Would Jeff Gordon Have Won 7 Championships If Ray Evernham Had Stayed?

[jaqua19]

You're implying that Gordon had no competition in the 90's. That's debatable. He destroyed Dale Earnhardt, who was coming off a few titles in the early 90's. Maybe Earnhardt wasn't in his prime, but his stats show that he was still a high caliber driver.

I think Gordon was so dominant that he made the competition look weak. That doesn't mean the field was less talented. The pairing was just way too good & nobody could touch them.

That's just my opinion though. Gordon won 4 titles & all of them came before he hit his prime. I have to think he'd win many more had Evernham stayed.

The field was absolutely more talented in the 2000s than in the 90s. There were more championship caliber drivers/teams. Dale was at the tail end of his prime. And from 96-2000, Dale was absolutely a lesser driver than prime Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth etc. There were a lot of drivers in the 2000s better than the guys in tbe 90z.

I'm not saying Gordon had no competition. Gordon is the most versatile cup driver of all time and is one of the GOATs. Im saying the 90s were a transitional era in talent like 2015-2024 seem to be. The field thickened up. By 2004, 25/36 races were won by drivers who weren't even around in the 90s, NOT including Tony Stewart.



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[JJ_14]

The field was absolutely more talented in the 2000s than in the 90s. There were more championship caliber drivers/teams.

I don't think this is a fact, more like an opinion. Those guys you mentioned did damage after the Gordon & Evernham relationship had run it's course. Does Matt Kenseth win the title in 2003 against prime Jeff Gordon with Ray at the helm? Same thing with Kurt Busch in '04.

 

[Greg]

Jeff Gordon is a mystery he was 31 years old when he won the last championship. He should have had a lot more in the tank.

Mark Martin joined HMS in 2009 and won 5 races at age 50 compared to a younger Gordon only winning once that year. I think putting it all on Evernham's departure is too simple, especially considering that Gordon won the title with Robbie Loomis in 2001.

Some things just dont add up. Maybe Jeff knows why, maybe he doesn't. I doubt that anyone will ever know for sure. It is just a perfect topic for speculation, an argument or discussion that nobody will ever win or loose.

 

[HoneyBadger]

I see I have been summoned again.

Mark Martin couldn't win a championship, in comes two young talented drivers and they win championships for the organization Mark couldn't win one for in a decade.

Mark Martin won the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship.

 

[JJ_14]

I see I have been summoned again.



Mark Martin won the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship.

I know right? Mark is the best to never win one, he couldn't beat a young Jeff Gordon while Martin was in his prime. It's crazy that people think the field was watered down. I'd argue that it was better than mid 2000's. Martin, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Bobby & Terry LaBonte, Jeff Burton, Ken Schrader, Sterling Marlin, Darrell Waltrip, those off the top off my head. Gordon absolutely had good competition in the 90's.

 

[Jorge De Guzman]

This has turned into the equivalent of Michael Jordan Vs Lebron James when the kids say Lebron is better because MJ beat “plumbers, garbage men and school teachers”, devaluing the greats MJ conquered during his run. Then when you make a case how great/ hard the competition was at the time, it’s characterized as “rose colored glasses”.

I’m with Greg, in that Gordon should have won more. He was 30 when he won his last Cup in 01 and won it w/o Ray, which proves HMS rebuilt the 24 team without him. Gordon also beat runner up Tony Stewart that year after tangoing with The Yates crew of the 2000 champion 88 and his teammate the 28 during the spring and summer months. I said earlier, Ray leaving didn’t hinder Gordon. It was the implementation of the Chase/Playoffs system which the 48 adapted and conquered.