“I Swear I’m Gonna Punch Him”: Jeff Gordon Discloses Locking Arms With Former Nemesis to Break Silence on 19-Year-Old Face-Off

Controversy. It never goes unnoticed, does it? In a sport like NASCAR, where every brawl, scandal, and drama—whether on-track or off—somehow finds the light of day, would you believe us if we said one such story did slip through the cracks? And for nearly two decades, it’s stayed that way. An infamous wreck, an airport fight, and a punch that left someone with a shiner. This isn’t a NASCAR movie, but even if it were, the starring man would be

Everyone involved in this has been super hush-hush, which is why the story stayed under wraps. But now, Gordon himself spilled the tea about what went down with Mike Bliss 19 years ago. In an interview with The Athletic, the four-time Cup Series champion peeled back the curtain and shared details of his showdown with Mike Bliss, who’s run in all three national series. The year was 2005, and the place was the Chicagoland Speedway.

Gordon and Bliss drivers were doing their thing, racing at their best pace. However, the former was already bummed that he was running in the 20s, and he recalled it was “not a good day.” Ironically, just a year ago at the same venue, Gordon said after securing his fourth consecutive pole position, “When you have momentum on your side, it usually keeps going in that direction. But it’s no different when the momentum is going in the opposite direction. It’s hard to get it back.” That’s precisely how his fortunes changed in one year.

With tensions sky-high and emotions running wild, the #24 DuPont Chevrolet driver found himself caught up in a fiery confrontation with Mike Bliss on the track. They were involved in a move so brutal that it led to a collision and sent him spinning. Recalling that incident in his interview with The Athletic, he said, “I remember with a few laps to go, we went into Turn 1, and I was side-by-side with somebody, and (Bliss) took me three-wide going into (Turn 1) for 20-whatever (place) and crashed all of us.”

According to him, Bliss’ behavior was just plain crazy, and he didn’t get why he would pull such a wild move when they weren’t even fighting for a good position. The now-HMS Vice Chairman then said, “Was it really that important?” And the fire he had on the track didn’t cool off once he was off it. Gordon confessed to Brian Vickers at the time, “Man, if I see Mike Bliss, I swear I’m gonna punch him.” Unfortunately for Bliss, Gordon is “a man of my word—like to a fault. If I say I’m going to do something—to a fan, to a colleague, to a sponsor, whatever it is—I’m gonna do it.”

As luck would have it, Gordon got to the airport, and guess what? Mike Bliss was the first guy he saw! In his words, “I said I was gonna do it, and I ended up doing it.” So, he punched Bliss in the airport. Until this interview, the speculation that the black eye Mike Bliss showed up with the following weekend was Gordon’s doing was just that. Speculation. In fact, as Gordon refused to answer questions about the incident back then, Bliss denied there ever being an altercation.

As reported on Jayski, Gordan stated in 2005, “Whatever happened between Mike Bliss and me, we’re going to work it out on our own. I don’t think it’s anything that’s worth even discussing. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over with.” As for Bliss, who was sporting that black eye, he confessed, “[Gordon] just came up and told me how upset he was. I understood it. There was no swing. He was frustrated, and the wreck was the icing on the cake.” The former Haas CNC driver may have denied the rumors of an altercation, but Jeff Gordon just confirmed them.

Having clocked in just 3 wins and 3 Top-10s leading up to the 2005 USG Sheetrock 400, the incident with Mike Bliss ensured Gordon left the Chicagoland Speedway placed 15th in the standings. Although he did exact revenge, Jeff Gordon admitted it wasn’t one of his proudest moments. But for someone in a high-intensity sport like NASCAR, anger sometimes goes beyond the tracks. While drivers can always learn from Gordon, the anger and punches are something they can skip!

That said, this incident is far from what he will be known for in NASCAR. Jeff Gordon has achieved so much more in the sport, and one of his most talked-about performances is the one in Dover in 2001—and there, no punches were involved!

Jeff Gordon led 95% of laps in an epic 2001 Cup Series showdown—a race for the ages!

In sports, sometimes certain performances transcend time, or decades, in this case. Jeff Gordon, the four-time Cup Series champion, showcased his exceptional skills at Dover in 2001. He had a track record of success by claiming one of his most impressive and dominant race victories during his fourth championship-winning year.

It was 2001, and it hadn’t been the best couple of seasons for him. He didn’t have a trophy to his name for far too long. So he decided he needed to reach the top again, and Dover, according to him, was always sweet. And he dropped jaws at the MBNA Platinum 400. He didn’t just win the race but also led 381 out of 400 laps—unbelievable, right? That’s Jeff Gordon for you!

The best part was he could have led all the way to an epic 400 if there weren’t any green flag pit stops. But Gordon, being Gordon, played it safe and didn’t take any chances. Perhaps he had a flashback from the past. It was in 1999 at Dover, where he led 375 laps and was ready to bring home the victory. But the Hendrick Motorsports veteran had to stop for fuel, and he saw Bobby Labonte take the crown. 

His history is going down in the lores of NASCAR. What do you think about Jeff Gordon and his achievements? Do you remember watching any of these races? Share your favorite moment with us.