Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon’s days behind the wheel in NASCAR are behind them.
However, the two NASCAR Hall of Famers still have a competitive drive, which was on display in an IROC exhibition race.
On Friday afternoon at Ten Tenths Motor Club in Concord, North Carolina, Busch wheeled his way to victory in the 12-lap Heritage Invitational.
Gordon, meanwhile, placed second and stood up on the podium alongside Busch. The two gave the fans a thrilling race to the end, and proved they have not lost a step behind the wheel.
Kurt Busch on IROC exhibition: ‘Feel like kids again’
Wheeling a purple IROC Pontiac Firebird, Busch claimed the victory in Friday’s IROC exhibition by fending off a hard-charging Gordon, who piloted a silver IROC Firebird.
In his post-race interview, the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion reflected on the incredible day. The 47-year-old applauded former NASCAR crew chief and car owner Ray Evernham for getting him to compete in the race.
Busch added that the exhibition event made it feel like his old days of racing.
“It’s amazing. Just the camaraderie and the fun that we all got to have. Just seeing all the cars on the track, all the colors, and the teamwork. Everyone, from IROC, Ray Evernham — round of applause for Ray. He told me to get my car out from under a cover that it had been under for 20 years, and it’s cool. It made us feel like kids again,” Busch said via Racing America.
Busch last competed in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022. The Las Vegas native was forced to retire after a concussion sustained in a qualifying crash at the Pocono Raceway.
Busch competed full-time in the Cup Series from 2001-2022. During that time, he won the NASCAR Cup title in 2004 and was a 34-time race winner. One of those victories included the 2017 Daytona 500.
Jeff Gordon praises Kurt Busch for IROC win: ‘Drove a great race’
Gordon had a car that could have won Friday’s IROC exhibition.
Unfortunately for the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he had to settle for second behind Busch.
The 54-year-old was in no way bitter about coming in runner-up in his post-race interview. The Vice Chairman of Hendrick Motorsports gave props to Busch for running a strong race, and was appreciative of the opportunity to race on Friday.
“We were able to make some passes and just couldn’t hold it. Kurt drove a great race. … What a spectacular day out here at Ten Tenths. Thank all of you for coming out. I think all of us as drivers are having a blast out here driving these IROC cars, seeing all of our heroes out here on the track, but most of all, just seeing the crowd come out and the great weather,” Gordon said.
Bobby Labonte, Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, and Ken Schrader were among other NASCAR legends who competed in Friday’s race. Labonte finished eighth, followed by Elliott in ninth, Martin in 15th, and Schrader in 16th.
During his 23-year NASCAR career, Gordon became arguably one of the sport’s greatest drivers. He won 93 Cup races, which stands as third all-time. The former driver of the No. 24 captured three Daytona 500 wins and four Cup championships.
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