Jeff Gordon to Retire After 2015 Season

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CHARLOTTE, NC — NASCAR great Jeff Gordon is putting the brakes on his racing career.  He says 2015 will be his final season competing for a championship.

“Halfway through last year, I said, you know, this is it, boss,” said Gordon.  The four-time champion announced publicly Thursday that this season would be his last.  Gordon posted a picture on Twitter showing the 24 team standing around Gordon as he announced his final season.  

Once news broke, NASCAR drivers flooded Twitter, expressing their emotions of one of the greats of their sport, ready to call it a career.  Teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. wrote, “Hard to imagine this is @JeffGordonWeb last full season. Tons of respect for him and what he’s accomplished thus far. A total professional.” 

And Danica Patrick was just as shocked as the rest of us.  “Crazy to hear that @JeffGordonWeb is retiring! What an amazing career! Glad I got to race with him!” she said via Twitter.

Fans shopping at Hendrick Motorsports were both surprised and shocked Gordon will say goodbye to full time racing after this year.

“At least he is quitting while he is ahead,” said Charlotte resident Phillip Hoffman.  “A lot of the drivers get old in the sport and can’t do anything.”

“I’m sure every track will have something planned,” said Charlotte resident Scott Vaughn.  “Like maybe a couple of rocking chairs or grandfather clocks or something to send him out.”

Out of his 92 career wins, Jeff Gordon has snagged the checkered flag eight times at Charlotte Motor Speedway.