Jeff Gordon likely done racing after 2015 season

When Jeff Gordon announced he would not race full-time after the 2015 he intentionally refused to utter the word “retirement” and subsequently said then and in later interviews, he might occasionally compete in Sprint Cup races.

However, when the 2015 season concludes Gordon isn’t likely to race again. He clarified his future plans Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he was serving as the pace car driver for the Indianapolis 500.

“I’ve known too many drivers that I respect and have raced with that said, ‘Okay, I’m retiring,’ then they come back,” Gordon said. “That’s why I didn’t say this is my final year of ever competing at a single event. But it really, truly is. It really is. As I get further into the year, as things come together, I don’t see myself doing any races.”

Gordon had mentioned the possibility of running a one-off race at Indianapolis, which is near his hometown of Pittsboro, Ind., or Martinsville Speedway, the venerable short track where he’s won eight times. But the logistics of putting together a deal are cumbersome.

The four-time Cup Series champion has no desire to align with a team other than Hendrick Motorsports, the only organization Gordon’s ever driven for, and doesn’t want to run a part-time effort that might distract from Hendrick’s other cars.

Instead, Gordon will focus on his new career as a Fox Sports analyst. Beginning next season he will join Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip in calling the first of the Cup schedule, a move announced last week.

“I’m going to fulfill my desire to be a part of the sport by being in the booth,” Gordon said. “I can go do some racing with my kids hopefully, some other ways. I don’t plan on doing any racing.”

The move to the broadcast booth also precludes Gordon from taking part in the Indianapolis 500, an event he grew up idolizing. But the opportunity to be part of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” never materialized due to a lack of funding and eventually pushed him towards NASCAR.

Not running the Indianapolis 500 is a regret of Gordon’s, though he did get the chance to compete at IMS when the Cup circuit visited each summer. No driver has won the Brickyard 400 more than Gordon, who has five victories to his name including last July.

“Winning the inaugural Brickyard 400, to me, fulfilled that dream,” Gordon said. “Now I’ve had a chance to win it four more times. This is a special place for me. I love getting a chance to race here.

“Would I have liked to have at least run one Indy 500, to know what it’s like? Sure, I would have. It won’t be happening, but I would have liked to have known what that was like.”