The NASCAR legend will no longer run the full schedule and compete for championships following the 2015 season.
Jeff Gordon, one of NASCAR's all-time greats, will make 2015 his last full-time season. Making the announcement in a press release, Gordon, 43, says he is not retiring and will likely continue to compete in the Sprint Cup Series on a limited basis, but he will no longer compete in all 36 races.
"I'll explore opportunities for the next phase of my career, but my primary focus now and throughout 2015 will be my performance in the No. 24 Chevrolet," Gordon said. "I'm going to pour everything I have into this season and look forward to the challenge of competing for one last championship."
A full-time competitor in NASCAR's premier division since 1993, Gordon has amassed four Cup championships and 92 career wins, trailing only Richard Petty (200) and David Pearson (105). Gordon's success fueled NASCAR's popularity to unforeseen heights and played a prominent role in the expansion of a regional sport to a sport with television ratings and attendance on par with Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL.
"There's simply no way to quantify Jeff's impact," said Rick Hendrick, Gordon's team owner. "He's one of the biggest sports stars of a generation, and his contributions to the success and growth of NASCAR are unsurpassed. There's been no better ambassador for stock car racing and no greater representation of what a champion should be. I will never be able to properly express the respect and admiration I have for Jeff and how meaningful our relationship is to me."
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