A champion racer of his time, Jeff Gordon took his post-retirement career in a more entrepreneurial direction with Hendrick Motorsports. Gone are his days of ruffled hair, thin mustaches, and sporting gear. The HMS vice chairperson donned business suits and crisp ties, and his personality matched the austere shades.

After pursuing a fruitless endeavor to promote the contractual value of the owner’s championship, Jeff Gordon found an easy target in NASCAR’s favorite antihero. But the racing fandom united against Gordon’s sanctimonious disapproval of Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Denny Hamlin.

Hendrick Motorsports Legend does not want his drivers distracted like Denny Hamlin

In a conversation with SiriusXM, Gordon weighed in on the recent antagonism against Hamlin. After a series of altercations with Cup drivers like Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain, criticism poured in for the #11 racer. Denny Hamlin, to his credit, took it in stride and embraced varied reactions as an integral part of the sport. However, Jeff Gordon was not in favor of such a polarized fanbase for a serious racing contender. He made it clear that such theatrics could not have been condoned for the current Hendrick Motorsports drivers.

Jeff Gordon denounced, “Denny is trying to do things to stir up conversation. To get people to at least have in an opinion. Whether it’s a positive one, or a negative one, you have an opinion. And the fact he is embracing that, I’ll give him kudos all day long. Go for it! I wouldn’t want that to be one of our drivers. Because it’s too controversial. To me, it’s a distraction.”

Gordon further justified, “If you really want to go to the racetrack focused on winning races, it’s hard to do that when you have a lot of distractions. And if Denny thrives on that, great. But I just don’t think that it is healthy within the organization when you have four drivers and you are going in meetings together and you’re talking about how you go to the next race to win when you have to deal with some of those things.

Unfortunately, the veteran then provided the real reason he would restrain racers in a straightened mold. But the racing community was quick to take an exception against it.

Watch this story: Jimmie Johnson Vs. Jeff Gordon: Hendrick Motorsports GOAT Debate Addressed by William Byron

Racing fandom urged Jeff Gordon to recall the champion racers of his time

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A few days ago, Jeff Gordon attempted to garner media attention toward the owner’s title. The paper-thin ploy to center the spotlight on non-playoff driver Chase Elliott was evident. Fans shrewdly questioned the timing of Gordon’s advocacy when Elliott’s #9 car qualified for the owner’s playoff. Yet another bid to promote his team’s drivers over their rival contenders deservedly irked NASCAR’s social media brigade. Fans could not help wondering about Gordon’s transformation from a racer to a team owner.

“When did HMS and Jeff get so lame?”

“Yep corporate Gordon sucks.”

“Wealth and power. As a Gordon fan, it’s disappointing to see him like this now.”

Especially when he stressed the obligation to meet the behavioral requirements of their financing partners. Jeff Gordon proclaimed, “I want our drivers to go and build a fanbase by winning races and by being themselves but not doing things…I want other guys in the sport to do stuff like that. But if they come to Hendrick Motorsports, and you can call us stiff, you can call us whatever you want, but we’re running a business. And the business is to win races first, take care of your sponsors, do everything, and let the sponsors market you. Let the sport figure out how to market you. Build your brand through who you are on social media. And be the best you that you can be.”

This promptly brought on an astute observation. “They are ambassadors for sponsors, who happen to drive quickly.”

Gordon’s excuse that Denny Hamlin’s persona served as a distraction from race wins was also fact-checked by a long-time fan of the sport.

Read More: Denny Hamlin Makes Himself the Internet Laughing Stock as He Confesses His Mistake

They reminded, “That’s the most HMS response ever Oh jeez wouldn’t want one of our drivers to have opinions or personality.

Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewert, etc all controversial and often outspoken drivers who have won championships. Denny has over 50 career wins.”

As the Gibbs-Hendrick championship rivalry heats up this season, would Denny Hamlin prove the veteran wrong and win it all?