Jeff Gordon tested positive for COVID-19, will call Saturday's race at Martinsville
NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon revealed Thursday that he tested positive for COVID-19 over NASCAR's Easter break.
Gordon, who currently works as an analyst for Fox, said on SiriusXM that he had "minimal symptoms" and would be able to broadcast Saturday's Cup Series race at Martinsville.
ICYMI: @JeffGordonWeb tells @DanielleTrotta & @LarryMac28 that he tested positive for Covid-19 last week #SXMOnTrack #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/xrjRkjPYvZ
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) April 8, 2021
"I took all the precautions, I was very fortunate that my family — my wife and my kids — did not get it," Gordon said.
He also said that he received his first vaccine dose approximately seven days before he tested positive. Studies have shown that the first doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can be strongly effective against COVID-19, though that efficacy is not immediate.
Gordon was on site for the Bristol dirt race on Monday, March 29. The Fox broadcast booth has been traveling to races in 2021, with Gordon, Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer in the same booth with each other during races.
Matt DiBenedetto's crew chief out on Saturday
While Gordon will be calling Saturday's race at Martinsville like normal, Matt DiBenedetto won't have his typical crew chief. Greg Erwin will miss the race because of COVID-19 protocols. Engineer Jonathan Hassler will call the race for DiBenedetto.
No Cup Series drivers have missed races in 2021 because of positive COVID-19 tests. A season ago, both Jimmie Johnson and Austin Dillon missed a race after they tested positive for coronavirus.
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