NASCAR: Breaking Down Jeff Gordon's Final Run

The curtain has closed once again for four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon after coming home in sixth-place at Martinsville. Gordon’s return to NASCAR was unexpected for his fans but they certainly enjoyed every moment of it.

Gordon getting back into the car in 2016 was weird at first. Watching him driver the No. 88 machine with the No. 24 machine on the track was odd, but then it wasn’t. A couple of races in, Gordon fans were simply happy to have their hero back on the track, something they never imagined would have happened at the beginning of the season.

In the end, how did it go?

Was Gordon’s time in the No. 88 machine a success? Was he the right driver to run the races that he did or should Alex Bowman have run all of them. Let’s take a race-by-race look at what Gordon was able to do in his return to NASCAR in 2016 and you can be the judge at the end.

Jul 24, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Jeff Gordon (88) and Tony Stewart (14) do a ceremonial lap together after driving in their last Brickyard 400

Race 1 – Indianapolis

Gordon returned to NASCAR on a track that he did not fare so well on when he was there in 2015, Indianapolis. Gordon’s return to Indy was viewed as a chance for him to gain retribution for the poor finish that he had their in the No. 24 machine in his final full-time season in NASCAR.

Heading into the weekend fans might have been a little over ambitious as many were calling for Gordon to contend for a win in his first race in more than half of a season of being retired.

Although Gordon did not win, he did have a solid showing in the No. 88 machine. Gordon was in the top-10 for a good portion of the day before eventually finishing 13th. Gordon’s finish outside of the top-10 was a result of him struggling on the handful of restarts at the end of the race.

13th isn’t too shabby for a guy who had not driven a racecar since November of the previous year.

Matthew O – USA Today Sports

Race 2 – Pocono

This was the worst race of Gordon’s run in the No. 88 machine and it really pulls down his overall numbers as a result. Gordon finished this was in 27th after having to deal with seatbelt issues mid-way through the race.

On the restart prior to the seatbelt issues, Gordon was running just inside of the top-10. Assuming the seatbelt issue didn’t happen, there is little reason to believe that he could not have finished there or at least in the top-15 like he did the week before in Indy.

The seatbelt not being properly fasted caused Gordon to fall back and as a result he was never able to recover. This finish was also his only finish off of the lead lap in the eight races that he ran this season in the No. 88 machine.

Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Race 3 – Watkins Glen

Gordon’s return to road course racing was somewhat of a dud. Despite having a decent car, Gordon was never really a factor in the race on his way to a 14th-place finish. Gordon got into trouble early in the race and the resulting damage made him a non-factor.

Three weeks into his return it was clear that while Gordon still had the goods, expecting him to step in and win races in the No. 88 machine was a tall task. Gordon is a four-time champion but NASCAR racing isn’t something you can just drop, pick back up and still be a top competitor in.

It was after this race that the tide began to turn on Gordon a bit and some began to question if he was the best choice to be in the car. For me, those comments were a bit ridiculous. Keep in mind, without the seatbelt issue in Pocono, he most likely has three top-15 finishes in three races.

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Race 4 – Bristol

It’s Bristol baby and it was also the site of Gordon’s best run since returning to NASCAR in 2016. Gordon came into Bristol as one of the best short-track drivers of all-time and he left Bristol with an 11th-place finish.

Gordon was up near the front of the pack for a lot of this race on his way to his best finish of the four races he ran to this point in the No. 88 machine.

Seeing Gordon run well and have his best finish was nice for his fans. While it wasn’t a top-10 or top-5, Gordon’s run at Bristol did silence some of the ridiculous chatter that began after his run on the road course in his third race back in NASCAR.

Race 5 – Darlington

The success at Bristol had many thinking that Gordon would get his first top-10 of the NASCAR season at Darlington. Unfortunately, it did not work out that way and he finished 14th.

The top-15 finish marked the fourth time that he was able to do that in his five races back in NASCAR. Despite not breaking into the top-10 Gordon seemed pleased with his performance given what he was dealing with inside of the car that night in Darlington.

Heading into the race some fans were hopeful that Gordon would be able to run a special scheme to pay homage to his own No. 24 but that was not the case as Earnhardt already had a special scheme in place.

Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Race 6 – Richmond

For the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Richmond was the last race before the start of the Chase. For Jeff Gordon it was one of the last races he would run in the No. 88 as the majority of the Chase races were given to Alex Bowman.

Richmond was not a fun night for Gordon and the No. 88 team as the car simply was not right the entire night. Despite the struggles with setup and handling, Gordon was still able to come home with a 16th-place finish.

Richmond was a long night for Gordon and his team as they truly did not have a top-20 car when the race came to an end but Gordon was able to get the car there. Richmond was also tough for Gordon fans as they knew his time in the car for the rest of the season was going to be limited.

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Race 7 – Dover

Would Gordon really run eight races in 2016 and not have a top-10 finish? The answer to that question was no as he took the No. 88 machine to a 10th-place finish in Dover.

In all honesty, Gordon might have had a top-five car in Dover but restarts at various points in the race were not his friend. In the end Gordon was able to push the car into the top-10 and keep it there and that was quite an accomplishment for him and the No. 88 team.

The top-10 finish reasserted to Gordon Nation that their favorite driver still had it and provided hope that magic could be captured in a few weeks in Martinsville.

Race 8 – Martinsville

One year ago Gordon won in Martinsville and punched his ticket into the final-four of the NASCAR chase in Miami. in 2016 Gordon was coming back to Martinsville looking for win No. 94 of his career.

Gordon was fast in qualifying and practice leading up to the race and it looked like he might of had a car that could contend for a win.

On race day Gordon was fast but not faster than his teammate Jimmie Johnson or some of the JGR cars. Gordon took the No. 88 to a 6th-place finish, his best of 2016. Gordon got as high as 4th in the race but was never able to break into the top-three.

After the race Gordon said “never say never” about him racing again but he did also acknowledge that this was probably it for him.

Farewell to a Legend

Jeff Gordon ran eight races while filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. this season. In those eight races he had an average starting position of 16.3 and an average finishing position of 13.8.

Would it have been great to see Gordon win in 2016? Of course it would have but that just didn’t work out.

Is Gordon done when it comes to getting back on the track in NASCAR? He seems to think he his but others like Jimmie Johnson have gone on the record as being less confident that Gordon is done.

Gordon running in 2016 proved that he still has what it takes to hang in NASCAR. Don’t forget he was working with a new team and new people on a short-term basis. Imagine what he might have been able to do if he stepped back into the No. 24 for those eight races.

If this past weekend was truly the end, Gordon Nation still has him on TV with Fox and soon he will take his place in the Hall of Fame. If Sunday wasn’t the end, well, hopefully next time ends with a celebration in victory lane.