If Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still out next week, Hendrick Motorsports is bringing one of its iconic drivers out of retirement to replace him.
Unlike many other former NASCAR stars, Jeff Gordon didn’t ease into his retirement from the sport’s top circuit. He quit could turkey, and has been content with his gig broadcasting the first half of the 2016 Sprint Cup season for Fox — but that could change soon.
That’s because his former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. is suffering from concussion-like symptoms, and will miss the race this weekend at New Hampshire. Alex Bowman will drive for him there, but after that, the scene shifts to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and what better man to replace Junior there than five-time Brickyard winner Gordon?
As reported by ESPN, that’s exactly what Hendrick is thinking. GM Doug Duchardt told the media that if Earnhardt can’t race in the Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at The Brickyard presented by Crown Royale, Gordon will be in the #88 as his replacement.
"He’s a four-time champion with 93 wins – he’s not a bad person to think about to get in the car. This week, he’s in France. … If Dale is not able to go at Indianapolis, we’ll put Jeff Gordon in the car"
Obviously, Hendrick is hoping that won’t be necessary. But Junior has had issues with concussions before, causing him to miss races during the 2012 season, and the driver mentioned earlier this week that he believed several recent wrecks may be to blame for his current condition.
Missing multiple races would jeopardize Earnhardt’s participation in this season’s Chase, as he’s currently in the field based solely on his points total. On top of that, his absence could put pressure on Gordon to return to the fold for more than one week, something he wouldn’t necessarily be raring to do.
On the plus side, Jeff Gordon fans will get to see their favorite driver back in action on a track where he’s had a ton of success, and in a car that is one of the most popular on the circuit. That alone could add some extra intrigue to the Brickyard, and according to Duchardt, we’ll know if that’s the case in less than a week.
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