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Jeff Gordon's Retirement

An Opinion





May 15, 2008

By Brian Watkins
Brian Watkins



I wasn’t at Darlington Saturday night and the television coverage didn’t show it, but I can imagine that for the first time in years, Jeff Gordon rode by the stands and received only a smattering of boos and derogatory shouts. It seems the days of “Gordon Hating” have gone the way of the $1.50 gallon of fuel.

I gave up “hating” Jeff Gordon last season- it was getting old and I honestly was having a hard time not only justifying hating him, but also remembering why it was that I disliked him in the first place. But then again I wasn’t a citizen of the Junior Nation. Those folks, at least the one’s in the stands at every race I’ve been to, kept up their distain for Gordon -- booing him during introductions and throwing things at him during victory laps.

Even after (or more likely because of) 81 wins and four championships, Gordon seemed destined to remain the most disliked driver in NASCAR -- Junior’s polar opposite. It seemed nothing he could ever do would shift the jokes about his “annunciating”, the shouts from the stands questioning his sexual orientation or the plain ole vitriol that spewed anytime his name came over the loudspeaker. There was indeed nothing he could do to change the hearts and minds of Juinor's fans. Someone else, however, could and finally did.

On the evening of May 3rd, 2008 in a private ceremony, Jeff Gordon finally retired from being the most reviled driver in NASCAR. At the same moment, in a much more publicized incident Kyle / Rowdy / Shrubby / Wild Thing, Busch was elevated (or lowered depending on your perspective) to the role of NASCAR Public Enemy #1.

You all know how it happened and I’m sure some of you are already sick of hearing about it. But the fact that one incident has had such a huge effect is astounding.

It’s interesting to note that Junior has been the victim of questionable late-race turning in the past; most notably the fall Talladega race in ‘06. We’ve mostly forgotten that Brian Vickers (driving the #25 car for Hendrick at the time) clipped Jimmie Johnson on the final lap at ‘Dega, sending Johnson and Junior spinning into the infield and Vickers to victory circle. It was an unfortunate, but in the end, forgettable incident.

But why?

Did the Junior Nation view it more as a rookie mistake? Did they feel that their hero was more collateral damage than a target? The situation wasn’t all that different really -- at least on the face.

At Talladega in ’06, Junior had had only one win that season (at Richmond in the spring) and had but one win the season prior. In fact, Juniors 2005 season statistically speaking was nearly identical to his 2007 season. Could that one win at Richmond have been the difference between “Brian Vickers, driver of the #83 Red Bull Camry” and “Brian Vickers, the anti-Christ of NASCAR”? If you look at the numbers, Junior fans should have been just as angry at Vickers for stealing the win then as they are (and shall remain for perpetuity) at Kyle Busch now. Look past the numbers though and you find your answer.

Emotion.

The moment before the #88 and the #18 got together at Richmond, the suspense and the expectation and the optimism couldn’t have been thicker. The second he got turned you could almost hear the thud as the hopes and hearts of a million Junior fans came crashing back to earth. There was a brief pause in the emotional spectrum as everyone took in what had just happened, and then the air got hot as those #88 fans turned their sights onto Busch. At the same moment, on the in car camera, was the image of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Even with his helmet blocking the view, you could see the frustration and disbelief in his face.

This was bigger than Vickers in 2006. The incident with Busch didn’t just prevent a win -- Kyle derailed NASCAR’s biggest emotional roller coaster 3 laps short of the station.

When Junior left DEI, it was emotional. For Junior fans, it was Dale breaking free from the limits DEI seemed to be imposing. For many Dale Earnhardt, Sr fans it was like watching Junior step out of his fathers shadow a little further and become his own man. And while the move to Hendrick put Junior in the same stable as Gordon, it also represented the best chance for Junior to shine on his own.

As the season progressed and the DNF’s piled up, Junior and fans couldn’t wait for the move to the promised land. Even as the 2007 season was drawing to a close, the optimism for 2008 was at a fever pitch.

Then came the new number, the new sponsor, and the new car, followed closely by Daytona and two wins in five days. Wildly optimistic barely scratches the surface of describing the attitude of the United States of Junior.

With each passing race (with the exception of a 40th place finish in California) Junior and his fans had been building momentum towards that first points victory for the Amp #88. As each week passed with nothing in the win column, the fast approaching two year winless streak was adding fuel to the fire.

At the same time, Kyle Busch had been building “villain” momentum all season. While having great success in all three major series, he also displayed what some called aggressive raw talent, and what others called recklessness. He rode into Richmond on a wave of success fueled by 3-in-a-row Nationwide Seires wins and a Sprint Cup victory the week prior.

By the time the #18 and #88 were leading the waning laps of the race it was nearly a (trite but true) perfect storm. Junior needed the win to get the 2-year-old monkey off his back, and Busch needed the win because he doesn’t know anything else. Both needs collided with three laps to go.

Because the incident happened when it did, at the worst/best possible moment, it’s side-choosing effects have spread beyond the Junior camp to just about all corners of NASCAR fandom and have taken Kyle Busch from a cocky hard charger and turned him into the Hillary Clinton of motorsports. Had the wreck involved any other driver besides Busch (with exception of Gordon), it would have been a disappointment and nothing more. If it would have been a Mark Martin behind the wheel instead of Shrubby, Martin would still be a sentimental favorite.

Shortly after the caution flew, Darrell Waltrip spoke the truest words of the night, and perhaps the season: “Boys, lemme just tell ya somethin’, that ain’t gonna go over too good right there”.

At that same moment, the “Kick Me” sign finally fell off of Jeff Gordon’s back.



You can contact Brian Watkins at .. Insider Racing News
You Can Read Other Articles By Brian Watkins

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.

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