Modest Gordon downplays his role
By Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
LOUDON, N.H. — Maybe Jeff Gordon is a little too modest.
After finishing second to Denny Hamlin by a whisker (.068 seconds) in the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway, Gordon addressed the absence of crew chief Steve Letarte, who last week was suspended for six races — along with Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus — for front fender modifications that fell outside NASCAR’s tolerances.
To hear Gordon tell it, the Hendrick Motorsports organization would remain competitive even if the driver were the one on the sidelines.
“You can take me out of the driver’s seat of that car, and its still going to be competitive out there,” Gordon said. “Our teams and our organizations are just that good. We’ve got a lot of depth, and we’ve got a lot of good people.
“Shame on us if we lose a person for six weeks and we fall to pieces. That means that we didn’t have a strong enough team to begin with.”
Whether the No. 24 Chevy would perform as well without the four-time Cup champion behind the wheel is a matter for supposition — but Gordon ought to know better than to give NASCAR ideas.
By Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
LOUDON, N.H. — Maybe Jeff Gordon is a little too modest.
After finishing second to Denny Hamlin by a whisker (.068 seconds) in the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway, Gordon addressed the absence of crew chief Steve Letarte, who last week was suspended for six races — along with Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus — for front fender modifications that fell outside NASCAR’s tolerances.
To hear Gordon tell it, the Hendrick Motorsports organization would remain competitive even if the driver were the one on the sidelines.
“You can take me out of the driver’s seat of that car, and its still going to be competitive out there,” Gordon said. “Our teams and our organizations are just that good. We’ve got a lot of depth, and we’ve got a lot of good people.
“Shame on us if we lose a person for six weeks and we fall to pieces. That means that we didn’t have a strong enough team to begin with.”
Whether the No. 24 Chevy would perform as well without the four-time Cup champion behind the wheel is a matter for supposition — but Gordon ought to know better than to give NASCAR ideas.
