When NASCAR’s short lived experiment hampered Jeff Gordon’s post-race celebrations

Early in his NASCAR career, Jeff Gordon missed the chance to celebrate a race win in style due to a brief rule implemented by NASCAR. The rule, which limited post-race celebrations, was short-lived and lasted only three races before being scrapped.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon secured 93 Cup Series victories over his 25-year career, piloting the #24 for Hendrick Motorsports. His first win came at the 1994 Coca-Cola 600, a Crown Jewel event. A four-time Cup Series champion, Gordon set several records, including most wins in a season with 13 in 1998. His dominance across Crown Jewel races solidifies his legendary status in NASCAR history.

On September 30, 2001, NASCAR introduced a structure made of PVC pipes that stopped a driver from climbing on top of his race-winning car to celebrate their victory. Jeff Gordon was the first of three drivers who were not allowed to climb on top of their cars as he drove down victory lane in the 2001 Protection One 400. Here's a look at Gordon in victory lane during that time via a post on X (formerly Twitter) captioned:(via @nascarman_rr)

"September 30, 2001: NASCAR officials introduced "The Gate" in victory lane, a PVC pipe to block a driver from standing on the roof of his car. They wanted to avoid the roof being too low in inspection or drivers slipping on the wet roof. It lasted only 3 races."

Sterling Marlin and Ricky Craven also faced the same situation as Jeff Gordon as they celebrated in victory lane after winning the next two races. Gordon, however, went on to win the 2001 Winston Cup Series championship, his final title, after a dominant season, securing six race victories in his.

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When Jeff Gordon credited Rick Hendrick during his Hall of Fame speech

Following a celebrated career, Jeff Gordon was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019. For most of his Cup Series career, Gordon competed for Rick Hendricks' Hendrick Motorsports.

During his acceptance speech, Gordon expressed his gratitude and appreciation for Rick Hendricks, for believing in him and for his guidance throughout his senior career in stock car racing. He said (via NASCAR on YouTube)

"There's no way to describe it any other way other than you're a great man. You've been far more than just a team owner to me. You've constantly set the bar to make everyone around you want to be a better person at the job, a better person in every walk of life and that includes me."

After a brief stint as a NASCAR analyst for Fox Sports, four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon returned to Hendrick Motorsports in 2022, taking on the role of Vice Chairman. Since then, he has been actively contributing to the team's continued success.