With Jeff Gordon set to close the door on his NASCAR career after the season, he’s fielding numerous questions about his storied career. The latest, posed by FOXSports.com, gives Gordon a chance to shine the light on some of NASCAR’s other great drivers.
When asked who the best driver he’s ever competed against was, Gordon, a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and winner of 92 races in his career, had a hard time narrowing down his list to one driver.
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"Whew. Man, oh man, oh man," said Gordon, shaking his head. "Gee, that's a tough one. Oh, man."
The question was understandably tough for a legend whose career spans 24 years. But after turning the wheels in his mind, Gordon revealed a star-studded lineup of NASCAR’s best, led by his teammate and six-time Sprint Cup Series champion.
"I mean, Jimmie (Johnson) is probably the best overall that I've ever seen," Gordon said. "And I can say that because I drive race cars that come from the same organization. I'm teammates with him, and so I go through the debriefs and the meetings and the discussions and look at the setups and then go see what they do.
"And, of course, the wins and the championships tell a lot of it, too, so I would say he's probably the best overall."
And to avoid looking like too much of a Hendrick homer, Gordon heaped praise on a trio of drivers from a previous generation.
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"I feel like (Dale) Earnhardt was the best restrictor-plate driver I ever raced against," he said. "I think that Rusty (Wallace) is probably one of the best short-track drivers I ever raced against, and I'd throw Mark Martin in there as somebody overall, all the way around. Just a great racecar driver."
But of course the time came to set down the humble pie and acknowledge his own accomplishments.
"I wouldn't be standing here talking to you and talking about all this if hadn't been for what happened on the track," Gordon said. "So, I'm really proud of that. I'm just proud of the wins, the championships, some of the great battles that I've had. Interactions with some of the best drivers. Just opportunities that have come along.
"I think I'm probably most proud of being able to drive for Rick Hendrick and having won four championships with Rick."
Gordon hopes to capture win No. 93 this weekend at Kansas in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400. He’s the most seasoned driver in the field with 4,714 completed laps at the 1.5-mile oval with three career wins, including the first Sprint Cup race at the track in 2001.
#TBT : @JeffGordonWeb wins the inaugural race at @kansasspeedway in 2001. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ir9dXT77qJ
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) May 7, 2015