“I have aches and pain that I didn’t have 20 years ago”: When ‘young’ Jeff Gordon expressed being reminded of his age amid retirement talks

Jeff Gordon is one of the most dominant NASCAR Cup Series drivers with four titles as proof of his standout performances. He is currently the vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports and is the longest-serving driver, staying loyal to Rick Hendrick throughout his NASCAR career.

During his 2014 season, the legendary driver encountered several questions about his retirement, despite his dominant statistic of six wins and five poles in the preceding three seasons. The then 42-year-old Gordon expressed that he is "young" and "passionate," but outlined his morning body aches, signaling that he's growing older.

“I feel young at the moment. But when I roll out of the bed in the morning I realize that I’m 42 because I have aches and pain that I didn’t have 20 years ago. I’m reminded of my age. But when I get to the track, I’m still as passionate and as excited, if not more so, than I’ve ever been," Gordon said via NASCAR.

The NASCAR Hall of Famer joined HMS on a part-time schedule in 1992 and began fielding full-time entries in the #24 Chevrolet in 1993. The HMS driver bagged his maiden Cup Series title after three seasons in 1995. His dominance would continue in the following years with him wrapping the 1996 season in P2 and two consecutive Cup titles in the subsequent seasons.

However, Jeff Gordon couldn't rake in another trophy after the fourth title in 2001. On the other hand, his teammate Jimmie Johnson claimed six championships when the former began his 22nd season in 2014.

"I could do it": When Jeff Gordon made his feelings known about racing at Martinsville Speedway aged 74

Gordon called his penultimate Cup Series race in 2016 at the Martinsville Speedway, where he has etched nine wins from 47 starts, the most victories by him at a track. After registering 805 races, 93 wins, 325 top-5s, and 24924 laps led, the HMS driver stepped down as the driver.

During a conservation earlier this year in February, the HMS vice chairman was asked what he would've done at 74 years old if someone had asked him to race at Martinsville. The interviewer, Joe Buck also asked whether Gordon thinks having a shot at winning the race.

The NASCAR legend was clear about his capabilities and said:

"I do feel that way about Martinsville. I feel like, I could go five years, ten years be out of the car and somebody said 'Hey! you got a shot, to put you in a good car at Martinville.' I'd go, 'Yeah, I think I could do it,'" Jeff Gordon said. (2:24).

Jeff Gordon's 1998 campaign is considered the most dominant. He claimed 13 wins in a season, making it a first since Richard Petty earned 13 victories in 1975. It's worth mentioning that no driver has broken Gordon's record to date.