SONOMA, Calif. -- The rumors have been swirling for weeks that retired NASCAR champion and current FOX Sports broadcaster Jeff Gordon is a leading candidate to join Kelly Ripa as co-host on her hugely popular "LIVE with Kelly" morning broadcast.
Gordon certainly left the door open to the opportunity in addressing the media Saturday morning at Sonoma Raceway, host of Sunday's Sprint Cup Series Toyota-Save Mart 350 (3 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
"I'm flattered my name has been associated with that," Gordon said. "I have always maintained a great friendship with the show -- some of the producers and folks within the show. I have a great time co-hosting the show. I certainly would welcome it."
But Gordon was also quick to reiterate that he has no plans to leave his FOX television booth job serving as a race announcer.
"My priority is FOX and FOX Sports and NASCAR so I will definitely be back in the booth next year," Gordon said. "If it was something that fit in around that, then, great.
"I don't know if that's the reality. But it's been real interesting to see that unfold. I really don't have anything I can say about it."
Gordon has been a frequent and popular co-host on the "LIVE" show for years, appearing nine times. Ripa's most recent fulltime co-host Michael Strahan departed the show to work on ABC's "Good Morning America" program, leaving his seat open to multiple guest co-hosts.