April 13, 2005

By Rebecca Gladden

Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon's victory at Martinsville on Sunday had as many layers of importance as a rainbow has colors.

The 24 team clawed its way back from mechanical problems early on to win the Advance Auto Parts 500 in convincing style.

Gordon, who had qualified 16th, was forced to make a green-flag pit stop at Lap 46 for a vibration caused by a loose front wheel. The problem persisted and the 24 car quickly fell three laps down, at one point running in 40th place.

"We just never gave up that fight," Gordon explained after the race. "We had a problem, we got down, we fixed it, and we never lost sight of what it takes to win this. We just kept having a right front wheel come loose. All I know is, we fixed it and I never had that problem again. I knew if there was any way I could get those laps back, we could win it. It takes luck, and we were pretty lucky today to get those laps back."

Luck may have played a part, but there is no denying Gordon's talent and determination. Sunday marked his sixth win at Martinsville and his 71st Cup win overall. At age 33, he is just 5 wins shy of Dale Earnhardt's 76-win total. It was also his second trip to Victory Lane in six races this season; he won the Daytona 500 in February, marking his sixth win at that track as well.

While showcasing Gordon's perseverance, the win may also silence critics - at least temporarily - who were quick to point out his 12th-place standing in the points after Bristol. The Martinsville victory catapulted him six places to sixth in points, well with-in the top-10.

The race also marked the series' first trip to Martinsville Speedway since last fall, when ten people aboard a Hendrick Motor Sports jet lost their lives in a plane crash en route to the track. Rick Hendrick, Gordon's team owner, lost his only son, brother, two nieces, and several vital members of his organization.

"This being the first race back since all that happened - it definitely was on our minds," Gordon said. "The memories of those people are never going to go away. Every time we come to Martinsville now, those thoughts are in our minds."

Prior to the race, there had been speculation that Hendrick would not even be at the track. And who could have blamed him for taking a pass, less than six months after the accident.

"I was surprised Rick was here," Gordon said. "He recognizes what life is all about. Life hasn't always been a cakewalk for Rick, but I think he wanted to face this and deal with it head-on."

Hendrick not only attended the race, but hurried to congratulate his driver while Gordon was still in the car, just moments after taking the checkered flag.

"For him to poke his head in there and say, 'thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,' with that tremble in his voice, that impacts you," Gordon said. "That tells you how meaningful this was. You get so caught up in the moment of driving the car and just trying to win the race, that kind of pops in your mind once it's all over. When he poked his head in there, it hit me like a ton of bricks of what this meant today."

Jeff Gordon is used to hearing boos, but even the fans set aside their bitterness long enough to cheer him in Victory Lane.

"I don't know what brought that on," Gordon said of the positive fan reaction. "I just know that when I got out of the car, there were an awful lot of cheers. It feels good. I didn't know if it was because we came from three laps down and had a great race, or because it was also in the back of their minds about the tragic thing that happened here last year."

Probably a little of both. No doubt the Martinsville community was deeply affected by the plane crash. Gordon's win will help on that level, too.

Members of the Hendrick organization sport blue wristbands engraved with the motivational saying, "Life is a team sport." On Sunday, Gordon embodied the spirit behind the saying, uplifting his team, his boss, the Hendrick Motor Sports organization, and the people of Martinsville with a gutsy come-from-behind victory.

"We lost so many incredible people, part of this organization and racing community," Gordon said. "I think it's only fitting for us to get this victory."

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.