Gordon didn't like the Chase when first told about it: #24-Jeff Gordon met with members of the media at Phoenix and discussed many topics including his reaction when he first was told about NASCAR's plan to do the Chase:
Q) HAVE YOU CURSED THE CHASE OVER THE YEARS AND WOULD IT BE POETIC JUSTICE IF YOU WIN IT HERE?Gordon: "That would be the ultimate, most poetic justice ever. (laughs) Well the one thing that I will never forget is the moment that I was standing on the dock in Key West, Florida on a NASCAR boat trip with Brian France and Mike Helton and they told me what they were planning on doing with the Chase format and I laughed in their faces because I thought that was the most hilarious thing I have ever heard of. Because I thought it was a joke, then I quickly realized that was not a joke and I was pulling the laughs back into my mouth. I was like, 'are you serious?', and they said 'yes'. Of course I didn't like it. I felt like point system was just fine for me. I don't think you can go back and look at accumulating points in the old system in the new system. Everybody races differently under each point system and does what it takes. So I don't know if we can all sit here and speculate and talk about things and wonder what could have been if the old point system would have stayed the same. There is no doubt in my mind that it suited my driving style. The reason I was able to win at so many different tracks was the consistency that our team had and that I had at all the different tracks. That paid off when you were trying to win the championship under a 36-race schedule. I didn't want to see it come down to that final 10, because some of those final 10 were not all tracks that suited me. It actually suited others pretty well and so I felt like it was not benefitting me. So of course I wish it hadn't changed. But when I look at the sport from 10,000 feet I love it and think it is exciting. And with this new format, I think it is even better. I will continue to support it, always have, even when it hasn't suited me. I think that I try and not be that selfish and think of what is best for the sport. At the end of the day, what is best for the sport is best for me, best for the team, best for all teams. And best for you guys too."(
Team Chevy)(11-14-2015)