The season finale of Road to Race Day features a racing legend … or maybe two of three of them.
When Dale Earnhardt Jr. was forced to miss a big chunk of the 2016 NASCAR season with concussion symptom, it was a bummer for him, his fans and Hendrick Motorsports. But as the season finale of Road to Race Day reminds us, at least he had some very capable fill-in drivers subbing for him in the 88.
One of those was Alex Bowman, but another was Jeff Gordon. Though he retired from full-time competition before the season, Gordon took over for Junior in several races, including the 2016 Brickyard 400. In this exclusive clip from the Road to Race Day season finale, you can see Gordon join Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne as they go through some of the pre-race festivities.
Also in this clip, you’ll see The King himself, Richard Petty, discussing why he doesn’t think he’d necessarily fit in with the modern day sport — though the Hall of Famer and racing icon is undoubtedly just being modest.
The 2016 Brickyard 400 turned out to be a pretty decent one for the Hendrick camp. Gordon, the winningest driver in the race’s history, managed a 13th-place finish, while Johnson came home third. Rookie Chase Elliott finished 15th in his first Cup Series trip to the Brickyard and Kasey Kahne grabbed 18th place.
Next: Ty Dillon, GEICO staying with Germain Racing
Directed by Cynthia Hill and executive produced by Peter Berg, Road to Race Day is a documentary series that followed Hendrick Motorsports with new episodes every Wednesday on Complex Networks’ Rated Red on go90. It looks like it’s going out with a bang with its season finale, which is set for Wednesday, Sept. 6.