Four-time NASCAR
Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon will step out of the driver’s seat and into the
TV broadcast booth next season, joining FOX NASCAR as a fulltime race analyst alongside
three-time champion Darrell Waltrip and anchorman Mike Joy.
Currently
competing in his 23rd and final fulltime Sprint Cup Series season, Gordon
served as race analyst for FOX Sports' coverage of three NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
races this season, before agreeing to a multi-year contract that begins with
Daytona Speedweeks in February of 2016. He will also provide in-car commentary
in selected races this season.
"NASCAR has
provided me so many incredible memories, experiences and opportunities
throughout my 23 years as a driver, and I can't wait to start a new chapter in
racing with this new relationship with FOX and to be in the booth with Mike and
Darrell," said Gordon. "I feel so lucky to be a part of a sport that
I'm very passionate about, and now I get the opportunity to share that passion
to millions of race fans from a whole new perspective."
Larry McReynolds
will move to the Hollywood Hotel anchor booth, joining host Chris Myers and
analiyst Michael Waltrip.
"Jeff is not
only a champion but an icon of a racing generation," said Eric Shanks, FOX
Sports President, COO & Executive Producer. "We are thrilled he has
chosen to become a part of the FOX Sports family and pair his experience with
Darrell. Each is credited with helping elevate NASCAR to the popularity it
attained in his respective era, and alongside Mike Joy, this duo will treat
fans to unmatched insights each and every week."
One of the most
versatile drivers of his era, Gordon has driven for Hendrick Motorsports since
November 1992, winning four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships (1995, 1997,
1998 and 2001), 92 races and 80 pole positions. With his first Cup Series
championship in 1995, Gordon became the youngest champion (24) in NASCAR's
modern era in only his third full season. He sits third behind only NASCAR Hall
of Fame drivers Richard Petty (200) and David Pearson (105) in all-time
victories, is a three-time Daytona 500 champion and record five-time Brickyard
400 winner. He holds the record for most consecutive seasons with a pole (23),
among numerous other accolades. Furthermore, Gordon is NASCAR's winningest
road-course driver with nine wins, and is the all-time leader with 12
restrictor-plate track victories.
Off the track,
Gordon, named one of "NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers" in 1998,
established the Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation, which supports pediatric
cancer research, treatment and patient support programs. He traveled to Rwanda
with the Foundation in 2011, and also visited the Democratic Republic of Congo
in conjunction with the Clinton Global Initiative. Gordon was honored with the
National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Myers Brothers Award in 2012,
recognizing those who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of
stock-car racing. That same year, he received the Heisman Humanitarian Award,
established to recognize those in sports who give significantly to communities
and improve the lives of others.
FOX Sports, which
began its FOX NASCAR coverage in 2001, currently is in the first of a 10-year
media rights agreement with NASCAR. In 2013, FOX Sports extended its agreement
with NASCAR, ensuring the FOX family of networks' broadcast of the first 16
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races each season beginning in 2015, as well as the
first 14 NASCAR XFINITY Series races of the season and all NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series events, through 2024.
Whatever happened to Jeff Hammond? It was so wrong for Fox Sports to remove him from the Hollywood Hotel for the other annoying Waltrip brother, Mikey. It's going to be interesting to have two drivers analysts in the commentary booth for Fox Sports next year. Hopefully the races next year will a whole heck of a lot better with a better racing package, than the neutered acceleration with those damn tampered spacers on a Cup car. I mean come on, this the Cup Series, not the NASCAR Grand National Series or the Truck Series.
ReplyDeleteI really wished they would have moved D.W. out of the announcing booth. He makes races very hard to listen to.
ReplyDeleteWho is the odd nan out in the Holliwood hotel?
ReplyDeleteLarry Mac will join Chris and Mickey in the Hollywood Hotel next season.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say, as a Canadian race fan, is that I really could care less who is in the booth or on T.V. (they're all great!), as long as the Canadian broadcast stations can work with the U.S. stations so I can see the damn races!!
ReplyDeleteSad to see Larry Mac out of the booth....it seems obvious though he has had his fill of DW or vice versa this year. Hopefully he adds content to the Hotel to balance out the "excitement".
ReplyDelete