2015 Will Be Last Full Season For NASCAR's Jeff Gordon

One of NASCAR's biggest stars says 2015 will be his last year as a full-time driver.

Jeff Gordon said in a press conference carried live by FOX8 Thursday that he wanted to leave the sport while he can still win races, and hopes to win a championship this year.     

“I want to be competitive out there I hope I can do that all the way through my final year, so this is the right time,” he says.

Gordon's final full season will be his 23^rd behind the wheel of the familiar No. 24 Chevrolet. The 43-year-old lives in Charlotte but was born in California and raised in Indiana. He is credited by many for expanding NASCAR's fan base far beyond the Southeast, from where the sport originated.

Gordon says he made the decision to retire from full-time driving in the middle of last season. But he delayed making an announcement until he told his two young children. He told them of his plans Thursday before telling his team and longtime employees.

Gordon's 92 Sprint Cup wins ranks third behind only Hall-of-Fame drivers Richard Petty and David Pearson.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.