FOX's Jeff Gordon to drive Daytona 500 pace car
Four-time NASCAR Premier Series champion and FOX NASCAR analyst Jeff Gordon will be the pace car driver for Sunday’s 59th running of the Daytona 500 (2 p.m. ET, FOX).
Gordon will be linked into the FOX television booth as he drives the pace car, and quite a pace car it is: A 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that comes standard with a supercharged, 650-horsepower V-8 engine and has a top speed of 200 miles per hour.
In his career, Gordon won the Daytona 500 three times, and last month, he was a co-driver on the race-winning car in the Rolex 24 sports car race at Daytona.
“For the first time ever, I’m going to be inside this car, looking in the rearview mirror, looking at the front row,” said Gordon. “Two Chevrolets — Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr. leading the field behind me.
“We’re going to be able to interact with the booth, Mike Joy and D.W. (Darrell Waltrip) up there.”
Gordon said he will miss racing.
“I’m going to have to pull off, unfortunately,” said Gordon. “I do want to take the green. I wish I could because this car is certainly capable of it.”
