The last time Jeff Gordon pulled out of Martinsville Speedway, it was one of the most memorable moments of his career. He’d just won for the final time in his Sprint Cup Series career.
“Obviously, I’ll remember that celebration and what it was like to pull up to the start/finish line and hear the fans and that reaction,” Gordon said. “You know, whether you’re a racecar driver or a rock star you want to feel that energy.”
When Gordon returns to Martinsville Speedway this Sunday for the STP 500, he won’t be looking through a windshield for the first time in 23 years. With his driving days in the rearview mirror, Gordon now sees the track from a new light, one through the window of the broadcast booth, as an announcer with NASCAR on FOX.
“I can’t think of any tracks that I’ve actually seen the race track from that perspective,” he said. “Watching the cars go around the track you see a lot more and I really enjoy that.”
While the nine-time Martinsville winner may be holding a microphone instead of a steering wheel, he knows there may come a point where he wishes he was in the driver’s seat, instead of calling the action, if only for a moment.
“If there’s a really tight, close battle down to the finish you wish as a competitor that you were a part of that,” Gordon said. “Other than that, I really like the new role and what I’m doing and having a lot of fun with it.”
While he may not be out there battling for the win, he thinks his success at Martinsville will give him a bit of an advantage to calling races at the half-mile speedway over some other tracks on the circuit.
“Sure,” Gordon said. “I think coming off the track where I am the most recent winner and a track that’s been so good to me over the years, probably more so than any other track, I think it really allows me to be up there and put myself in the driver’s seat and have an understanding of what their thinking.”
The STP 500 race weekend starts this week.
The weekend kicks off with Virginia Lottery Pole Day on Friday and continues with the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday.
The STP 500 Sprint Cup Series Race is on Sunday, April 3. Tickets start at $55.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.
Martinsville Speedway PR
