Jeff Gordon Confesses He is “Glad” About Not Racing in Modern Era of NASCAR

Ex-NASCAR Cup champion Jeff Gordon admits that he is happy he is no longer an active racer, considering how much the sport has changed.

Jeff Gordon Confesses He is “Glad” About Not Racing in Modern Era of NASCAR

Jeff Gordon (Via @JeffGordonWeb/X)

The Next-Gen cars and the developments the sport has gone through over the years, has made NASCAR Cup racing more competitive as well as complex it has ever been. Four times NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon has recently made a bold admission, confirming the massive challenges current generation of drivers has to endure to succeed.

Talking to Fox Sports ahead of the 2026 Daytona 500, the 93 times Cup race winner asserted that he is glad Jeff Gordon no longer racing. The sport has become more complex, with drivers having to always tackle the overload of information during the race. They not only have to concerned about the final result, but fuel saving, racing lane, track position and more, deserves extra attention unlike in the past.

I’m glad I’m not racing today. — and I’ll tell you why. Because the driver has so many things happening. They’re saving fuel, don’t give up this track position, there’s a line coming on the outside, there’s a line coming on the inside, hey, we’re going to pit in this mini lap. There’s just so much information that they’re being fed that I think it would be overloading.

Jeff Gordon said via Fox Sports First Things First.

When asked about the how racing has changed, compared his time, the veteran pointed out that it has become hard to find an edge on the ear. In the past coming to Daytona, if teams find something in the practice or qualifying, the had a speed advantage. But the current generation of cars have deprived the racers from finding that edge.  

Well, again, I think you could separate yourself from the field most of the seasons that I was competitive down here to win a 500. You really worked on your car in practice, got it handling really good, tried to make it go fast too…if we could get the car handling a little bit better than somebody else’s, then I just needed to not make mistakes — and that was the separator. These guys don’t have that luxury anymore. So much is riding on them in every decision that they make.

Jeff Gordon added.

Jeff Gordon shares his expectations for William Byron who is chasing Daytona 500 history

In the same conversation, the Hendrick Motorsports’ Vice Chairman talked about his driver William Byron chase of Daytona 500 history, as if he wins this weekend, he will become the first ever racer to secure a threepeat at the crown jewel event. He sees a genuine shot for the veteran racer to capture the milestone.

William Byron and Jeff Gordon
William Byron and Jeff Gordon (Via IMAGO)

It’s also what makes it so exciting, especially as we see somebody trying to go for three in a row, because it’s really rare to do. I don’t want to leave here without saying Hendrick Motorsports also has three other chances to win three in a row, which has never been done. We’d like to accomplish that too. But as good as William has been down here, I don’t care if he’s going in the backup — I think he still has a shot at winning it.

Jeff Gordon said.

The three times Daytona 500 champion also expect his other three drivers to fight for the win as well, as even if Byron fails, they can become the first team to win three back-to-back 500s. He has given the racer all the resources required to thrive and it is up to them to deliver a result on Sunday.

Also Read: Jimmie Johnson Confirms Date for His Final NASCAR Cup Series Start