Auugust 17, 2009
By Matthew Pizzolato
Matthew Pizzolato
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Despite the fact that a lot of fans have never really cared for him, Jeff Gordon has risen above the hostility to become one of NASCAR’s most successful drivers. He has 82 race wins and four NASCAR Championships to his credit.
His loyal fans like to bemoan the fact that if it were not for NASCAR’s new playoff format, The Chase for the Championship, where the points standings are reset with ten races remaining, Gordon would have won two more Championships. Some fans claim that he was “robbed” and that if he’d had those two Championships to his name, he would only be one short of tying Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Richard Petty, arguably the two greatest drivers in history, with seven Championships.
He’s only won once race so far this season, that being at Texas Motor Speedway, a track that he’d never won at before. The win caused a stir at the time, but no one has heard much from Gordon since that win. He has been in the news recently, but not for his on track accomplishments.
Earlier in the season, it was reported that Gordon was having back trouble. The stories have grown more persistent, especially after his recent hard crash at Watkins Glen. Gordon even became exasperated with reporters when questioned about his back.
“Man, let's stop talking about my back,” Gordon was quoted as saying in an AP article on nascar.com. “We're done talking about my back. Let's move on. I'm here. I'm fine. Let's move on to something else.”
Gordon has run relatively consistent this season and currently sits third in the points, a relative lock to qualify for the Chase and has as good a chance to win a Championship this year as any of the other drivers who make the Chase. But, Gordon has never fared well in the Chase.
However, time is running out for Gordon to accumulate any more Championships. He is certainly past the prime of his career and is getting no younger, while the competition is. Wins are coming less and less frequent; after all, he went all of last season without a single win. And with his back problems, it is uncertain how much longer he will continue to race. Hopefully, the problem he is having with his back is not serious and he will race for many more years.
On the other hand, Mark Martin is still winning races past the age of 50. Like Gordon, Martin has also has experienced back problems. A long career of hard crashes takes a toll on the human body.
“A lot of stuff goes away in a month or so,” Martin said in the AP article. “Jeff is experiencing a problem that lasts years, not months. I've been through that and many other drivers have as well. They last a lot longer, especially low back problems.”
The chances are the no driver will ever be able to win seven Championships under the current format, unless it is Jimmie Johnson, who has won the previous three and seems to have winning Championships under the Chase format all figured out. Maybe Gordon needs some friendly advice from his teammate.
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