Jeff Gordon grows up
September 11th, 2005I don’t post much here about NASCAR. I’m not sure why that is. I love it almost as much as poker and I’ve been a hardcore fan for a very long time.
The Chase to The Championship is now set and Jeff Gordon’s not in it. That makes me happy. As my father-in-law says every time Jeff Gordon wrecks, “It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.” Why am I happy about it? Do I hate Jeff Gordon?
No. I don’t hate Jeff Gordon. I hate media hype and we’ve endured about 15 years of it concerning Jeff Gordon. He’s a very good race car driver but there are many thousands with that skill. He has no heart and now that’s being revealed. He’s not a “racer.” Dale Earnhardt was a racer. Richard Petty was a racer. Tony Stewart’s a racer. Kyle Petty is not. Jeff Gordon’s not and the jury’s still out on Dale Earnhardt, Jr. I suspect he is, but we shall see.
Jeff Gordon’s problem is that his life has always been so easy that he doesn’t have a hunger. He expects to win and he doesn’t expect to have to really compete. Everything, including four NASCAR championships, has been handed to him for just being Jeff. The fact is, he’s good at what he does and when he first stepped up to the top level of NASCAR racing, he was given a crew chief that is one of the best that’s ever done the job. Ray Evernham’s a freakin’ genius. Ray Evernham carried Jeff Gordon and then moved on.
For the last few years, Jeff Gordon’s been carrying Robbie Loomis. When you’re being carried by Jeff Gordon, you have problems. Especially if you’re Jeff Gordon because he has no heart to deal with adversity.
I will predict right now that Jeff Gordon will never win another NASCAR championship. I’ll put fifty dollars on it (but only to the first person that takes the bet). The differences between Jeff Gordon and Rusty Wallace are these:
- Rusty Wallace won only one championship because he didn’t have Ray Evernham
- Rusty Wallace actually earned what little success he found in NASCAR
- Jeff Gordon is not completely and totally in love with Jeff Gordon. In fact, I don’t think Jeff even thinks he’s God.
I think the comparison is apt because Rusty won one championship 16 years ago and has been an icon ever since, despite the fact that he’s not very good and never really was. Jeff Gordon’s the new generation’s Rusty Wallace. As I mentioned, Jeff was more successful than he deserved because of Evernham, but just like Rusty, he’s peaked and that’s because neither of them have a racer’s heart.
Petty and Earnhardt each have seven championships. Both of them achieved that driving for more than one team, more than one crew chief, more than one car owner. That’s a racer. Rusty only managed the championship once and, though Jeff has four, he’s done all of them with the same car owner and team and all but one with the same crew chief.
But back to Rusty’s narcissism. Have you ever seen a man so in love with himself? I haven’t and I can’t even seem to find the reason for it. I mean, sure he’s rich, but he’s not pretty and has never really done anything of note. He’s a race car driver and that’s cool to me… except… if you listen to him speak (EVER!) you would think he is the King of All That is Racing. He’s not close. There are many behind him in the sport that have already, and will continue to, eclipse everything he’s ever done (Jeff Gordon is one). And that’s not to mention the fact that he doesn’t even measure up to many who came before him.
Any other NASCAR fans noticed that both Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace are retiring after this year, but all we ever hear about is “Rusty’s last race at this track?” It’s because Mark Martin has class. He doesn’t self promote. He doesn’t need to. He’s not insecure about his accomplishments and, though he doesn’t have a Cup yet, they’re far greater than Rusty’s.
I’d like to see Mark Martin win the Cup this year. He deserves it. If he can’t have it, I just hope that no other Roush or Penske driver gets it. That covers 7 of the top 10. I’m pullin’ for (in this order):
- Mark Martin
- Tony Stewart
- Jeremy Mayfield
I’m not a big Mayfield fan, but I’m an Evernham fan. Also, I don’t like Jack Roush and I don’t like most of his drivers. Mark Martin is the exception. I do like Joe Gibbs and his whole team.
My prediction is that Tony Stewart’s going to win it. That team’s got it together and they’re going to be very hard to beat. He’s one of my favorite drivers but I really am pulling for Mark Martin.
I’ll miss Mark Martin a bit next year, I think. As for Rusty? I say, “FINALLY! Good riddance!”
The only one who I would be totally upset with winning would be Jimmy Johnson. And for the same reason as Gordon. He came in and had Gordon’s old winning equipment handed to him, and never had to struggle or pay any dues at all.
Stewart I think has the best shot, but Kenseth’s team is really moving now, so he’s dangerous too.
I know you don’t care much about open wheel racing DC, but if you want to talk about racers with heart, you need to mention what happened in Monza, Italy last weekend. Juan Pablo Montoya raced the last 3 laps with a delaminating rear tire. This after his teamate had to pit for a new tire laps earlier for the same reason, and at speeds over 200 mph.
Now I hate the Euro-trash attitude over there as much as you do, but I watch for the technological marvel that is an F1 car. The race at Monza was a rare case of a racer outshining the engineering.
That’s rare, Juice, and I would’ve liked to see it. But I can’t watch hours of that crap just to find those gems.
Yeah, they break up at last! I bet Jeff wins championship next year now!
NASCAR Forums
Hi, I came over here from Alli’s site. I have to say I’m pretty glad that Gordon didn’t make the chase myself. I’m more or less rooting for Carl Edwards to win the chase, for no other reason than the fact that I think he’s a pretty decent guy, a good racer, and he doesn’t annoy me. The only person I desperately DON’T want to win is Kevin Harvick. Can’t stand him. Other than that, I’m just sad that Kasey didn’t make the cut. It just wasn’t his year this year, despite getting his first win. He’s had 18 top 5′s since 2004, so if he can just stay a little more consistent next year, there’s no reason he can’t get in the chase.
P.S. Duh- Harvick didn’t even MAKE the chase, sorry. Can you see how much he annoys me? I don’t want him to win, period. The person I would hate most to win the CHASE is Jimmy Johnson.
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“He’s a very good race car driver but there are many thousands with that skill.” Not too many thousands have 4 Cup titles and 75 Cup wins there Mr. Brokeback Mountain. “He’s not a ‘racer.’” And you suspect Junior is? 17 wins and no titles make him a “racer?” Or maybe it’s his last name? So much for your expertise on what constitutes a racer. “Ray Evernham carried Jeff Gordon and then moved on.” Jeff Gordon carried Jeff Gordon to all of his wins and title since 1999, but he has no heart? You are a freakin’ genius Mr. Brokeback.
I’ll be one of the first to agree that Gordon has an attitude problem, but I disagree with your assertion that he has no heart. You can listen to the man’s interviews after a race and tell that he has the heart of a racer. He’s ecstatic after a win. He’s upset after a bad day. He wants it. And you’re wrong saying that he’s been “handed” everything. He’s had success with three different crew chiefs (Evernham, Loomis, and Letarte), so that dismisses the notion that he can’t function without Evernham. I’d like to point out, though, that Tony Stewart has never been without Greg Zippadelli. I’d also like to mention that the reason that we haven’t heard much about Mark Martin’s retirement is that he’s a mediocre driver with no titles. In closing, I’ll say that if you are going to even mention media hype, you’d damn well better be talking about Dale Jr. What’s he ever done besided ride his daddy’s name? 17 wins and no titles in 7 years? Get real. He’s not even in the same league with Gordon, Stewart, Kenseth, or even Jimmie Johnson.
It’s strange to me that this thread is getting hit now after all this time. I’ll have to look at the server log and see who linked it without noticing that it was posted during last year’s chase.
I do find it hysterically funny, though, that someone spewing completely uninformed fan nonsense about Jeff Gordon refers to me as “Mr. Brokeback.” That’s rich. Did you click through to here from a later post, maybe?
Also, I never claimed any expertise, but my opinion is far better informed than yours about the racer’s heart and Gordon’s complete lack of it. If you really wanna see what I’m talking about, you won’t find it “listen[ing] to the man’s interviews,” you’ll find it by listening to his radio when things aren’t going his way. The whiner actually pulled off the track and into the garage with 50+ laps to go during a Busch race in Texas a few years ago because he couldn’t win it so he didn’t wanna race anymore. A racer never has to have a crew chief say, “What are you doing in the garage!?!?! The race isn’t over! Get out there! GET BACK OUT THERE!”
As for Mark Martin… You’re beyond ignorant of NASCAR if you would use “mediocre” and his name in the same sentence. I haven’t looked recently, but as of a couple of years ago he had one of the best rankings EVER in percentages of wins, top 5s AND top 10s in both Cup AND Busch. For the better part of two decades now, if Mark Martin starts a race he’ll finish in the top 10 about 7 out of 10 times no matter what he’s driving, who his crew chief is, who he’s driving for, where he starts, which track, which series…