By Ed Hinton, Special to The Times
June 17, 2007
BROOKLYN, MICH. — Jeff Gordon was in on the secret all along.
Privately he listened to team owner Rick Hendrick agonize over the arduous, closed-door maneuvering to sign Dale Earnhardt Jr.
"Rick was going back and forth, back and forth," Gordon said. "He was like, 'Man, I would love to do this,' and at the same time, 'I don't know how I'm going to do it.' And, 'Should we do it?' "
Gordon didn't waver. "I was very supportive of it from the beginning," he said, sitting in the lounge of his team transporter during preparations for today's Citizens Bank 400.
On the other hand, reigning Nextel Cup Jimmie Johnson, the other resident star at Hendrick, "really was surprised," Johnson said, when he learned of the blockbuster signing just before it was announced Wednesday.
Gordon is not only the senior driver, with four championships and 79 wins, but a part-owner of the Hendrick team. It was Gordon who set up a branch of the team for Johnson in 2002 and aligned sponsorships.
"Because I've been at Hendrick for 15 years and I have equity in the company, I probably got let into it a little bit sooner," Gordon said. "I actually told Rick, 'Don't give me too many details because I know I'm going to get asked.' But I knew they were in talks."
One thing he knew was, "It is definitely not about money," Gordon said. Earnhardt already makes an estimated $21 million a year and has never complained about income.
"He wants to be competitive, he wants to be treated right, and he wants to fit in," Gordon said. "And I think people are going to be surprised at how well he fits into our organization."
Johnson, during the five weeks between Earnhardt's declaration of free agency and Wednesday's signing, "just didn't think it was possible," he said, what with "driver contracts and sponsorship contracts in place . . ."
But a breakdown in contract-extension talks between Hendrick and Kyle Busch led to mutual agreement that Busch depart after this season. That opened the door for Earnhardt.
Gordon was all for the deal on a personal level because, "I like Junior [they have long been better friends than their polarized fan bases would like to believe]. And I admire what he's doing to try to get himself in a position with a team where he feels like he can consistently go for wins and championships. And I think we can offer that to him."
In return, of course, Earnhardt gives Hendrick "his talent and marketability," Gordon said.
But then he leaned forward to make a more important point. "I'll be honest with you: One of the reasons I'm so supportive of this move is that I think the more competitive Junior is, the better it is for the entire sport."
Earnhardt is far and away the most popular driver among NASCAR fans. Gordon is better known to the public. Both are enormously marketable. Both have huge followings of different demographics, Earnhardt is out of the MTV-and-earring generation, Gordon is more of the golf-gallery type.
The two have been talking for years about how a true, heads-up rivalry between them, race to race and for the championship, could intensify and expand public interest in Nextel Cup racing.
But their hot streaks have never matched up. The present is a prime example.
Four-time champion Gordon is hot, with four wins and the lead in the points standings.
Earnhardt is winless this year with his family's Dale Earnhardt Inc. team, which he'll leave at the end of this season. In fact, Earnhardt has only 17 wins and no championships in nearly nine years with DEI. Other than a strained relationship with his stepmother, Earnhardt's primary goal for changing teams is to drive cars that are more competitive.
Many Earnhardt fans let up a howl over the Internet and to call-in shows over Junior's switching to Hendrick and teaming with Gordon, the driver they love to hate.
"All those things are going to be put to rest," Gordon said, "if he goes out there and is competitive on a consistent basis, he's winning races, he's showing what his true talents are, and we're giving him the right equipment.
"Every fan who ever thought they liked Junior is going to be on the Junior bandwagon, and they're going to think Hendrick is the greatest organization ever.
"And they're still going to be booing me, and cheering him. And I don't think anything could be better for the sport than to see Junior win a championship."
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June 17, 2007
BROOKLYN, MICH. — Jeff Gordon was in on the secret all along.
Privately he listened to team owner Rick Hendrick agonize over the arduous, closed-door maneuvering to sign Dale Earnhardt Jr.
"Rick was going back and forth, back and forth," Gordon said. "He was like, 'Man, I would love to do this,' and at the same time, 'I don't know how I'm going to do it.' And, 'Should we do it?' "
Gordon didn't waver. "I was very supportive of it from the beginning," he said, sitting in the lounge of his team transporter during preparations for today's Citizens Bank 400.
On the other hand, reigning Nextel Cup Jimmie Johnson, the other resident star at Hendrick, "really was surprised," Johnson said, when he learned of the blockbuster signing just before it was announced Wednesday.
Gordon is not only the senior driver, with four championships and 79 wins, but a part-owner of the Hendrick team. It was Gordon who set up a branch of the team for Johnson in 2002 and aligned sponsorships.
"Because I've been at Hendrick for 15 years and I have equity in the company, I probably got let into it a little bit sooner," Gordon said. "I actually told Rick, 'Don't give me too many details because I know I'm going to get asked.' But I knew they were in talks."
One thing he knew was, "It is definitely not about money," Gordon said. Earnhardt already makes an estimated $21 million a year and has never complained about income.
"He wants to be competitive, he wants to be treated right, and he wants to fit in," Gordon said. "And I think people are going to be surprised at how well he fits into our organization."
Johnson, during the five weeks between Earnhardt's declaration of free agency and Wednesday's signing, "just didn't think it was possible," he said, what with "driver contracts and sponsorship contracts in place . . ."
But a breakdown in contract-extension talks between Hendrick and Kyle Busch led to mutual agreement that Busch depart after this season. That opened the door for Earnhardt.
Gordon was all for the deal on a personal level because, "I like Junior [they have long been better friends than their polarized fan bases would like to believe]. And I admire what he's doing to try to get himself in a position with a team where he feels like he can consistently go for wins and championships. And I think we can offer that to him."
In return, of course, Earnhardt gives Hendrick "his talent and marketability," Gordon said.
But then he leaned forward to make a more important point. "I'll be honest with you: One of the reasons I'm so supportive of this move is that I think the more competitive Junior is, the better it is for the entire sport."
Earnhardt is far and away the most popular driver among NASCAR fans. Gordon is better known to the public. Both are enormously marketable. Both have huge followings of different demographics, Earnhardt is out of the MTV-and-earring generation, Gordon is more of the golf-gallery type.
The two have been talking for years about how a true, heads-up rivalry between them, race to race and for the championship, could intensify and expand public interest in Nextel Cup racing.
But their hot streaks have never matched up. The present is a prime example.
Four-time champion Gordon is hot, with four wins and the lead in the points standings.
Earnhardt is winless this year with his family's Dale Earnhardt Inc. team, which he'll leave at the end of this season. In fact, Earnhardt has only 17 wins and no championships in nearly nine years with DEI. Other than a strained relationship with his stepmother, Earnhardt's primary goal for changing teams is to drive cars that are more competitive.
Many Earnhardt fans let up a howl over the Internet and to call-in shows over Junior's switching to Hendrick and teaming with Gordon, the driver they love to hate.
"All those things are going to be put to rest," Gordon said, "if he goes out there and is competitive on a consistent basis, he's winning races, he's showing what his true talents are, and we're giving him the right equipment.
"Every fan who ever thought they liked Junior is going to be on the Junior bandwagon, and they're going to think Hendrick is the greatest organization ever.
"And they're still going to be booing me, and cheering him. And I don't think anything could be better for the sport than to see Junior win a championship."
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