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Competitive Fire Still Burns For Gordon

The Associated Press

Driver Jeff Gordon looks out of the garage area during practice for Sunday's Daytona 500 NASCAR auto race at Daytona International Speedway.

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 14, 2009

Updated: 02/15/2009 12:13 am

DAYTONA BEACH - It's easy to look at Jeff Gordon and see the wealthy celebrity with the model wife and baby daughter and nothing left to prove.

The winless season he had last year? Surely a sign that Gordon, after 16 seasons, four championships and 81 victories, no longer has the fire or focus to keep up with NASCAR's fastest.

Or not.

Gordon, 37, has shown up for the 2009 season defensive and determined - seemingly eager to prove that while holding 20-month-old Ella might be his first thought when he climbs out of his car, he still has the passion to compete for championships.

His victory in a 150-mile qualifying race Thursday has his eyes dancing about not only his prospects for a rebound season, but also his chances of getting a fourth Daytona 500 title today.

"We use last year as motivation," Gordon said. "It's a huge motivator not to win. That affected me, because I want to win and I want to be competitive as much for the championship as for any win."

Gordon went winless last year for the first time since his rookie season in 1993, but as recently as 2007 he won six times, set a record with 30 top-10 finishes and finished second to teammate Jimmie Johnson for the title.

Part of the difference was the Car of Tomorrow. NASCAR used it in all of the races last year after phasing it in on selected tracks in 2007, and it didn't suit Gordon's driving style as well.

But Gordon revealed this week that back tightness and spasms and fatherhood - though never affecting his aggressiveness inside the car - also impacted his performance.

"I might sound like a terrible father for saying this, but when I start the engine and put the helmet on, I'm not thinking a lot about family at that time," he said.

But Ella's birth in June 2007 did affect his sleep schedule last year. When Ella didn't sleep, sometimes her dad didn't sleep.

"At Texas last spring, our worst race we had, we're like, 'OK, she's sleeping through the night,'" Gordon said. "'We'll bring her with us to the track, and she was up all night.

"I knew my car was not where I wanted it to be, and I knew Texas was a challenge to me already, and I had the worst day I could ever imagine because I didn't get any sleep."

Gordon says he has adjusted by going to bed earlier and waking earlier, so he is closer to being on Ella's schedule.

He has also, based on wife Ingrid's suggestion, hired a trainer to help with his back.

"I've been working out, trying to make that stronger," he said. "I've been stretching, doing a lot of things so that I have no excuses."

Veteran driver Jeff Burton is a self-appointed defender of good drivers who go through down periods. He's fond of pointing out that Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. suffered through slumps.

He says that the while the media attention focused on Gordon's 41-race winless drought in points races is merited, some of the speculation on why he isn't winning is off base.

"Jeff Gordon is an extremely gifted race driver," he said. "He's won more races than Dale Earnhardt. When a guy like that doesn't win, that's a story. So the attention paid to that is justified. The cause of that is always great debate.

"The thought that Gordon woke up one morning and forgot how to drive is ludicrous. And the thought that Jeff Gordon had a baby at home and so no longer was able to mash that accelerator is absurd."

NASCAR's new car has less downforce, so it tends to favor drivers who can slide a loose car through the corners. That's why Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch excel with it.

Gordon said it's a misconception he can't drive a loose car, but he admits it has taken him awhile to get comfortable with the COT.

Team owner Rick Hendrick talks of letting Gordon down by not being able to get the cars to his liking. And crew chief Steve Letarte says he was hesitant to make necessary changes after such a successful 2007 season.

"Last year was no different than '05, when we missed the Chase," Letarte said. "It was very easy to change anything. Nothing was sacred. I think me and some other people - but I'll take the brunt of it - got back on our heels and made some things a little too sacred.

"We've since changed all those. Anything we can change to make the car go fast, we'll change."

There's a buzz around Gordon entering this season - new flames on his car and speculation that Ray Evernham, the crew chief for his first three championships, could return in some other capacity.

Evernham acknowledged this week that he still pulls for Gordon and would help him if he could, but he has a no-compete clause in his contract with Richard Petty Motorsports.

"Rick and I have stayed close, Jeff and I have stayed close, and I would like to see Jeff end his career on a high note," Evernham said.

"Jeff Gordon will definitely win races. I don't think anybody can guarantee he'll win another championship with the Chase the way it is. If it were the old point system, I would guarantee you Jeff would win another championship."

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached

at (813) 259-7994.

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