Jeff Gordon will compete in Rolex 24

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida: Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon will compete in the January 28 to 29, 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Gordon will co-drive the all-new No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R prototype with Ricky and Jordan Taylor and veteran Italian wheelman Max “The Ax” Angelelli.

Gordon used his Twitter account on Thursday (Friday in Manila) to tell the world of his new adventure.

“My hope was that I would get an opportunity like this to compete again in such a prestigious event,” he tweeted.

Gordon, who retired as a full-time Cup Series driver after the 2015 season, competed with Wayne Taylor Racing in the 2007 Rolex 24, the 24-hour sports car marathon raced over Daytona International Speedway’s 3.56-mile (5.7-kilometer) road course.

“I really enjoyed racing in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2007 with Max, Wayne and Jan,” said Gordon, now an analyst during NASCAR on Fox broadcasts. “When I announced I would no longer be competing full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, my hope was that I would get an opportunity like this to compete again in such a prestigious event.”

“I know that Ricky and Jordan are super-fast, and I believe it will be a very strong combination,” he added.

Gordon, who has 805 career NASCAR Cup starts with 93 victories and championships in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001, came out of retirement this year to sub for his ailing Hendrick Motorsports team-mate Dale Earnhardt Jr., who sat out the last 18 races of the season with concussion symptoms.

Gordon was competitive to the end of his full-time, stock-car career behind the wheel of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He was one of the four NASCAR

penalized for a drive-time violation one week later.

“We are excited to have Jeff back in the lineup with us for the 2017 Rolex 24,” Taylor said. “He was with us when we started this race team back in 2007 and he touch ever since and have always been looking for another opportunity to have him join our driver line-up.”

full-time competition in NASCAR and we are very much looking forward to working with him again,” he added.