"A night I'll never forget" - Jeff Gordon reflects on clinching his championship spot with 2015 Martinsville win

Jeff Gordon recently took a trip down memory lane when he reflected on his championship berth on November 1, 2015. Gordon won that race, qualified for Championship 4, and was all set to compete against Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr.

2015 marked Gordon's last season as a full-time Cup Series driver. However, he did not rule out racing entirely. After having a decent regular season, the former Hendrick Motorsports driver pulled out his best performance at the Round of 8 race at Martinsville.

The race at Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway saw Gordon win the 2015 Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500. He held off Jamie McMurray, and Denny Hamlin to register his first victory of the season. It was his 93rd career victory and arrived seconds from the official sunset time.

Looking back on that day, Gordon posted a video on Instagram and wrote:

"A night I'll never forget. Let's do it again this Sunday."

Gordon tagged Hendrick Motorsports in the video, and in doing so, he sent the message to Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and William Byron ahead of the final Round of 8 race at Martinsville this weekend.

The three aforementioned drivers are yet to qualify for this season's Championship 4, with one race to go before this round concludes. Two drivers, Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick, have qualified for the final round, and two more places are available.

Byron is the best-placed Hendrick Motorsports driver with +7 points above the cutline, followed by Larson with -7, and Elliott with -43. The Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway takes place on Sunday, November 3, 2024, at 2 PM local time.

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Jeff Gordon opens up on Kyle Larson signature amid Tony Stewart struggle

Jeff Gordon celebrates with NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) after he won the Brickyard 400, Sunday, July 21, 2024, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Photo via Imagn)

Jeff Gordon recently reflected on the competitive battle to sign Kyle Larson to Hendrick Motorsports amid a stiff contest from Stewart-Haas Racing's Tony Stewart. Ultimately, with Rick Hendrick's support, Gordon successfully secured the #5 driver for Hendrick Motorsports in 2021.

Speaking about the day and how he managed to bring Larson to HMS, Gordon told Kevin Harvick in the Happy Hour podcast:

"So when this came about where Kyle Larson might be available I talked to Rick Hendrick and he was eager and interested as well because he knew his talent but he said, 'I got to sit down face to face with him.' And we made that happen."

A four-time Cup Series champion, Jeff Gordon is one of the most renowned and successful NASCAR Cup Series drivers. He appeared in 805 races, where he claimed 93 victories, 81 pole positions, and 477 Top 10s. He currently serves as the Vice Chairman of Hendrick Motorsports.