Jeff Gordon has said several times that if he were to win a fifth Sprint Cup crown, that he likely would retire after that championship season and go out on top.
Some of his competitors may be looking forward to that day coming – and some hope it comes as soon as after this season so Gordon won’t continue to confound them in coming seasons as he has for the last 21 seasons.
But ever the kind of guy who plays his cards close to the vest, Gordon may be getting ready to throw his fellow drivers and NASCAR fans a curve ball.
The current Sprint Cup points leader recently told TV host Larry King that even if he were to win a fifth title this season, he might not call it a career after all – or anytime soon.
“It’s funny how life serves these things up,” Gordon told King. “You go through a time where you go through a frustrating year, or I had some back and health issues, and I said, ‘You know, I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to do this at this level or if I even want to.’
“Then all of a sudden you have this amazing year (like he’s having in 2014), and you go, ‘God, I love racing. Racing’s amazing. I can’t wait to do it for another 10 years.’ ”
Even though he hasn’t won a race yet in 2014, Gordon has been arguably the most consistent driver in the series. That’s a big reason why he’s been No. 1 in the standings for the last two weeks.
“We’re having a great year,” Gordon said. “This is a time that my crew chief, Alan Gustafson, and myself are clicking and the whole team.”
Gordon, who turns 43 on August 4, is trying to get his six-year-old daughter Ella and eventually his three-year old son Leo interested in racing. But it also appears he’s also had a revitalization within himself.
“I love racing, I love the competition, I love being competitive against the competition,” Gordon said.
Check out the video below, especially starting at the 5:36 mark, where Gordon says he’s considering sticking around for maybe another decade – much to the chagrin of his competition.
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