Jeff Gordon sits out practice, relief driver standing by for Sunday

CHARLOTTE, NC - MAY 24: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - MAY 24: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC – MAY 24: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Jeff Gordon ended his practice early Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway site of Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup series Coca-Cola 600. Gordon only ran 11 laps in the first of two scheduled sessions before parking his Hendrick Motorsports Chevy.

“Unfortunately I had a back spasm the other night in that last qualifying run that I made,” Gordon said. “I’ve been trying to get it worked out by today, and I got in the car and it just wasn’t. The good news is that the car is awesome.”

Gordon, who has suffered back issues for several years and at one point admitted that those issues threatened to end his career, did get treatment during the off season. Until Saturday Gordon had no complaints about his back. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.