My two favorite topics
Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
So what's up with these two? Both of these guys missed the 2005 chase because they, well, stunk. Both came into 2006 with new crew chiefs, high hopes and a fair measure of hype.
First, Gordon. Jeff got his teeth rattled Sunday at Pocono -- he's lucky he didn't break something more than just his car. ("I've either got a really hard head, or these guys built an awesome race car, because that was one of the hardest hits I've ever taken," he told one paper.)
The result, though, was bad enough: He's 11th in points, 25 back of teammmate Kyle Busch. He's 0-for-2006 and has seen the top 10 just twice since finishing second at Martinsville on April 2. And let's don't mention the third DNF in five races. Speaking of 0-fers, Gordon is on an 0-for-18 streak, which for him is epic.
Earnhardt, meanwhile, is lurking back there in sixth. Except for his win at Richmond, he seems content with running in the top 10 more or less. (He has led only one lap since then.) Here are the grabbers: Junior has finished outside the top 15 only three times this season, and he has finished off the lead lap only twice, and one of those was when his engine tanked at 'Dega.
What I'm getting at is this: One driver (Gordon) has become a shell of his hypersuccessful self, and the other (Earnhardt) has become a model of consistency.
It might be too easy to say that one guy's over the hill -- Gordon turns 35 in August -- and the other is finally maturing (Earnhardt is 30). Is that it? Or has one driver lost his fire and the other one found it?
I'm just thinking out loud here. I don't have anything concrete other than the results.
Comments (6)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
I think Jeff Gordon really misses those Everham setups. I know he has won a title and a Daytona 500 (and maybe a Brickyard 400) since the departure of Everham, but he hasn't been the same.
John, did I ever mention that Everham grew up in the town next to me and raced modifieds for many years? He learned a thing or two about getting horsepower to the rear wheels and keeping the car under control. Gordon doesn't have that feel anymore with the post-Everham Hendrick fleet. Jimmy Johnson has the "Gordon touch" but without the titles.
Posted on June 14, 2006 3:54 PM
If Everham was so successful in balancing horsepower with rear wheels for better control, it sure hasn't been effective with his crop of drivers during the six years he's had his own shop, I wouldn't even call it a moderate success story.
I believe the departure of Loomis was too hasty and a mistake by Hendricks in 2005. True, Jeff & Loomis were having an off year but those things do happen. Based on points, Jeff would have won the 2004 championship if that 10 race thing hadn't kicked in at that time.
Gordon's current crew chief won't last the season in my estimation unless things get turned around pretty quickly. It's my feeling that Letarte's(sp?) elevation to CC was a stopgap measure until Hendrick & Jeff can recruit a more seasoned crew chief.
Posted on June 15, 2006 10:20 AM
I wish everyone would stop complaining about how such and such would have won if the Chase hadn't been in play. You can't say who would have won because you don't know which teams were saving a little something for those last 10 cough 97 team cough. Its not NASCAR's or anyone else's fault some teams didn't change their mindset from a year-long points battle to a 10 race shootout. I'm not a fan of the guy anymore but Kurt Busch was undeniably the top driver of 2004 when it mattered.
Posted on June 15, 2006 12:18 PM
Matt,
You're overreacting.
At the 10 race cutoff in 2004, Gordon was ahead in points and based on the number of points that Jeff won over the 10 race period and added to the cutoff would have won the championship if the new race format hadn't been in place.
My point was, yes, Jeff & Everham were definitely a winning combination, but Jeff would have two post-Everham championships to his name after the breakup IF the race format hadn't changed for 2004. Things started to go in the crapper for Jeff in mid-2005 & continue in 2006, and in my opinion are as a result of Hendrick's letting loose of Loomis when a rocky period occurred in the relationship in 2005.
Posted on June 15, 2006 2:04 PM
No, we don't know a thing about what would have happened if the Chase hadn't started. Gordon's gonna be stuck on four possibly throughout the rest of his career. Everyone else is just too tough for an older Gordon that doesn't have the cars he used to.
Posted on June 15, 2006 6:05 PM
Sometimes I wonder if Gordon has lost his interest in racing or his fire in his belly or whatever. I mean, the guy has 4 Cup titles. How much more money (or women or fame) will a fifth one bring him?
Then I wonder what would happen if he won his fifth - would that be a good thing or a bad thing for NASCAR? Would he return to being the guy everyone loved to hate? Or would he be sort of a Bill Elliott/Mark Martin/sentimental favorite?
Posted on June 15, 2006 6:08 PM