Jeff Gordon hopes to be racing for something meaningful in Phoenix in November. And if he is, he will do it on a track named after him.
For its Nov. 15 race — the semifinal in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup — Phoenix International Raceway will renamed Jeff Gordon Raceway. It's the first time a track will be renamed for a Sprint Cup race.
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Gordon has four career wins at Phoenix, three of which came in NASCAR-sanctioned events. Gordon holds the track record for most top-10 finishes and is among the top five in starts, poles, laps completed, lead-lap finishes and top-5 finishes.
This is Gordon's final season in NASCAR and will be his final race at Phoenix as a full-time competitor.
“When we thought about how to recognize his accomplishments, we knew we had to put together a celebration that was bigger than anything we’ve done in the past," PIR President Bryan R. Sperber said. "It doesn’t get bigger than renaming the race track and Jeff Gordon is a person who is truly deserving of that honor.”
"What a cool gesture," Gordon said.