If the name on the windshield didn’t make it obvious, this is not the car Jeff Gordon originally signed up to drive this weekend. According to ESPN, Gordon was going to drive the pace car until he got an opportunity to jump back into the race itself by filling in for his former teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.

[A crew member congratulates Jeff Gordon after qualifying on pole for today’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports team qualified in four of the top five starting positions, with teammate and fellow Chase for the Sprint Cup driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. coming in fifth. Photo credit: Getty Images]