HMS' Jeff Gordon dismisses fan "conspiracy theories" about NASCAR fixing races - "Never seen that to be true"

With the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 races overlapping on the same weekend, Jeff Gordon, the former four-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion and Vice Chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, has been quite busy of late. However, the legendary racer took some time out to dismiss conspiracy theories about race fixing.

Gordon began his NASCAR career as a driver for the HMS team in 1992. He won his first Cup Series race, the season-ending Hooters 500 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, in the same year. After winning a few more races in the following years, Gordon began his quest for the championship title in 1995.

The California-based driver went on to win four titles with Hendrick Motorsports (1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001). Before he retired in 2016, Gordon managed to win 93 races, with 32 top-10 finishes and 12 pole positions. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019. Continuing his relationship with HMS, Gordon assumed the role of Vice Chairman in 2022.

Speaking with Jeff Gluck of The Athletic, Gordon tried to clarify several fan conspiracy theories regarding his involvement in the 2013 NASCAR race fixing.

"They’re (fans) loyal to a driver or team. And so I think when things don’t go their way, then a lot of them start saying, 'Oh, must be that NASCAR needed this for this reason.' And I’ve never seen that to be true. Not from where I sit," he said.

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The 2013 Richmond race-fixing scandal and Jeff Gordon's alleged involvement

During the 2013 Federated Auto Parts 400 NASCAR race, it was alleged that Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR), along with Team Penske and Front Row Motorsports, had manipulated the outcome of the race. The race served as the final qualifying event for the 10-race Sprint Cup playoffs.

With less than 10 laps remaining, MWR driver Clint Bowyer intentionally spun out, bringing out the caution flag. This move helped his teammate, Martin Truex Jr., qualify for the playoffs. In a subsequent incident, Joey Logano used team orders to pass David Gilliland, the other Ford driver, and knock Jeff Gordon out.

Following a comprehensive probe by NASCAR officials, Truex Jr. lost 50 points and was knocked out of the playoffs. Officials also announced the expansion of the playoffs field to 13, thereby including Gordon into the mix. Some fans considered this second move by NASCAR as a way to favor Gordon, creating conspiracy theories of favoritism.

This scandal, popularly known as 'Spingate', has marred the reputation of Gordon ever since. Even after a decade of rubbishing the rumors, the 93-time race winner from California is still trying to prove his innocence to loyal NASCAR fans worldwide.