“This is going to be at the top”: Jeff Gordon bestows 2x F1 champ Fernando Alonso with high praise

Jeff Gordon recently caught up with Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso at COTA for a ceremonial helmet swap. The meet-up between the two legends happened on Friday, just ahead of the US Grand Prix, which is scheduled for Monday, 21st October.

Jeff Gordon is a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. He drove the No. 24 Chevrolet full-time for Hendrick Motorsports from 1993 to 2015 in what used to be known as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and Sprint Cup Series (now Cup Series).

Gordon also served as the replacement for Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind the wheel of the iconic #88 in select races during the 2016 season. He retired in 2015 and is currently the Vice Chairman of Hendrick Motorsports.

On the other hand, Alonso is a Spanish driver who competes in Formula 1 under the banner of Aston Martin. Alonso is a two-time Formula 1 World Champion. The 43-year-old speedster won the 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championships, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2018, 2019).

Therefore, Alonso's helmet was indeed a worthy addition to Jeff Gordon's collection of helmets. Reflecting on the same, Gordon said:

"I have many helmets in (my) collection other than mine and this is going to be at the top."

Gordon then signed the helmet that he gave Alonso. The duo embraced each other and Gordon wished Alonso luck for the latter's upcoming race.

---

Jeff Gordon "embarrassed" by Hendrick Motorsports DQ at Charlotte ROVAL

Alex Bowman's No. 48 car was found lighter than the permitted weight cap during a post-race inspection last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. NASCAR disqualified Bowman, thus ending his playoff journey.

Hendrick Motorsports has decided not to appeal to NASCAR to revoke Bowman's DQ because, as per NASCAR, "no exonerating evidence was found in post-race inspection."

Speaking of the DQ on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Jeff Gordon said,

"Pretty embarrassed by it and very disappointing after what was looking like a historical day and one of the most exciting days that we’ve had at the race track, being a home race and everything and celebrating in Victory Lane and all four, and that all got wiped away. So we looked at all the facts, and we didn’t feel like there was really anything that we felt comfortable appealing, and we’re going to move on."

Given that Kyle Larson clinched his sixth win of the season the same day his teammate Bowman got ousted from contention, it was indeed a bittersweet day for Hendrick Motorsports. Larson sits at the top of the leaderboard, while Alex Bowman is 9th.

Larson and Bowman will race this Sunday (October 20) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Fans can watch the race on NBC or listen to radio updates on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio from 2:30 PM ET onwards.