Jeff Gordon ready for commentating debut

Jeff Gordon, who announced plans in January to step away from driving the #24 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports that he has driven for more than two decades and taken to four then-Winston Cup championships, will make his debut as a television commentator on Friday evening for the Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Fox Sports 1. Gordon is one of five current Cup drivers who will provide commentary as part of the Fox team during the first half of the NASCAR season alongside Adam Alexander and Michael Waltrip, who are in the booth for all Fox Xfinity races. Fox, along with NBC, regained the rights to Xfinity Series television coverage after ESPN let their contract expire at the end of the 2014 season. Fox and NBC also took over the former "Summer Series" races from one-time NBC cable partner TNT starting this year, and NBC also retook the second half of the Cup season. Along with Gordon, Fox's Xfinity Series guest commentators through the Chicagoland race in June will include Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Clint Bowyer and even Danica Patrick.