Jeff Gordon recalls the difficult conversation with Bill Davis that was his ‘worst career decision’: “I should have told him long before”

Jeff Gordon, the NASCAR legend who etched his name into one of the greatest, did it with Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon recalled the time he quit Bill Davis Racing to join Hendrick Motorsports and said that the timing of it was the 'worst' decision of his life.

Jeff Gordon recounted a tough and turning point period in his early life that he calls his "worst career decision" - the manner in which he broke the news to Bill Davis that he would be leaving Bill Davis Racing for Hendrick Motorsports.

Gordon and Davis, at that time, were on track for a promotion up the NASCAR ladder and had a productive season racing in the Busch Series. Gordon intended to bring in Davis' car, a big-time sponsor, Target. After which, he moved on up to Hendrick, thinking this was the correct thing to do.

Former NASCAR team owner Bill Davis had provided Gordon with his initial full-time ride within the Busch Series and invested heavily in his early progression. The aftermath of the move was tough, but it paved the way for the sport's landscape shift as Gordon went on and won four Cup Series titles and 93 victories throughout his career. Jeff Gordon recalled the moment (via Racer):

"Bill was getting ready to move up to Cup, and we were having a good season in the Busch Series and yet I knew I’d made this decision to change teams. But we flew up to Chicago together to meet with Target, and I was thinking that this is the right way to do it – help Bill land the big sponsor, and then on I go to Hendrick. The meeting went really well, and as Bill and I came down on the elevator, he was really excited: he said, “Hey, this is it, we’re rolling!” And I said, “Er, Bill, I gotta tell you something…” Well, there was never going to be a good time to tell him this, but that was a really bad time. So yeah, I think that’s my worst decision. I should have told him long before then."

Bill Davis Racing, managed by Davis himself, was a prominent NASCAR team racing competitively in NASCAR's highest divisions up until it closed its operations in 2008. Davis' legacy is that he bred stars such as Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, and Bobby Labonte and won big races such as the Daytona 500 with Ward Burton.

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Jeff Gordon beams with pride after Chase Elliott’s stunning Kansas victory

Jeff Gordon, now a key executive at Hendrick Motorsports, expressed immense pride and joy after Chase Elliott pulled off a dramatic final-lap victory in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Elliott surged from eighth place in the final overtime restart, weaving through competitors and ultimately outdueling Denny Hamlin to clinch the win by just 0.069 seconds.

"It's a huge spark for the #9 team, I love the way it all turned out. That put a big smile on my face. I'm a little hoarse because I celebrated with (crew chief) Alan Gustafson. I love the guy and love watching him do his thing," Jeff Gordon said after Elliott's achievement.

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Jeff Gordon on Chase Elliott's win: "It's a huge spark for the #9 team, I love the way it all turned out. That put a big smile on my face. I'm a little hoarse because I celebrated with (crew chief) Alan Gustafson. I love the guy and love watching him do his thing." #NASCAR

The Kansas triumph marked Elliott’s 22nd career win and secured his spot in the playoff Round of 8 alongside Ryan Blaney, with Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin also freshly among the top four in the standings.