"With Jeff Gordon, it's complicated" - When Darrell Waltrip reacted to HMS star's retirement decision that gave Chase Elliott a chance
Darrell Waltrip had a surprising reaction when Jeff Gordon announced his retirement at the end of the 2015 season. Waltrip, a former NASCAR driver, was in disbelief after he realized that the Hendrick Motorsports driver was giving away his race-winning ride to a rookie, Chase Elliott.
Gordon, one of NASCAR's most renowned names, announced that he would not race as a full-time driver after 2015. However, he did not rule out racing in the Cup Series. He raced his last Cup Series race in the 2016 Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville.
Over the course of his illustrious 25-year Cup Series career, Gordon raked in 805 races, claiming 93 victories, 81 pole positions, and 477 top-10s. Additionally, he also raced in the Xfinity Series, where he picked up five wins.
"With Jeff it's complicated," Waltrip said. "With me, I kind of, I couldn't get a good ride, I didn't have a winning car. I don't know how Jeff Gordon can walk away from what he has right now. With the year he just had- a great year, a shot at winning his fifth Championship, he won four races. That's hard to walk away from."
"But you got to remember something he's got a young man waiting in the wings that's need a ride and I know Jeff pretty good and I know that he loves Rick and I think he loves Hendrick Motorsports, I think probably as much as anybody, and I think Jeff feels like he's probably in the company's best interests for him to get down and give Chase a shot, give him a turn," he added. (0:01-0:48)
Chase Elliott made his debut for Hendrick Motorsports in Gordon's #24 car in 2016. He raced his rookie and sophomore seasons driving the same car, before choosing the #9 car to honor his father, Bill Elliott in 2018.
Jeff Gordon clarified his stance following his retirement decision
Following his shocking retirement announcement, Jeff Gordon shared the reason behind his decision. Speaking to the media, the then #24 driver said that he followed his instincts and decided to hang up his racing overalls.
“As a race car driver, much of what I’ve done throughout my life has been based on following my instincts and trying to make good decisions,” Gordon said. “I thought long and hard about my future this past year and during the offseason, and I’ve decided 2015 will be the last time I compete for a championship.”
Besides his four Cup Series championships, Gordon is also a Hall of Famer and one of NASCAR's Greatest 75 drivers. He is currently the vice president of Hendrick Motorsports.