AVONDALE, Ariz. -- The commemorations of Jeff Gordon's final race last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway were unavoidable, his No. 24 splashed on the infield grass and on the exterior of the 1.5-mile track. When Gordon returns next month to Phoenix International Raceway for his final race here, the track will bear not only his number, but also his name.
Should Gordon's Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoff hopes remain alive once the Quicken Loans 500 rolls around on Nov. 15, he'll be vying for his place in Homestead-Miami's championship quartet at a track with the name of Jeff Gordon Raceway. Even though that abbreviates to JGR (Gordon chuckled), the re-christening for one race serves as the latest in a series of one-upmanship tributes from tracks, sponsors and fans.
Though Gordon admitted Wednesday during a break in open testing at the Phoenix track that the recognitions have sometimes posed a distraction during his final full season of NASCAR competition, he's been overcome by the outpouring of support as he closes out his Hall of Fame career.
"One of things that has been so rewarding this season has been what the fans and tracks have done when I've gotten to the track," said Gordon, who has two wins at the Arizona mile. "They're respecting the fact that we're still trying to win a championship and win races, but they're still doing things that are engaging the fans and honoring me in ways that I've been extremely grateful. This track kind of set the standard for that when they named the speedway after me on race day. I've been coming here for such a long time, going back before NASCAR and I've got very fond memories."
Gordon's torrent of gifts became an intriguing topic during Tony Stewart's announcement Sept. 30 that 2016 would be his final full season in NASCAR. When asked if he would welcome a similar victory tour with media center appearances and commemorations each week, Stewart was adamant that track owners should save their gifts, saying that Gordon was more worthy of a yearlong tribute.
Though Gordon said he has appreciated all of the appreciation, he was candid Wednesday in detailing how his farewell plans have sometimes snared the focus from his on-track goals, saying that his team has had to decline certain activities in an effort to raise its performance.
"We all have our reasons for announcing at the stages that we do or whether you just walk away and hang it up that day, I knew that it was going to a part of this season and have embraced it," Gordon said. "We've tried to get on the front end of it and try to have conversations with the tracks and NASCAR about how we could handle it and get everyone involved and engaged. There were times earlier in the year where it was a distraction and I had to take a step back and we weren't performing on the track as well as we wanted to and I needed to focus my attention more on the team. I've always wanted to enjoy this year as much as I possibly can, but I'm not going to enjoy it if I'm not being competitive out there.
"I can certainly relate to what Tony (Stewart) wants to do, and how he wants to go out. I'm very proud that we were able to make it into the Chase and make it to Round 2, and if we can make it to the next round or even to Homestead, that would be amazing."
Wednesday's prelude to Gordon's final ride at Phoenix was well-attended, with track officials estimating 1,000 fans entering the track's gates in exchange for a $5 donation to the speedway's charitable foundation. Those that came mostly baked in the sunshine and near-100-degree heat for what's scheduled to be Gordon's final test session in a Sprint Cup car.
"I must say I was shocked to see how many people came out here for testing," Gordon said. "We haven't seen that in a long time, and I didn't know that you guys promoted the test as being my last test, but I know how happy I am to know that this is my last test. I think as a driver, one of the things you look forward to least is testing, although you realize how important and necessary it is. It is pretty boring and not the most fun part of the job, but I'm certainly willing to celebrate that this will be my last day testing and I'm glad that the fans came out and enjoyed it as well. The fact that they came out here in this ridiculously hot weather shows their dedication and commitment and avidness and that made me feel good."