Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon will retire after the upcoming season. Gordon's clean-cut style helped NASCAR connect with a new generation of racing fans.
Jeff Gordon is well-groomed, polite and somewhat corporate – not exactly the spitting image of old school racing legends. But he has become one of the most successful NASCAR drivers ever. He won his first championship in 1995, and now, at age 43, has the third most wins all-time.
"I'm just very proud of what I've done, what I've accomplished," he said in a press conference Thursday. "And yeah, I'm a little sad that there's going to be a day where I step out of the car and it'll be the last time. But I knew that day is going to come at some time, and I think this is the right time."
Gordon says he'll continue to play a business role with his racing team after this season.