One of NASCAR's greatest is planning a pit stop. Four-time cup champion Jeff Gordon says this season will be his last as a full-time driver.
For more than two decades, Jeff Gordon has been the man behind the wheel of number 24 racking up 92 career victories, including four championships.
But now the NASCAR superstar - who ranks third in all time race wins - says it's time to hit the brakes.
"This is certainly something I've been thinking about for years.//I always said I wanted to step away on my own terms if possible," Gordon tells CBS News.
A clean-cut California native, the 43-year-old helped transcend the sport of race car driving beyond its southern roots, elevating NASCAR to a national obsession.
"Jeff Gordon became the poster boy for NASCAR and as NASCAR grew, Jeff Gordon fit the image that Nascar wanted to court," says Nick Bromberg, Sports Editor for Yahoo! "Not only was he good, he was popular, he was polarizing but he was also marketable to the entire country."
"Marketable" on and off the track. He hosted Saturday Night Live and has been a popular pitchman for Pepsi and other brands.
Gordon's announcement comes after one of his best seasons in years.
But one that also saw him knocked out of contention for the championship, following a collision with driver Brad Keselowski that led to an all out scuffle.
Gordon says a number of factors contributed to his decision including recurring back pain."It wasn't just one thing. Yeah the back thing played a role. I think that just more confirmed things for me than anything else."
Still, he stopped short of calling it a retirement."The way I see myself in the world is that retirement means you go off to a beach somewhere or sit on the rocking chair on the front porch// That's not me I plan on working. I'm actually gonna have to get a real job now," he laughs.
(Elaine Quijano, CBS News)
Source: http://www.ozarksfirst.com/story/d/story/nascar-legend-jeff-gordon-to-retire-from-racing/41364/UksF8IiZlUyQH5-DsFspww
