Jeff Gordon's final rodeo
Since 1992, a Chevrolet sponsored by Dupont with a rainbow paint scheme has been turning fast laps in NASCAR competition. Yesterday, Jeff Gordon’s legendary career came to an end.
Jeff Gordon announced his plans to retire before the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season started. The four-time champion plans to spend more time raising his daughter, Ella, and his son, Leo. Perhaps Jeff Gordon wants to do what no other NASCAR driver has ever done; retire while he is still competitive.
Thousands of race fans cannot believe Jeff Gordon will no longer be driving the number 24 car for Rick Hendrick Motorsports. It is rare in the world of racing to see one driver remain loyal to one race team for their entire career. Gordon built a legacy for himself and for his race car. He competed in 797 races, won 93 of those races, and tallied up 475 top-ten finishes.
Last year, Jeff Gordon was one of the dominant drivers in the series. He won four races and finished sixth in the standings. This year, Gordon struggled to find speed at several race tracks. The constant change of weather, types of tires NASCAR allowed teams to use, and rules packages is what caused Gordon’s car to not handle the same as before. Changes have not been his friend.
Since Jeff Gordon started racing, NASCAR has made drastic changes to the bodies of their cars on five occasions. The weight, shape, and size of the cars is crucial to the aerodynamics and the speeds the cars can reach. The main reason for this was safety. The folks at NASCAR were prepared to make any changes necessary in order to keep the drivers safe. After all, these cars can reach 200 mph at tracks with high-banked corners.
In 2004, NASCAR introduced a playoff system that they called the Chase. The Chase was meant to create excitement for the fans. In the Chase, the point standings get reset for the top drivers in the standings for the final ten races of the season. The rules in today’s Chase format are different than 2004, but this allows drivers to have a second chance to win the championship.
Instead of awarding the Sprint Cup Series championship to the driver with the most points at the end of 36 races, NASCAR awards the championship to the driver that can make the Chase and survive the playoff rounds. In today’s Chase format, 16 drivers make the Chase.
Every three races, the four drivers with the least amount of points are eliminated from championship contention. However, if you win a race in that round you automatically advance to the next round. By the time you get to the final race of the year, Homestead, you will have four drivers competing for the title. Keep in mind all 43 cars still race in the final ten races of the year.
If the changes to the traditional rules of NASCAR were never made, it’s mathematically proven that Jeff Gordon would be a seven-time NASCAR champion rather than a four-time champion. On Sunday November 22, Jeff Gordon had a chance to win a fifth Sprint Cup Series championship. Considering the fact that he won this event in 2012 and qualified fifth for today’s race, many experts felt good about his chances.
The number 24 car was fast all race long. However, it was not long before Gordon told crew chief, Alan Gustavson, that the car wasn't handling very well. At Homestead, the drivers need to come within inches of the outside wall in order be competitive. It was clear that Gordon did not feel comfortable enough with his car to do that.
On the final restart, Jeff Gordon was restarting in tenth place. When the green flag flew so did Gordon. Seconds later he was three-wide with two other cars while entering Turn 1. Before the end of the lap, Gordon powered his way from tenth to sixth. However, time was not on his side. It was Kyle Busch in the number 18 Toyota that took the checkered flag to win his first NASCAR championship.
In 2016, Jeff Gordon has acquired a position as a NASCAR broadcaster for FOX Sports. Jeff will be alongside Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip while covering all the action for the fans at home. Jeff Gordon will be one of those legends that will never really be gone.
Photos: jeffgordon.com
