via Getty
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – JULY 05: Dale Earnhardt Jr driver of the #88 National Guard / AMP Chevrolet races with Jeff Gordon Driver of the #24 Dupont Chevrolet during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 5, 2008 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)
via Getty
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – JULY 05: Dale Earnhardt Jr driver of the #88 National Guard / AMP Chevrolet races with Jeff Gordon Driver of the #24 Dupont Chevrolet during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 5, 2008 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)
As NASCAR returns to Sonoma this weekend, the track calibration is about to shift in everyone’s mind. The Next-Gen car will be back on a road course for the first time since Austin. And as a part of it, NASCAR’s Twitter handle asked their fans, who is the best road course driver of all time? And the fans had one answer, a Hendrick Motorsports legend.
That legend is, of course, Jeff Gordon.
The fans voted for the four-time Cup Series champion as the best road course driver in history.
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Why is this even a question? It’s obviously Jeff Gordon
— Grouchybastard (@meanolbastard) June 9, 2022
Jeff Gordon. Dominated when they were really hard to drive on Road Courses
— Sharpshooter317 (@_MarkGregg) June 10, 2022
Jeff Gordon!! pic.twitter.com/fXMLXCXemc
— michele greenwood (@lovestlcards71) June 9, 2022
@JeffGordonWeb is the road course racer in the @NASCAR Cup Series. pic.twitter.com/gmF1UKlWf0
— Turbo Joe (@JoeJr57) June 9, 2022
The GOAT himself, @JeffGordonWeb.
Tony Stewart & Chase Elliott are up there, but 7 road course wins in-a-row is an unthinkable achievement.#NASCAR #24Ever pic.twitter.com/P4b7Nl2Nu0
— Alex_Prada (@LastWordAlex) June 9, 2022
@JeffGordonWeb easily . @chaseelliott I’m sure will pass him on the all times Road Course wins list but when you run 6 a year it’s easier to do .
— MB489245 (@mike4824588) June 9, 2022
While this may be passed off as a popular opinion considering the sheer popularity of the former #24 driver, there are stats to back it.
Gordon is statistically too, the best road course driver in history. He has won 9 times on a road course with five of his nine wins coming at Sonoma Raceway, and the rest coming at Watkins Glen.
The Hendrick Motorsports superstar that could fill Jeff Gordon’s shoes
While Jeff Gordon sits at the top of the throne of the road course wins record, Chase Elliott isn’t far behind him. In fact, considering the number of road courses on the schedule now, and how good the #9 driver is on them, it’s only a matter of time before he passes Gordon.
Elliott currently sits third on the all-time list with 7 road course wins.
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He has won twice at Watkins Glen, twice at Charlotte Roval, once at Daytona Road Course, once at the Circuit Of The Americas, and once at Road America.
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 30, 2021; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; IMSA driver Chase Elliott talks with Fox Sports announcer Jeff Gordon before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
NASCAR’s current most popular driver will have the opportunity this weekend to take his tally to 8, inching closer to his team’s Vice Chairman. Should Chase Elliott win at Sonoma Raceway, he will tie the great Tony Stewart at 8 wins.
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The question is, will he be able to do so?
