The Worst Weekend of Jeff Gordon’s Career

Jeff Gordon is a once in a generation driver so when he struggled mightily in 2005 it came as a shock to many. No race or race weekend showed worse for Gordon than his weekend at the Chicagoland Speedway that summer. Here’s how it happened.
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Songs: Loser (Instrumental) by 3 Doors Down

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

Jeff Gordon: *tries to sings “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at Cubs Game* His 2005 Season: “so anyway, I start struggling more”

[@badbooking3221]

Actually he was like second in the points before he sang the doomed tune. He definitely got cursed for the rest of the year after that.

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

Bad Booking wow!

[@sedulous01]

SammyInABox 1 Take me out of the grandstands, Take me out of my ride! By me some Pepsi and Coke I will drive and never go back!

[@j9vlikz683]

@SammyInABox 1 lmao

[@24ever60]

The fact that a 5 star organization like hms could have one of their cars be running 37th without mechanical issues just goes to show how much tighter the competition was back then with all the teams even the back markers.

[@mistaTVD3199]

Facts, the past ten years it seems the top 28 roughly compete, then there a big drop off. Usually Front Row, 13 team, what ever car Landon Cassil is in is the dividing point.

[@Nemofishman]

Right now, makes sense, the cutoff IMO would be everyone not involved with RWR in some form (00, 15, 27, 51, 53, 7, 78).

[@BloodyBoyBlue]

Taylor Van Dyke in 2020 it’s the 32 and 96

[@Monkey832]

Now we're almost back at that point

[@24ever60]

@Monkey832 the 78 car was the last team that was constantly race after race, the slowest car out there, and was pretty much the first car to get lapped. Not to say they weren't trying, but they never really went anywhere since they started in 2021. Now, with all the chartered teams putting forth all their effort to compete this season, we could have one of the most parody filled seasons in recent memory. I think we were already seeing it last season with the SHR cars running below 30th at times on speed.

[@billy88joe]

Dale Jr’s whole 2009 season was the worst weekend of his racing career

[@greyhound9960]

I would say 2001 was the worst season of his career, and really the 1st race season for him.

[@Tommy23269]

@@greyhound9960 then doesn’t even get to race at Rockingham the next race

[@bigrooster6893]

I definitely put Gordon over Johnson on the greatest all time driver list.

[@MarcTheWatchman]

Very good video. However, I think the 2008 Samsung 500 at Texas may have been even worse than this one :( . What's incredible to think about is after both Chicago and Texas, he ended up winning each event 1 year later...

[@NolmDirtyDan]

That Ozzie version though 😆😆 😆

[@rvathoosie435]

yes lol

[@ericmarchesini4883]

No I'm Dirty Dan what year he sang.

[@BaDArxz]

Take me out to the bawlgam.... duh duh duh duuh duh duh

[@BMoney8600]

He probably had too much to drink

[@jimmiejohnson4871]

Remember he urinated the alamo

[@NASCARFAN93100]

Jeff Gordon singing Take Me Out To The Ballgame and being on the cover for NASCAR 06 Total Team Control were a death sentence for his 2005 season He may have won 4 races including the Daytona 500 But 9 DNFs and a missed Chase appearance spoke more volumes of his 2005 season than those 4 wins 2008 and 2010 may have been winless seasons for him but he was more consistent those seasons than in 2005

[@anthonydeloreto3881]

Yeah, but his real death sentence was the softer tire & the change in the rear spoiler.

[@DaHomieBurns]

You'd think Tony Stewart would fight people at an airport, apparently he isn't the only one.

[@loganwest23]

At least they didnt fight at applebees

[@arishakala]

Logan West nice reference

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

Wow I didn’t know anything about Jeff Gordon giving Mike Bliss a black eye

[@ericmarchesini4883]

IanPerez48 I thought Gordon would’ve been arrested for assault on Bliss, which NASCAR suspend Gordon indefinitely.

[@twistedrules1]

@@ericmarchesini4883 suspending Jeff indefinitely for fighting at a airport??? Man you must really hate Jeff Gordon then. There was a time and he even admitted that he should of been suspended for, that was after intentionally wrecking Bowyer in Phoenix. Still felt Bowyer deserved it anyways but that's just me.

[@evannuh-koo-la4054]

Atleast it's better than Roseanne Barr signing the national anthem

[@arwyss]

Does she even know sign language?

[@DonaldTrump2020-v6p]

Stole the words right out of my mouth

[@DanielNuteson]

and also the 2019 Bristol Night race national anthem or fergie's national anthem

[@ericmarchesini4883]

RIP Jason Leffler I would say Brian Vickers at Martinsville 2011.

[@ygs_reaper]

Idk David Reutimann earlier that year could be just as bad! 🤣

[@danielgittens7569]

I came to the comments to see if anyone else thought of it. That was a comically bad day.

[@ygs_reaper]

@@danielgittens7569 I was watching that race live and as a JG fan it made me LIVID he woulda most likely won but NOPE! 😫😭

[@danielgittens7569]

@@ygs_reaper Gordon fan here too. I could've thrown Kenseth out a window that day

[@grcia_08]

& Kasey Kahne at the fall Martinsville race in 2014

[@cito1101]

I think I know why Jeff Gordon didn't do so well that race Maybe he was haunted by how terrible he sounded while trying to sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame", and while he was Racing, he kept singing it in his head. Everytime he tried to stop, he found himself deeper and deeper in the field, then eventually crashing out. That's what happened, LOL

[@nathanbginger7]

Reminds me of lightning mcqueen thinking about sally in the final race

[@Pen2ke]

Reminds me of Kyle Busch 2022 Martinsville fall race. I was there that car was terrible. Every corner he was sideways.

[@rolandjovi2441]

2005- 4 wins, 8 top fives, 14 top tens, 2 poles....12 finishes of 30th or worse. That season was a nightmare for us Gordon fans.

[@NASCARFAN93100]

Yes it was

[@KenFM12.93]

I remember it fondly for all the wrong reasons.

[@twistedrules1]

Crazy thing is that I was at the Talladega race he won, he was having a great front half of the year. After than just went downhill, him winning Martinsville was nice, didn't they pay him like $100,000 or something for finishing 11th that year?? I do remember watching the award show and he showed up to receive something, I was 8 years old at the time so that everyone knows.

[@rolandjovi2441]

@@twistedrules1 It was one million dollars to finish 11th. He didn't show up for the awards ceremony. Will Ferrell gave his speech for him. It was hilarious. i haven't seen it since that night. It's nowhere on KZbin. I wish someone would upload it.

[@cliffordbartolome1965]

Don’t forget the 9 dnfs

[@whatincarnation95]

*2014 Texas Fall would like to know your location*

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

I blame the chase for that lol

[@racefan7616]

that was not a bad race for Jeff. He just got screwed at the finish

[@jacobblevins18]

Oh, the dreadful flashbacks

[@SWiFTMK7]

Worst part is, right after BK screwed him, he had the best car of everyone the final race at Miami. Newman should’ve never made it in. So many things went wrong. That was Jeff Gordon’s best season since 2001. And as a long time fan, seeing him always get screwed hurt, but this race was so much worse.

[@twistedrules1]

*grabs a chair* like everyone else we do not talk about that fucking race. I was extremely livid and pissed off, should of won the race, was happy Johnson won.

[@aaronasmr8833]

The fact that 2005 was his worst year shows how damn good he was

[@gadgefan48]

That season was so damn frustrating to go through as a Gordon fan. Some of the runs he had that summer was just embarrassing. His run at Texas in the spring of 2008 was rather embarrassing as well. 2013 at Watkins Glen too. But definitely getting in the tussle with Bliss at the airport sets this apart. Bliss deserved it honestly though, that was ridiculous.

[@Jesse-dh7em]

The spring 08 Texas race was the first race I ever went to. Couldn't believe how bad Gordon ran before backing it into turn 4 wall right in front of me.

[@robertrobinson6831]

I remember that race well I was almost glad that he whipped out and put a end to a horrible day and I am huge Jeff Gordon fan.

[@ShawnMcClurg]

I thought Spring Texas 08 was the race he had the hard hit when he was in 4th in the last 5 laps? What race am I talking about?

[@lonewolf2513]

@@ShawnMcClurg Vegas 08. That whole year I think Jeff wants to forget

[@dshih199]

Ted Johnson we don’t talk about 2005, 2008, or 2010. Let’s just pretend those seasons never happened

[@SlimJimJZ]

And then he came back next year and won the 2006 Chicagoland race. That’s quite a turnaround.

[@anthonydeloreto3881]

Jeff Gordon’s main problems for 2005 was, of course, a plethora of DNF’s, & the rules package that consisted of a smaller rear spoiler & softer tire. And the fact that Robbie Loomis was feeling worried for his mother who was very ill during the #24 teams struggle. Steve Letarte would take over, & improved the team overtime.

[@reubensmart2417]

You should do a video on Carl Edward's 2013 Daytona speedweeks

[@noahhall5211]

Black flags matter already did that

[@DiecastEmporium]

Kurt Busch. Spring Martinsville 2009. That scanner audio with him, Pat Tryson, & Roger Penske will forever live in infamy.

[@ericmarchesini4883]

Diecast Emporium I think we know what happened few years later between Kurt Busch and Roger Penske.

[@brockstar1461]

weird that the few races he did win that year were some of my favorites of his career. the 500, the unbeatable starwars car at Talladega, and his spring win at Martinsville when he came back from 3 laps down and won the race

[@timechanger9162]

What about chase Elliots round of 8 2019😭

[@TheDthatcher]

That was heartbreaking

[@turbokart3776]

Me: sees Mike Bliss in front of Jeff Gordon. Also me: Bad weekend confirmed.

[@DavidRagan3134]

I like how when they cut to Gordon, Leffler passed him twice. What a horrendous race.

[@Tristin471]

Back when the 11 Gibbs car was bad lol. Even still, RIP Leffler!

[@Alpha-nj8gn]

Wonder what Leffler was thinking when he passed Gordon twice

[@Ibelikemj]

Variety Player I might not lose my ride to Denny Hamlin?

[@NASCARFAN93100]

Please do a vid on Denny Hamlin's disastrous weekend at Sonoma in 2013

[@DanielNuteson]

2:11 still better than the 2019 Bristol Night race national anthem

[@megabutters9144]

You can say THAT again!

[@jrcautomotive4319]

The one with the kids? It was bad but I don’t think it was as bad as Gordon’s

[@juanmanuelbonzano]

Still better than the National Anthem in Indy '01.

[@jacobmazak2607]

I was there tor that race and it wasn’t the best singing

[@DanielNuteson]

@@jrcautomotive4319 At least Gordon was actually singing. The kids there were just talking and not singing

[@speedzonefilms]

“I’m a loser” by 3 doors down playing? Hahaha I hear that

[@pulishem]

Last time I was this early Kyle Larson had a job

[@AllThingsRacing]

Damn. Just damn.

[@Bakaroons]

Larson is back doing whay he does best, racing on dirt

[@ThatSB]

@@Bakaroons He will be back with a better team in Nascar where he belongs soon enough. Making actual money

[@Nascarfan24dude]

you know this season stunk for Gordon when you remember all of this and it was one of your first real seasons watching the cup series.

[@alexlower9796]

I'm digging 3 doors down as the background music

[@racedaytop5withfrankv]

DEI 2005 Coke 600 after the two cars got together? They never should’ve swapped crew members and cars. Worst move by the team.

[@fatpatlives1998]

That 1 singular move killed the company and indirectly killed the prime years of dale Jr career he had so much chemistry with Tony sr as CC

[@seanguthrie2282]

why talking about jr this is about JG

[@fatpatlives1998]

@@seanguthrie2282 actually Jr and Gordon's worse season was this 2005 season and as the op stated the coke600 wreck with Michael Waltrip was rock bottom for the team

[@O5fan]

@@seanguthrie2282 in the video he said to leave a comment with suggestions of other bad weekends

[@behindthemic4971]

As a huge Jeff Gordon fan, his worst weekend was 2008 at Texas.

[@DennyDeliversYT]

Chase Elliott finally winning and Brian France getting DUI was heaven and hell for NASCAR

[@tomcurran860]

The Brian France thing is good now, at the time it was embarrassing for the sport thought.

[@DennyDeliversYT]

Tom Curran Agree... hindsight is 20/20 I guess

[@tomcurran860]

@@b.d.cooper8671 lol wut

[@seamuso7020]

@@b.d.cooper8671 The new management is noticeably better then the old

[@psychlops924]

- Wins Daytona 500 - Worst season of career I think that basically settles how good Jeff Gordon was.

[@DupontandLowesWarrior]

Rockingham 2001: Dale Jr's Worst Weekend

[@cyanus5264]

2001 Daytona 500 :(

[@Bestoftheworstfishing]

Jimmie every speedweeks and the majority of daytona 500's

[@treyryan5808]

2008 Samsung 500 would like to have a word with you

[@Ultimate23Dragon]

1:23 - Kevin Harvick & Roush-era Kurt Busch say "Hello"...

[@Whatruacop97]

I had to pause the video due to Ozzy Osbourne singing take me out to the ball game I was laughing too hard

[@brandonenglund7516]

I wouldn’t consider Gordon giving Bliss a black eye and embarrassment, I say well done

[@evanwilliams6406]

2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 should be right up there too. He crashed his special Bugs Bunny paint job in practice, falls off the golf cart with Bugs Bunny in the golf cart race and injured his wrist, and then Gordon's night ends early with an engine failure. That's a pretty bad weekend.

[@Paintthe88fan]

Jimmie Johnson 2008 Las Vegas

[@austinemms9772]

Can you do Missing Rings: Kevin Harvick 2016. With all the success he’s having right now, you should remind everyone of his past failures.

[@DanielNuteson]

or Missing rings Joey Logano 2016. Logano is also having a lot of success

[@aaronburkey8185]

Ross Chastain at the 2019 Iowa Speedway M&M’s 200. Won the race but got DQ’d shortly afterwards for the crew lowering the rear on the truck. After wasting a PERFECTLY good watermelon in Victory Lane, they gave the win and the points to Brett Moffitt.

[@Tylnorton]

2005 was definitely his worst season of his career. He had a 17.8 average finish with 8 top 5 and 14 top 10. 4 wins is the only good thing about that season for him.

[@NASCARFAN93100]

Yeah as a Gordon fan I hated the 2005 season

[@Ultrase7en767]

Can you do one about Jimmie's 2008 Vegas race I believe it was?

[@martinhenderson1359]

Ozzy’s rendition > Jeff’s rendition. Jeff didn’t have a reason to be out of it. Ozzy’s version is basically 2020 in a nutshell and that is okay. 🤣

[@drstupid4366]

Good point . Ozzy was flat out fucked up trying to sing it and Jeff Gordon doesn't have any good excuses. Well what happened is everybody told Jeff Gordon not to worry about singing it because all the fans will jump in and basically sing it for you ...........oops , Gordon insulted the fans by saying " Wrigley Stadium " and he got boos instead of song lyrics . Yep , Thats what happened.

[@Brett_Baker_]

Is it ironic that his worst weekend in 2005 then in 2006 he wins at the same track? But in my opinion his worst weekend was the 2008 spring Texas race, 1 of his 2 43rd place finishes ever

[@RobertBMF]

Kyle Busch Fontana October 2009 was a bad weekend for him

[@austinblansett9900]

I remember this weekend I was a few days shy of my 8th birthday. Even then I knew his chase hopes were done for 2005 after this week.

[@Intangedous1]

I'd argue the Spring Texas race in 2008 was Gordon's worst race performance wise.

[@DaytonaPrototypes]

Gordon's entire 2005 season was pretty bad. Particularly from late May through September. They were straight trash almost every week. It was amazing. I think Tony Stewart had a pretty awful weekend late in his career. In all seriousness the amount of bad publicity NASCAR recieved in the following weeks deserves some mention.

[@tstokes1588]

One I can think of is Dale jr in the 2010 Coke 600. Ran like 37th all night long

[@dakotaroberts3948]

Kevin Harvick Chicago 2010. He had a GREAT year that year and going to one of his best tracks. He laid an egg!

[@CatGoomba64]

2:05 Mike Joy just brought this up on the broadcast at Martinsville

[@matthewlumsden3723]

Whens the table update for the driver standings with winston points sistem?

[@TheIceberg]

Later tonight

[@matthewlumsden3723]

@@TheIceberg That morning to me, i live in the UK

[@TheIceberg]

Oh, it should be out in about 3-5 hours. I hope that's not too late

[@daltonwike2284]

In 2013, my favorite driver at the time Carl Edwards, the whole entire 2013 Daytona speedweeks, he had 5 total wrecks the whole week, do that one

[@BroD_98]

Kevin Harvick (2020 fall Texas Race)

[@soylentgreen7074]

I think it was 2008 but Jeff Gordon had a terrible year at Texas also his car was so bad he was running in the back and he got so frustrated he just parked the car even though there was no damage to it.

[@deaf2819]

As a life long Gordon fan, I still hate mike bliss for this race I have to be the only one that remembers I even happened . SHOULDNT OF BEEN RUNNING BACK THERE!

[@tgs2141]

Vickers 2011 run a Martinsville was just a PG 13 moment

[@FlyGuyOnly773]

One thing you can never say about Jeff he was never no punk I think Jeff Gordon got more fights there any other driver out here at least he can back it up

[@WWEFiesta02]

I can think of Carl Edwards at Kentucky in 2009. Started 10th, ran horrible all night while Kyle Busch and Joey Logano ran up front. Sped on pit road under green twice, never got the car right, and finished 4 laps down

[@hmsfan9]

This one is very unpopular but Dale Jr

[@AxelSqueeze]

Kurt busch darlington 2012. Bad car, crashes with newman, drives through Newman's pit box, gets in a shouting match with newman and his team, ends up suspended for the next race

[@DepravedCoTApologist]

I have 2: Jimmie Johnson - Spring Martinsville 2019 Brad Keselowski - Bristol Night Race 2018

[@forestschneiter5832]

I know people like to bring up 2008. Buuuuut 2005 was worse to me. Jeff won a few races ya, but at intermediate tracks...they were NOT competitive AT ALL. At least until the crew chief change and I think they ran pretty well at Homestead.

[@johnnystek6900]

and now Jeff spends his weekends fawning over Clit Bowyer

[@carrsllccarrillo6507]

What a great year it was..Gordon having a miserable season, calls out Wrigley Stadium for what it is while the Chicago White Sox end up winning the World Series and Tony Stewart winning the title! Great memories! Just can't get any better then that!

[@sprintcarfan12]

I can understand why Jeff attacked Mike Bliss, I never liked that guy. I might be wrong, but I think Gordon actually won 4 races in 05, I'm pretty sure he swept Martinsville. I think you should do one on Dale Jr, I think it was at Vegas the same year, but may have been in 04, his car was so bad the actually went to the garage to try to fix it, it was bad, lol

[@drstupid4366]

What happened was everybody told Jeff Gordon to just learn the first lines of " Take me out to the ballgame " because all the fans will join in and sing it for you ..........oops , Gordon insulted the fans right off the bat by saying " Wrigley Stadium " and he got boos instead of song lyrics!!!!! Yep , thats what happened.

[@mofoprada]

That shows how good Jeff Gordon was during his career... He won 4 races and still finished 11th in points; yet that is a “bad season” by Jeff Gordon standards. Please do the following races: - Jimmie Johnson at Las Vegas in 2008 - Dale Jr racing the Coca Cola 600 in 2009 - Tony Stewart’s 2014 & 2015 seasons

[@ryanm.4519]

2008 Texas Spring race was his worst. Was racing in the mid-30s for position from the beginning. Crashed early, and finished 43rd.

[@ryannichols8315]

People forget, Jeff Gordon was that era's Kyle Busch. People didn't start liking him until after Dale Earnhardt died. Well, at least he wasn't well liked. And before he retired he was beloved, and the most popular. I don't care that Jr won that award. I went to races, I saw it for myself. Before the race, Gordon always had the most fans and media surrounding him.

[@badbooking3221]

Arguably the 2008 spring Texas race is just as bad if not worse. Had a bad car, was running 33rd and almost 2 laps down when he flat wrecked on his own. Ran a few more laps then parked it.

[@johnvandeventer8668]

Still better than Ozzy Osborne in singing Take Me Out To The Ballgame

[@DanielNuteson]

And the 2019 Bristol Night race national Anthem

[@HendrickChase9]

Daniel Nuteson that anthem was really good with those kids.

[@johnvandeventer8668]

@@DanielNuteson thoes kids were way better than fergie

[@davidbuell7051]

Testament to how competitive things were in the mid 2000s. If you were a little bit off you had no shot at a top 10. Even a top tier team could be way off and run 30th all day. Today if a major team like that had that big of an off day they probably would still outrun everyone from 25th on back and could probably even get a top 10 if the restarts went their way

[@daBEAGLE1017]

If Jimmy Johnson didn't exist, all the $ at Hendrix would've gone to Gordon and he would've passed the king for championships.

[@aaronmarkham4424]

Maybe

[@aaronmarkham4424]

An if will always be an if

[@DaHomieBurns]

Dale Jr. at Kentucky in 2011, started 30th and finished 30th due to a blown tire after he just finished a green flag pit stop.

[@noahkoz6873]

The Cubs would win the game 4-2

[@AlonsoRules]

White Sox won the World Series lol

[@kurtperleberg6040]

The cubs were traling the Houston Astros 2-0 in the bottom of the 7th. (The Astros went to the world series that year)

[@ryanmorrison3699]

Pretty sure Gordon swept at the paper clip in 2005. Make that four wins. Great video, was a rough year for ‘ol engine 24.

[@markdemars7044]

Yeah honestly that was the worst of his career. Or one of those if you actually include the Texas Spring race in 2008.

[@pens87668]

Dale Jr Rockingham Spring race 2001. Even he would agree.

[@88fanforlife]

Still not as bad as the two year fall Texas demons for Kyle Busch in 2010 and 2011

[@BIGSAJ]

This has been the reason why everyone’s stoped watching NASCAR Jeff Gordon insulting wrigley field

[@BMoney8600]

Skittles Racing I’m ok with it, I’m a Sox fan, love it or hate it southside till I die.

[@BIGSAJ]

*Breath in* BOI

[@wolverine9632]

1:16 Holy s*** those cars are beautiful

[@noahkoz6873]

Stenhouse at the first Darlington this year

[@mandude03VideosYT]

Bad Seasons: Tony Stewart 2014-15 Oh wait, wrong channel Oops

[@Tommy23269]

Jimmie Johnson at Las Vegas 2008. Ran 30th the whole race.

[@rcd1293]

I was a huge Jeff Gordon fan back in the day. To this day this was the only Nascar race I've ever been to : ( And I even said he'll probably win the race next year after the race was over

[@kurtperleberg6040]

Jeff did better than Michael Schumacher in 2005.

[@covetprice]

Racing today is nothing like it used to be. As each era proves.

[@NASCARFAN93100]

DannyBTalks: Uploaded The Iceberg: Uploaded Eric Estepp: Loading...

[@drstupid4366]

Eric Esteep is getting to cocky . lol

[@6allmotivepowers363]

Tony Stewart - August 9, 2014

[@Ultimate23Dragon]

8:20 - Also of note, Gordon wasn't suspended or even fined for that encounter. *_Michael Waltrip, Greg Biffle, Marcos Ambrose, & especially Jimmy Spencer disapproves_*

[@rolandjovi2441]

That was because it took place away from the racetrack and NASCAR wouldn't get involved.

[@ericmarchesini4883]

Even Gordon didn’t get arrested for that.

[@ajmrcfan]

Ross Chastain's 2020 Daytona weekend

[@jakewright8308]

Dale jr 2009 coke 600. That was a horrific race

[@nathangrocholski2094]

I remember Sonoma in 2010 Jeff Gordon was punting people left and right and everyone wanted to fight him after that race

[@montecarloss305]

These videos always seem to remind me just how many times Jeff Burton finished 2nd in that RCR #31. Also, for a recommendation on a bad weekends: 2002 Kevin Harvick Martinsville