR, the Californian won four Cup Series championships with Hendrick Motorsports in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001. He also amassed 93 Cup race wins, which put him third on the all-time win list behind Richard Petty and David Pearson.
When the former No. 24 Chevy driver reflected on his unfulfilled Indy 500 dream, he said (via NASCAR):
“My heroes were the drivers that raced there [Indianapolis Motor Speedway] [...] And so I remember traveling back to Indiana in the early ’80s and going and visiting the museum and the track and it just became that much more real and that much more of a dream to race there one day."
“So it was disappointing that didn’t happen in an IndyCar. But at the same time, I think being a part of the inaugural (NASCAR) event and what that did to NASCAR and my career and Indianapolis and the history, it might have been even possibly more special for me just because of that personal connection," he added.
Jeff Gordon participated in the Indy 500 as a pace car driver
For the 99th anniversary of the Indy 500 in 2015, Jeff Gordon drove the pace car during the warm-up laps. Gordon drove a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to lead the IndyCar field before flying to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The four-time NASCAR champ arrived in North Carolina for the season’s longest race where he finished 15th after starting from 18th on the field. He drove the No. 24 Chevrolet, with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 car finishing 3rd.
When asked whether Gordon considered attempting “The Double” in 2016 (Indy 500’s 100th anniversary), the former driver said it was too late already in his career. However, he lives the dream with one of his HMS drivers, Kyle Larson, who will have another “The Double” attempt on Memorial Day weekend next year.