By Bill Weber, NASCAR.COM
April 25, 2007
11:02 AM EDT
type size: + -I try to make certain I am not repetitive with this weekly column. There are more than 45 teams in the Nextel Cup garage, a zillion stories, and I would like to try and get to all of them. Of course, then I would never sleep. Unfortunately, last Wednesday I wrote myself into a corner.
I focused on Jeff Gordon because I like the way he has attacked the season. I liked the way he raced in the Car of Tomorrow. I liked the fact he had never won at Phoenix, because it was only a matter of time. All things being said, I thought Gordon would win this past Saturday night. He did. He tied Dale Earnhardt with 76 career wins. This Sunday, at Talladega, he could pass Earnhardt. Now I am compelled to write about Gordon again.
How could you not? Now I can tell you firsthand, it is tough to get Jeff Gordon to talk about Jeff Gordon. I have always found him to be humble, take the blame, share the credit, shy away from the premise that it is all about him.
Rick Hendrick is the car owner for Jeff Gordon and the rest of the teams at Hendrick Motorsports. He can tell you a lot about Jeff Gordon. He hired him, watched him wreck a ton of stuff as a rookie -- "I think we went through 17 front clips that first year, a lot of them in practice," Hendrick said -- and cheered him to the 76 wins and four championships.
The biggest key to the success of Gordon?
"He knows what to do and when to do it," Hendrick said.
That is the strength of Jeff Gordon. That and good cars, strong resources, outstanding personnel and, oh yeah, talent.
Gordon won the race at Phoenix, increased his lead in the point standings, paraded around the track with a flag to salute Dale Earnhardt ... and people booed, or reacted in other childish ways. Not all of them, actually, not a lot of them, just the ignorant ones. The people that think they are fans but are really just people who have tickets and go to races.
It is OK to boo the competition; it is OK to be disappointed if your No. 1 enemy wins. It's classy and impressive to know when to salute a true champion who wants to salute another one.
If you judged Gordon's career by fan reaction, it seems like the guy can't do anything right. Anything, that is, except win.
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"Jeff came out of the gate winning so much early on," Hendrick said. "Usually when people don't like somebody, there's a reason. I've never kind of figured out the reason other than he was a winner, because he gives back so much and he does so much for the sport. You haven't seen a lot of confrontation out of him. He's good to the media. He's good to NASCAR. I mean, he's been a good citizen."
Can a guy be too nice? Sure, when it's Earnhardt on the other side of the garage.
Weekend That Was
Jeff Gordon said that he was afraid some fans might think he now considers himself as good a driver as Earnhardt was "and that wasn't the case." Well, Earnhardt fans might not like to hear this: but a case could be made that Gordon is as good or better than the late Earnhardt.
"If he hadn't won any races, I wonder how many people would like or dislike him, you know. I think it just comes with the territory. I look back over the years, guys like Darrell [Waltrip]. ... If you were a fan of Bobby Allison, some of the other guys, here comes Darrell Waltrip, all of a sudden people don't like him. I think Jeff has paid some dues for his early success."
Today, even without Dale Earnhardt, the rivalry with Jeff Gordon lives on. A rivalry that really existed in the grandstands more than in the garage.
"I never really saw any conflict between them," Hendrick said.
"I saw it as respect. I saw Earnhardt come over and put his arm around Jeff and talk to him about things."
Gordon came to NASCAR from sprint cars, where they run shorter races. Cup was a marathon, something Gordon struggled with as a rookie.
"You can't drive 10-lap heats in a 500 mile race. That was one of the things Earnhardt said to Jeff," Hendrick said. "I think that helped. I think because Dale could see he had a tremendous amount of talent ... he had those kind of conversations early on. I think Jeff listened to him and learned from him."
If Earnhardt could see the talent, so could Hendrick. Still, the accomplishments of the 24 driver amaze him.
"I'm impressed. I've always been impressed with him. I'm one of his biggest fans from the time I saw him drive Busch cars till the things I've seen him do in a Cup car. He is totally focused," Hendrick added. "He was extremely unselfish with Jimmie [Johnson] early on. He has really just, from the very beginning when he got into Cup racing, shown a tremendous amount of talent and [been] a very smart racer. Then when you get down to 10 to go, the money's on the line, he really steps it up when he has to."
Now you have to believe Gordon is sharply focused on the future. The way Tiger Woods would focus on winning a major. In NASCAR you cannot pick out selected events and try to win those. You have to compete every week in every race. You could make the point that the grind had made Gordon even better.
"Jeff was always mature way beyond his years," Hendrick said.
"Now that he's older and has as many years of experience as he does, he [has] spent a lot of time with Jimmie, a lot of time with Kyle [Busch] and Casey [Mears] as well as a lot of other young drivers. I see a lot of people coming up to him and asking him questions. You know one thing, Jeff, he's not going to talk a ton but when they ask him, he's pretty direct and gives them good advice."
In the beginning, it was Gordon getting advice from Earnhardt, among others. Listening was important. It still is, but so is leading.
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"One of the things that he talks about a lot is when to race, how to race, at what point do you save your stuff and try to figure out your car and strategy, then you go at the end," Hendrick said. "Jeff, again, has had so much experience, it's not just the experience on the track, it's experience off the track, in how to handle your time, not burn yourself up, what commitments you need to take care of first. He's been a great mentor for all of the guys."
Now, true fans of the sport will focus on what is next for Gordon. Cale Yarborough won 83 races. Waltrip and Allison each won 84 times. Gordon is certain to pass them, leaving him third on the all-time win list behind David Pearson, with 105 victories, and Richard Petty, who won 200 races.
"I feel like his personal life right now is really focused. He's got a baby on the way. When people say, 'Is that going to slow him down?', I think he's got everything together, just like he's always wanted it," Hendrick said. "He's determined here in this championship run. He could have won some more races this year, but he and Steve [Letarte, crew chief] have done a great job ... when it's not exactly right, they'll work on it till they get it there. He's points racing and wants to win races, too. I think he's going to be a tough guy to beat this year."
That's an impressive statement. And I think Hendrick is right on with his assessment. I also think Gordon is motivated by the success of Johnson and the 48 team.
"Nobody wants to run second to a teammate," Hendrick said.
Teams will tell you whatever happens on Sunday, or Saturday night, is history by noon on Monday. If you lost, the sulking is over; if you won, the celebrating is finished. Jeff Gordon won at Phoenix and the celebrating is over. But is there something left lingering in the air? Anticipation? Tension? History?
Talladega is just days away.
"You know, sometimes I don't understand the fans. I [don't try] to figure them all out. I don't think there's any way you can," Hendrick said.
"Jeff was trying to pay tribute to a great champion, a fallen champion, at a time when it all could have been about Jeff Gordon winning that race. In tying him, he tried to [pay] tribute to a guy that's no longer here that was a true champion and all of us in the sport look up to. I think it was a great gesture.
"It was good to see [Dale Earnhardt] Junior come over in Victory Lane. Jeff was touched by it. It meant a lot to him to win the race at Phoenix. It meant a lot to tie Dale at that place. I think the majority of people I've talked to thought it was neat and a great tribute."
Sometimes it seems like even the winner just can't win. Seventy-six victories and counting for Jeff Gordon. You'll still hear the boos at driver introductions and the lukewarm reception he often gets for winning. Someday, it will change, the way it did for Darrell and Rusty [Wallace] and others. Maybe that someday will be this Sunday. Maybe not. But that's OK.
"[Jeff Gordon] takes it in stride," said Hendrick, in that calm, soothing authoritative voice of his.
"He's got a lot of fans that are loyal to him. You know, you're not going to get everybody to like you."
But it sure can be fun trying.
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.
April 25, 2007
11:02 AM EDT
type size: + -I try to make certain I am not repetitive with this weekly column. There are more than 45 teams in the Nextel Cup garage, a zillion stories, and I would like to try and get to all of them. Of course, then I would never sleep. Unfortunately, last Wednesday I wrote myself into a corner.
I focused on Jeff Gordon because I like the way he has attacked the season. I liked the way he raced in the Car of Tomorrow. I liked the fact he had never won at Phoenix, because it was only a matter of time. All things being said, I thought Gordon would win this past Saturday night. He did. He tied Dale Earnhardt with 76 career wins. This Sunday, at Talladega, he could pass Earnhardt. Now I am compelled to write about Gordon again.
How could you not? Now I can tell you firsthand, it is tough to get Jeff Gordon to talk about Jeff Gordon. I have always found him to be humble, take the blame, share the credit, shy away from the premise that it is all about him.
Rick Hendrick is the car owner for Jeff Gordon and the rest of the teams at Hendrick Motorsports. He can tell you a lot about Jeff Gordon. He hired him, watched him wreck a ton of stuff as a rookie -- "I think we went through 17 front clips that first year, a lot of them in practice," Hendrick said -- and cheered him to the 76 wins and four championships.
The biggest key to the success of Gordon?
"He knows what to do and when to do it," Hendrick said.
That is the strength of Jeff Gordon. That and good cars, strong resources, outstanding personnel and, oh yeah, talent.
Gordon won the race at Phoenix, increased his lead in the point standings, paraded around the track with a flag to salute Dale Earnhardt ... and people booed, or reacted in other childish ways. Not all of them, actually, not a lot of them, just the ignorant ones. The people that think they are fans but are really just people who have tickets and go to races.
It is OK to boo the competition; it is OK to be disappointed if your No. 1 enemy wins. It's classy and impressive to know when to salute a true champion who wants to salute another one.
If you judged Gordon's career by fan reaction, it seems like the guy can't do anything right. Anything, that is, except win.
Page 1
Page 2
"Jeff came out of the gate winning so much early on," Hendrick said. "Usually when people don't like somebody, there's a reason. I've never kind of figured out the reason other than he was a winner, because he gives back so much and he does so much for the sport. You haven't seen a lot of confrontation out of him. He's good to the media. He's good to NASCAR. I mean, he's been a good citizen."
Can a guy be too nice? Sure, when it's Earnhardt on the other side of the garage.
Weekend That Was
Jeff Gordon said that he was afraid some fans might think he now considers himself as good a driver as Earnhardt was "and that wasn't the case." Well, Earnhardt fans might not like to hear this: but a case could be made that Gordon is as good or better than the late Earnhardt.
"If he hadn't won any races, I wonder how many people would like or dislike him, you know. I think it just comes with the territory. I look back over the years, guys like Darrell [Waltrip]. ... If you were a fan of Bobby Allison, some of the other guys, here comes Darrell Waltrip, all of a sudden people don't like him. I think Jeff has paid some dues for his early success."
Today, even without Dale Earnhardt, the rivalry with Jeff Gordon lives on. A rivalry that really existed in the grandstands more than in the garage.
"I never really saw any conflict between them," Hendrick said.
"I saw it as respect. I saw Earnhardt come over and put his arm around Jeff and talk to him about things."
Gordon came to NASCAR from sprint cars, where they run shorter races. Cup was a marathon, something Gordon struggled with as a rookie.
"You can't drive 10-lap heats in a 500 mile race. That was one of the things Earnhardt said to Jeff," Hendrick said. "I think that helped. I think because Dale could see he had a tremendous amount of talent ... he had those kind of conversations early on. I think Jeff listened to him and learned from him."
If Earnhardt could see the talent, so could Hendrick. Still, the accomplishments of the 24 driver amaze him.
"I'm impressed. I've always been impressed with him. I'm one of his biggest fans from the time I saw him drive Busch cars till the things I've seen him do in a Cup car. He is totally focused," Hendrick added. "He was extremely unselfish with Jimmie [Johnson] early on. He has really just, from the very beginning when he got into Cup racing, shown a tremendous amount of talent and [been] a very smart racer. Then when you get down to 10 to go, the money's on the line, he really steps it up when he has to."
Now you have to believe Gordon is sharply focused on the future. The way Tiger Woods would focus on winning a major. In NASCAR you cannot pick out selected events and try to win those. You have to compete every week in every race. You could make the point that the grind had made Gordon even better.
"Jeff was always mature way beyond his years," Hendrick said.
"Now that he's older and has as many years of experience as he does, he [has] spent a lot of time with Jimmie, a lot of time with Kyle [Busch] and Casey [Mears] as well as a lot of other young drivers. I see a lot of people coming up to him and asking him questions. You know one thing, Jeff, he's not going to talk a ton but when they ask him, he's pretty direct and gives them good advice."
In the beginning, it was Gordon getting advice from Earnhardt, among others. Listening was important. It still is, but so is leading.
Page 2
Page 3
"One of the things that he talks about a lot is when to race, how to race, at what point do you save your stuff and try to figure out your car and strategy, then you go at the end," Hendrick said. "Jeff, again, has had so much experience, it's not just the experience on the track, it's experience off the track, in how to handle your time, not burn yourself up, what commitments you need to take care of first. He's been a great mentor for all of the guys."
Now, true fans of the sport will focus on what is next for Gordon. Cale Yarborough won 83 races. Waltrip and Allison each won 84 times. Gordon is certain to pass them, leaving him third on the all-time win list behind David Pearson, with 105 victories, and Richard Petty, who won 200 races.
"I feel like his personal life right now is really focused. He's got a baby on the way. When people say, 'Is that going to slow him down?', I think he's got everything together, just like he's always wanted it," Hendrick said. "He's determined here in this championship run. He could have won some more races this year, but he and Steve [Letarte, crew chief] have done a great job ... when it's not exactly right, they'll work on it till they get it there. He's points racing and wants to win races, too. I think he's going to be a tough guy to beat this year."
That's an impressive statement. And I think Hendrick is right on with his assessment. I also think Gordon is motivated by the success of Johnson and the 48 team.
"Nobody wants to run second to a teammate," Hendrick said.
Teams will tell you whatever happens on Sunday, or Saturday night, is history by noon on Monday. If you lost, the sulking is over; if you won, the celebrating is finished. Jeff Gordon won at Phoenix and the celebrating is over. But is there something left lingering in the air? Anticipation? Tension? History?
Talladega is just days away.
"You know, sometimes I don't understand the fans. I [don't try] to figure them all out. I don't think there's any way you can," Hendrick said.
"Jeff was trying to pay tribute to a great champion, a fallen champion, at a time when it all could have been about Jeff Gordon winning that race. In tying him, he tried to [pay] tribute to a guy that's no longer here that was a true champion and all of us in the sport look up to. I think it was a great gesture.
"It was good to see [Dale Earnhardt] Junior come over in Victory Lane. Jeff was touched by it. It meant a lot to him to win the race at Phoenix. It meant a lot to tie Dale at that place. I think the majority of people I've talked to thought it was neat and a great tribute."
Sometimes it seems like even the winner just can't win. Seventy-six victories and counting for Jeff Gordon. You'll still hear the boos at driver introductions and the lukewarm reception he often gets for winning. Someday, it will change, the way it did for Darrell and Rusty [Wallace] and others. Maybe that someday will be this Sunday. Maybe not. But that's OK.
"[Jeff Gordon] takes it in stride," said Hendrick, in that calm, soothing authoritative voice of his.
"He's got a lot of fans that are loyal to him. You know, you're not going to get everybody to like you."
But it sure can be fun trying.
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.