Jeff Gordon - Do or Die

Maybe Jeff can pull a Tony and wake the hunger again. The saves he's made this year show he is still one of the most talented drivers in nascar. Even when he was Bowyerized at Martinsville, he made a nice save.
 
Mopardh9 said:
You're the one that surely must be jesting, I'm no fan of JJs' but you don't win 5 championships in a row without a LOT of talent. JJ has driven rings around Jeffy in the past 5 years, Gordon has had good cars, but doesn't capatilize on it. I wouldn't even put Jeffy in the top 15 current drivers in Nascar right now. He doesn't have it anymore, and hasn't for quite some time.To say anyone could climb in JJs' car and look like a rockstar is quite an outlandish statement. How about we put Morgan Shepard in that ride for 10 races lets see how he does, I bet he doesn't come even close to what JJ does.
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If you go back and read my post I said the JJ was very good...much better than most people give him credit for...however...we are talking here about pure driving talent. Team 48 is excellent at points racing and taking advantage of the chase system...how man championships would he have under the same system that Gordon won four.

To say Gordon isn't in the top 15 of drivers out there today is absolute hogwash. I would love to hear who those drivers are and what they have done that make them so much better....
 
Gordon's 2012 run is bad luck. Getting wrecked on pit road is bad luck.

Anyone who thinks Gordon is washed up and can't drive a car anymore is a fool. He's been a contender in every single race before something happens to take him out of the race.
 
Things change fast. Last year I would have put Gordon in the top 5 overall. This year being in the top 10 is iffy.



I believe he has been the victim of 2012 bad luck several times, but there are more and more races were they just don't hit the set up. I also would not have expected Gordon to hit a mid career crisis as quickly. In the late 90s he seemed poised to break man more records.



But to be fair there are things we don't know, sometimes the best drives are by those who take a 20th place car and turn into a top 10 or Top 5. Or consider Stewart for most of last year they looked like just a top 10 car, nowhere near the best. Then they turned it on, and looked like the best.



I don't believe Tony just became a better or the best driver late last season. Something changed, maybe something we will never know but the skills was there prior to the run.
Likewise I don't think Gordon went from being one of the five best in August of 2011 to not as good in September.
Or consider Dale Earnhardt in 92, not a good year, one win I think. But it was a freak in 91 he was strong, and he returned to form in 93, and 94. I doubt he just didn't try as hard in 92.



The one thing that is constant with Jeff and the Jimmie rivalry is that Jimmie has been better almost the entire time. Gordon hasn't shown the ability to dominate for quite some time.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Gordon's 2012 run is bad luck. Getting wrecked on pit road is bad luck.

Anyone who thinks Gordon is washed up and can't drive a car anymore is a fool. He's been a contender in every single race before something happens to take him out of the race.
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Ok fine then why isn't he contending week end and week out? He just can't find the handle anymore, it's not like he isn't in good equipment. Bad luck....you make your own luck when it comes to racing.
 
Mopardh9 said:
Ok fine then why isn't he contending week end and week out? He just can't find the handle anymore, it's not like he isn't in good equipment. Bad luck....you make your own luck when it comes to racing.
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How many races has he been in the top-five in before something happened. When he was 300 yards ahead of a wreck at Daytona and still got rammed in to, that's bad luck straight forward. That's not making your own luck, that's being slammed in to and taken out by circumstances out of your control (see: bad luck).
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
How many races has he been in the top-five in before something happened. When he was 300 yards ahead of a wreck at Daytona and still got rammed in to, that's bad luck straight forward. That's not making your own luck, that's being slammed in to and taken out by circumstances out of your control (see: bad luck).
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Until Gordon goes on a win streak the guy is washed up.;)
 
Having blown tires, loose wheels, engine failures, being wrecked by someone else, etc. is all Jeff's fault. :rolleyes:

Let's not forget Jeff had three wins last year, and would've won at Martinsville this year if Reutimann wasn't an idiot. And Jeff would've been in contention for the win in several other races if not for something out of his control going wrong in half of the races so far this year. His problems could just as easily happen to anyone else.
 
PeopleAreStrange said:
Having blown tires, loose wheels, engine failures, being wrecked by someone else, etc. is all Jeff's fault. :rolleyes:

Let's not forget Jeff had three wins last year, and would've won at Martinsville this year if Reutimann wasn't an idiot. And Jeff would've been in contention for the win in several other races if not for something out of his control going wrong in half of the races so far this year. His problems could just as easily happen to anyone else.
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All true. I was just funnin'

Jeff is still a top 10 driver in nascar.
 
Greg said:
The one thing that is constant with Jeff and the Jimmie rivalry is that Jimmie has been better almost the entire time. Gordon hasn't shown the ability to dominate for quite some time.
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Really? Seems to me whenever Jeff and Jimmie are in a battle, Jeff is the better of the two.

Texas spring 2009: Jeff holds off Jimmie for the win (with me in attendence! :D).
Atlanta fall 2011: Jimmie passes Jeff with 5 to go, but Jeff quickly passes him back and wins by several car lengths.
Martinsville spring 2012: Jeff runs down Jimmie from way behind and passes him with 3 laps to go, just before the caution / mess that followed.
Dover summer 2012: Around the middle of the race, Jeff passes Jimmie from several cars back and gets a big lead before having tire problems.
 
Us older fans have seen this before . It's not meant to insult Jeff Gordon or his fans . But a guy like Rusty was a big star and he was always a threat to win every time he went out on the track . Even in the last ten years , he ran top five , top ten a lot , but for some reason didn't get the wins . After he retired you look back and see in the last nine years ,he barely averaged one win per year Unexplainable .
 
PeopleAreStrange said:
Really? Seems to me whenever Jeff and Jimmie are in a battle, Jeff is the better of the two.

Texas spring 2009: Jeff holds off Jimmie for the win (with me in attendence! :D).
Atlanta fall 2011: Jimmie passes Jeff with 5 to go, but Jeff quickly passes him back and wins by several car lengths.
Martinsville spring 2012: Jeff runs down Jimmie from way behind and passes him with 3 laps to go, just before the caution / mess that followed.
Dover summer 2012: Around the middle of the race, Jeff passes Jimmie from several cars back and gets a big lead before having tire problems.
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We will just have to agree to disagree; I think there in a battle every race. In addition to this during the Chase events which are the prime events as a result, there is no comparison between the two.

I am not certain but a good argument could be made that the 90s Gordon was/is better than 2000s Johnson.

I just think Jimmie does not fit people’s idea of greatness. Gordon was catching the attention of fans prior to his cup days, for good reasons and everyone expected the greatness, and he has lived up to those expectations. While Johnson was expected to just be good, nobody was thinking he was the next big thing, and it is hard for many to see him take the crown without the honoring the image or a prescribed idea. I think that is why he is so underrated.

Don McClain’s line that said something "the phony jester stole the crown" fits in my opinion. Not a theft, just a shocker nobody ever expected.

BTW, Johnson isn’t my favorite he is far to polished for my taste, but he is everything but phony. He is the dominant driver of this century (at this point) and I can only see a Stewart, or Brad K ever matching his accomplishments. But they still have to do it first, if that happens.
 
LOL at some of these replies. Try scanning Jeff during races and practices sometime and you'll notice right away that Jeff has lost none of his "edge" or "fire" or desire to win. Ask around the garage what they think and I'm sure they'll rank him higher than the "experts" on this forum.:D
 
Matthew2470 said:
LOL at some of these replies. Try scanning Jeff during races and practices sometime and you'll notice right away that Jeff has lost none of his "edge" or "fire" or desire to win. Ask around the garage what they think and I'm sure they'll rank him higher than the "experts" on this forum.:D
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I like that Matt, ranking him out the top 10 seems disrespectful to me.
 
PeopleAreStrange said:
Having blown tires, loose wheels, engine failures, being wrecked by someone else, etc. is all Jeff's fault. :rolleyes:

Let's not forget Jeff had three wins last year, and would've won at Martinsville this year if Reutimann wasn't an idiot. And Jeff would've been in contention for the win in several other races if not for something out of his control going wrong in half of the races so far this year. His problems could just as easily happen to anyone else.
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Reutimann gets bonehead of the year for that... I am still angry about it, even if it was the team owner's fault and not his.
 
Matthew2470 said:
LOL at some of these replies. Try scanning Jeff during races and practices sometime and you'll notice right away that Jeff has lost none of his "edge" or "fire" or desire to win. Ask around the garage what they think and I'm sure they'll rank him higher than the "experts" on this forum.:D
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I agree that Jeff is a great driver and he is a threat to win each and every week . I felt the same way about Rusty for the last ten years of his career , he still had all of his talent , he was in great equipment , and he ran top five /top ten a lot of the time . Then , you look back and see he didn't have many wins in those years . Don't know why .
 
PeopleAreStrange said:
Really? Seems to me whenever Jeff and Jimmie are in a battle, Jeff is the better of the two.

Texas spring 2009: Jeff holds off Jimmie for the win (with me in attendence! :D).
Atlanta fall 2011: Jimmie passes Jeff with 5 to go, but Jeff quickly passes him back and wins by several car lengths.
Martinsville spring 2012: Jeff runs down Jimmie from way behind and passes him with 3 laps to go, just before the caution / mess that followed.
Dover summer 2012: Around the middle of the race, Jeff passes Jimmie from several cars back and gets a big lead before having tire problems.
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If that were true Johnson wouldn't of won 5 in a row:rolleyes:
 
Matthew2470 said:
LOL at some of these replies. Try scanning Jeff during races and practices sometime and you'll notice right away that Jeff has lost none of his "edge" or "fire" or desire to win. Ask around the garage what they think and I'm sure they'll rank him higher than the "experts" on this forum.:D
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There is a difference...Jeff was great back in the Evernham years, no doubt about it, but Johnson has become the great driver now. Jeffy can only regain that status by winning another championship or two, he is a good driver in his twilight years right now and I don't see that changing.
 
Mopardh9 said:
There is a difference...Jeff was great back in the Evernham years, no doubt about it, but Johnson has become the great driver now. Jeffy can only regain that status by winning another championship or two, he is a good driver in his twilight years right now and I don't see that changing.
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Twilight Years??? Good Lord he's only 41, there's no walker sitting by his drivers door. Many drivers had Great Seasons and were in their 40's Allison, Gant, Earnhardt, Petty, Yarborough etc.

It aint over for Gordon Yet!

BTW. Currently he's only 1 Win and 18 points out of The Chase with 7 races to go!
 
FlFlash said:
Twilight Years??? Good Lord he's only 41, there's no walker sitting by his drivers door. Many drivers had Great Seasons and were in their 40's Allison, Gant, Earnhardt, Petty, Yarborough etc.

It aint over for Gordon Yet!

BTW. Currently he's only 1 Win and 18 points out of The Chase with 7 races to go!
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Stewart and Kenseth are both at least 40 y/o.
 
StewartHaas-Gibbs Racing said:
Well he's not in the top 15 cause he's in 17th ;)

http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/data/standings.html
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So if the current point standings is how you decide who is the best driver I guess you think Kenseth is the best out there?


Matthew2470 said:
LOL at some of these replies. Try scanning Jeff during races and practices sometime and you'll notice right away that Jeff has lost none of his "edge" or "fire" or desire to win. Ask around the garage what they think and I'm sure they'll rank him higher than the "experts" on this forum.:D
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I think what we have here is a case of some old school haters enjoying it while they can lol


FenderBumper said:
How do you figure that?
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See the current point standings quoted above lol
 
StewartHaas-Gibbs Racing said:
I was mainly being a smartass about Jeff but to this date Kenseth has been the best driver all season long. That's why he's in first place.
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Exactly if Jeffy were one of the best he would be in the top 10 in points also. I love getting you Jeffy fans riled up, but seriously he hasn't done much in the last 4 years or so and there isn't any reason to believe that will change. Until I see him rattle off a few wins and a bunch of top 5s then I'll say he might be back until then , get the rocker ready.
 
Jeff Gordon is going to win 3 races, get in the chase in 10th place, win 5 races in the chase and win the cup. ER- Or not.
 
Mopardh9 said:
So? they are winning Jeffy isn't.
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So, I was responding to the suggestion that Gordon is in his "twilight years". But you're correct, he isn't winning. Then again, so aren't alot of other drivers.
 
Just saying ...he is in top notch equipment, has security, is the same age as a lot of other drivers that win, so in my estimation he just doesn't have that edge he used to have. Is he competitive...yes, but I certainly wouldn't rank him up with the very good drivers of today. Racing is all about what have you done lately and Gordon hasn't done a hell of a lot. I know I'm picking on him a little, but he looks like a driver who just wants to sit back, get his money, enjoy his family and settle for his 5 championships. He doesn't look hungry like he did when he was winning with Evernham, he doesn't have the swagger and confidence that he used to.
 
Mopardh9 said:
Just saying ...he is in top notch equipment, has security, is the same age as a lot of other drivers that win, so in my estimation he just doesn't have that edge he used to have. Is he competitive...yes, but I certainly wouldn't rank him up with the very good drivers of today. Racing is all about what have you done lately and Gordon hasn't done a hell of a lot. I know I'm picking on him a little, but he looks like a driver who just wants to sit back, get his money, enjoy his family and settle for his 5 championships. He doesn't look hungry like he did when he was winning with Evernham, he doesn't have the swagger and confidence that he used to.
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Point taken but keep in mind that it wasn't so long ago that Stewart and Kenseth missed the chase just as Gordon might.
 
Mopardh9 said:
Just saying ...he is in top notch equipment, has security, is the same age as a lot of other drivers that win, so in my estimation he just doesn't have that edge he used to have. Is he competitive...yes, but I certainly wouldn't rank him up with the very good drivers of today. Racing is all about what have you done lately and Gordon hasn't done a hell of a lot. I know I'm picking on him a little, but he looks like a driver who just wants to sit back, get his money, enjoy his family and settle for his 5 championships. He doesn't look hungry like he did when he was winning with Evernham, he doesn't have the swagger and confidence that he used to.
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Listen to his incar radio for a couple of races and get back to us with an unbiased opinion.
 
Mopardh9 said:
Just saying ...he is in top notch equipment, has security, is the same age as a lot of other drivers that win, so in my estimation he just doesn't have that edge he used to have. Is he competitive...yes, but I certainly wouldn't rank him up with the very good drivers of today. Racing is all about what have you done lately and Gordon hasn't done a hell of a lot. I know I'm picking on him a little, but he looks like a driver who just wants to sit back, get his money, enjoy his family and settle for his 5 championships. He doesn't look hungry like he did when he was winning with Evernham, he doesn't have the swagger and confidence that he used to.
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I already said this and I'll say it again: Jeff won three times last year, and would've won at least once this year if not for something out of his control going wrong.

Oh, and Tony hadn't won any races yet by this time last year. Just sayin'.
 
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