Final year for the 24

[MojoHog]

http://m.hendrickmotorsports.com/news/article/2015/01/22/Jeff-Gordon-to-run-final-full-time-NASCAR-season-in-2015

[riccoar]

This is pretty hard to believe.  Only 43.

[ImHogginIt]

This is pretty hard to believe.  Only 43.

But racing 9+months of the year has to be a grind and doing it for 20 plus years has to have gotten old.

[holeinthewall]

I said this back in November in the why would Hendrick resign Kahne thread.

[MojoHog]

Yeah it's a real bummer. He's been racing longer than I have been alive. The first race i stumbled upon back around 98 he won. I was always into cars and such as a little child and instantly fell in love with the sport. It just so happened he won that day and my favorite # was 24. I haven't missed many races in the past years. Hopefully he gets a nice job from HMS so he can stay involved at the track.

After this year I will be a full on Chase fan. Not because he is taking over for the man but because of my iRacing run in with him. Great guy and answered practically every question I asked.

[HogScoutMaster]

Time for him to enjoy his family!  He'll get bank from 48 and he can live being happy

[HogScoutMaster]

Not because he is taking over for the man but because of my iRacing run in with him. Great guy and answered practically every question I asked.

MAN I'll tell ya that IRacing stuff will consume you.  I got out Just as it was really getting big.  Every night I spent either racing or tweaking setups.

[Racinray]

Will it be another Mark Martin retirement?

[DeltaBoy]

I hope Jeff has a great season.

[riccoar]

Will it be another Mark Martin retirement?

Mark did that to help Roush out to keep the sponsor for Ragan.  But I don't think Gordon is in near the shape that Martin is. 

[ImHogginIt]

Mark did that to help Roush out to keep the sponsor for Ragan.  But I don't think Gordon is in near the shape that Martin is.

Plus he owns the 48 so he will remain involved at Hendrick

[HogScoutMaster]

Plus he owns the 48 so he will remain involved at Hendrick

Exactly

[hoghelmet14]

nobody will really miss ole gordo.... I mean Brad keselowski kinda already took  his place as the whiney teetbag...... LOL @hogs24

[ImHogginIt]

nobody will really miss ole gordo.... I mean Brad keselowski kinda already took  his place as the whiney teetbag...... LOL @hogs24

Actually Brad took Stewart's place after Stewart took Jeff's place about 15 years ago 

[hoghelmet14]

Actually Brad took Stewart's place after Stewart took Jeff's place about 15 years ago 

LOL.....

[10thPlanet]

Will it be another Mark Martin retirement?

I hope so, Nascar just isn't the same. I hate living in the past, but the past was so much better for Nascar.

[ImHogginIt]

I hope so, Nascar just isn't the same. I hate living in the past, but the past was so much better for Nascar.

True to some extent though I thought it improved with the new format last year. Made every race mean something.  I think the new rules package this year will even make it more exciting.

[10thPlanet]

True to some extent though I thought it improved with the new format last year. Made every race mean something.  I think the new rules package this year will even make it more exciting.

Hope you're right!

[RAD]

A lot of people like to think of the old days of NASCAR as being better than what it is today, but go back and watch full races from the 80s and before. You had a few great personalities, but they were exactly that: few. Anyone remember great sound bites from Rick Mast or Lake Speed?? Neither do I.

The racing wasn't better. The number of legitimate contenders week in and week out was easily in the single digits. Winners could lap the field. Look at any of the Top10-20 racing (not fighting, though the argument can easily be made that it happens just as often now as it did then) moments in NASCAR history, and the majority have happened in the last 20 years.

I love the history of the sport. I watched the vast majority of the races going back 30 years from when I was a kid, and I would always watch the old races back when ESPNClassic would show them. That has caused me to not be blinded by some kind of "mystical" memories. A lot of them were bad races. No doubt there was some great racing and legendary moments, and there have certainly been some bad races in the last couple of decades, but in the big picture there was a lot more boring racing then than there has been recently.

[ImHogginIt]

A lot of people like to think of the old days of NASCAR as being better than what it is today, but go back and watch full races from the 80s and before. You had a few great personalities, but they were exactly that: few. Anyone remember great sound bites from Rick Mast or Lake Speed?? Neither do I.

The racing wasn't better. The number of legitimate contenders week in and week out was easily in the single digits. Winners could lap the field. Look at any of the Top10-20 racing (not fighting, though the argument can easily be made that it happens just as often now as it did then) moments in NASCAR history, and the majority have happened in the last 20 years.

I love the history of the sport. I watched the vast majority of the races going back 30 years from when I was a kid, and I would always watch the old races back when ESPNClassic would show them. That has caused me to not be blinded by some kind of "mystical" memories. A lot of them were bad races. No doubt there was some great racing and legendary moments, and there have certainly been some bad races in the last couple of decades, but in the big picture there was a lot more boring racing then than there has been recently.

Yep. People forget that many races back then would only have less than 10 cars on the lead lap at the end. Sometimes only just a couple

[Flying Razorback]

Yep. People forget that many races back then would only have less than 10 cars on the lead lap at the end. Sometimes only just a couple

Sometimes just one.  There are some Petty and Pearson wins where second place were multiple laps down.

I got in a long argument with a guy the other day about this same thing.  I told him I thought some of the drivers in the current generation were the best of all time.  The guy got actually angry defending Petty but it was a completely different sport and I don't think Petty would have been as great in the parity environment in which we now live.

I saw a stat recently that said of Petty's 7 championships, 6 of them had only like 5 other drivers who even raced the whole season in pursuit of the championship.

[10thPlanet]

The fact that a lot of people can drive these cars 150mph(proven by the driving experiences) without being race car drivers is what has me missing the old days. Plus the tracks we've lost. Check out this site of tracks that are gone. I know it dates back to the 40's, but 90% gone are short tracks. Just go back to the 70's. http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/tracks/historical
IMO only about 1/3 of the nascar drivers today could drive a non down forced car 200 MPH on old skinny tires at Daytona for 500 miles. Lets see them poo their pants driving a big Plymouth with a Hemi.
I may just want to be young again.

[ImHogginIt]

The fact that a lot of people can drive these cars 150mph(proven by the driving experiences) without being race car drivers is what has me missing the old days. Plus the tracks we've lost. Check out this site of tracks that are gone. I know it dates back to the 40's, but 90% gone are short tracks. Just go back to the 70's. http://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/tracks/historical
IMO only about 1/3 of the nascar drivers today could drive a non down forced car 200 MPH on old skinny tires at Daytona for 500 miles. Lets see them poo their pants driving a big Plymouth with a Hemi.
I may just want to be young again.

I disagree completely. These drivers today have driven competitively since they were kids. Lots of experience. I would like to see the drivers back then drive at 200 mph at Daytona all bunched up like they do now. Drivers today are much more intelligent, train their bodies and minds constantly for racing and live racing 12 months a year. Drivers then actually smoked cigarettes while they were racing. LOL

[riccoar]

Yep, most of these cats in today's NASCAR drive outlaw sprints with the same HP in them that their Sunday rides do on much smaller tracks.  Don't think they would have a problem driving a 70's Plymouth on radials at 200.

[Flying Razorback]

Yep, most of these cats in today's NASCAR drive outlaw sprints with the same HP in them that their Sunday rides do on much smaller tracks.  Don't think they would have a problem driving a 70's Plymouth on radials at 200.

But the pucker factor on those old tires would be a lot greater!  I will admit that the old cars put the driver at a lot more risk for injury or death than the new generation cars.  Kyle Busch wouldn't try half of his moves on the track if he had the fear of death in him.

[10thPlanet]

I disagree completely. These drivers today have driven competitively since they were kids. Lots of experience. I would like to see the drivers back then drive at 200 mph at Daytona all bunched up like they do now. Drivers today are much more intelligent, train their bodies and minds constantly for racing and live racing 12 months a year. Drivers then actually smoked cigarettes while they were racing. LOL

+1 for Dick Trickle mention!

[10thPlanet]

The stagger on open wheel cars, compared to radials, that some guy took a worn out tape measure to get it.. 200 mph in a square box, compared to a wind tunneled down forced race car. Power steering, rack and pinions vs steering arm. Custom seats with built in supports vs  bucket seats. Cooled fire suits vs wet rag hanging from your teeth. I guess the best argument of all, DANICA, she can do it. 90% of short trackers around the country could with the same amount of seat time.
I do think the more money involved the bigger the talent pool.