End of an Era

Gordon has built a reputation as one of the most versatile drivers in the sport since he first arrived on the scene back in 1992.

After signing with Hendrick Motorsports, he made his first career series start on November 15th at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he finished 31st, in a race notable for being the final NASCAR event for seven-times series champion, Richard Petty.
 
The young charger
In 1995, and aged just 24, he became the youngest Cup champion in NASCAR's modern era in only his third full season in the series with seven victories and eight pole positions. A remarkable achievement.

He would go on to win the championship again in 1997, 1998 and 2001, at which point he became only the third drive to win more than three titles. He is also a three-time champion of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (1995, 1997, 2001).

Speaking to the press in the wake of his shock announcement, Gordon said his departure 28 was something he'd been think-ing about for a number of years, with a final decision having been made in the middle of last season.

"I always said I wanted to step away on my own terms if possible, and I want to be com-petitive out there, and I hoped that I could do that all the way through my final year," he said.

Considering he's been in-volved with the sport for almost a quarter of a century, he has certainly seen a lot of changes taking place but it's the growth that took place in the late 1990s that stands out for him.

"It seemed like a lot of things were coming together at one time...so it was fun to be a part of that incredible growth," he said. "Just going to the race-track and every weekend the grandstands were filled. They were putting new grandstands in, and they'd fill those...it was very, very cool."

READ the full interview in issue five.