Jeff Gordon has driven Chevrolets for Hendrick Motorsports for over 20 years. During that time he was won 87 races and four championships.
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. - This anecdote comes from 21 years ago.
My buddy Tom Higgins and I attended a cocktail party thrown by Charlotte Motor Speedway – this was during an era when tracks did such things – and we were parked at the bar.
In walked a baby-faced kid with a thin moustache. We knew who he was, of course. He was Jeff Gordon, a 20-year old racing whiz who was snatched up by team owner Rick Hendrick and was about to embark on a NASCAR Winston Cup career.
“Hello, Mr. Higgins. Hello, Mr. Waid,” he said politely.
Before we could tell him to call us Tom and Steve, Gordon asked the bartender for a Coke. When he got it, he asked:
“How much?”
It was clear that as much of a rookie Gordon was in NASCAR, he was more so when it came to cocktail parties.
At the time neither Higgins nor I – or anyone else, for that matter – had any idea of what Gordon would become in NASCAR. We could not conceive of the fact that he would establish a vastly successful career and become one of the greatest drivers in stock car racing history.
His career has spanned more than two decades. He’s almost 42 years old. He is a four-time Sprint Cup champion with 87 career wins. He’s married with two children.
You might think that by now, Gordon would have let go of the steering wheel, especially since time has changed his personal life. With a family he has many more responsibilities away from the track.
But Gordon continues to race. Still with Hendrick in one of the longest team-driver associations in NASCAR history, he will again chase checkered flags and, yes, a fifth career title.
“No, I can’t believe it,” Gordon said. “When I look in the mirror, I see more wrinkles and gray hair, I know it has been a while.
“I look at some of those old photos and things. It’s been a heck of a ride, a lot of fun, great and challenging moments.
“I wouldn’t have wanted or asked for anything different than the way it’s been over the last 20 years.”
And why would he? Given his list of accomplishments, Gordon has fashioned a career that, well, has been spectacularly successful and will most certainly land him in several halls of fame.
But Gordon isn’t finished yet. And perhaps a fair question is: why?
When a young Gordon came to Hendrick 21 years ago, few could have imagined the vastly successful career he would have.
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Gordon will tell you that despite all he has achieved, he wants more.
“I’ve gotten beat up and beat myself up a little bit for not being as competitive as I was 10 years ago,” he said. “No matter how long you’ve been in this sport, when you’re competitive like that, it’s hard to manage those expectations.
“The pressure’s on me to step up my game and maintain that level of consistency and drive and talent that I’ve had that’s gotten me to this level and has gotten us wins and championships.”
What Gordon means is that he would like to return, in some form, to the days when he was NASCAR’s dominant driver.
For example, from 1996-1998 he compiled an astonishing 33 victories and won the championship twice.
Compare that to 2008-2012, during which Gordon earned six wins and really was never in contention for the title.
Truth be known, that’s a darn good record – one that few drivers can match.
It might seem to be a stretch for a 42-year-old driver to match the achievements he had when he was 24, but Gordon thinks that, if nothing else, he can give it a heckuva shot.
“Different things motivate me,” Gordon said. “I’ve never won a Sprint Cup ever since they have gone to this format. I came close in ’07, but I got beat.
“Obviously, to me there’s only one thing left, and that’s to win another Sprint Cup championship.
“As I’ve gotten older the things that matter to me have changed. I like to make other people proud, people that put a lot of effort into our race team; my parents along the way, crew chiefs like Ray Evernham and my wife and kids.
“These are the things that motivate me, drive me to work harder to accomplish goals that I have not accomplished.”
Rest assured, one other important thing also motivates Gordon: He wants to win the Daytona 500, again.
He’s off to a good start. He qualified No. 2 behind Danica Patrick and knows he’s locked into the race despite what happens in the Budweiser Duels on Feb. 21.
“This is big,” Gordon said. “It’s an accomplishment in itself just because of how many people put so much hard work into it, not just from our team, but all the teams that are out there.”
Gordon is a three-time Daytona 500 winner, but his last victory came in 2005. As far as he’s concerned, it’s time to make amends.
“I’ve always looked at it as the single biggest race we have is this one,” Gordon said. “The single biggest thing we strive for is the championship in every season. So the championship is really the ultimate goal.
“But when you just look at each race you prepare for, you prepare for the Daytona 500 different. It is different. It’s a huge, huge event.
“For all the good reasons, the history, the excitement and energy that this track and this event has are second to none.
“And starting up front in the Duels as well as the 500 is a great thing. I think the way drafting is going to unfold in restrictor plate racing just in general this year, being up front is a premium.
“I think it always is, but I think possibly even more so this year with the aero package.”
Gordon has come a long, long way from that kid with a thin moustache who didn’t know drinks were free at a sponsored cocktail party.
He’s now one of NASCAR’s elder statesmen. He gives advice rather than ask for it.
He knows his time is getting shorter. So he intends to grab all the glory he can in the time he has left.
“I know that I don’t have 10 more years left in me,” Gordon said. “It’s important to me to stay competitive as long as I possibly can.
“I think I definitely have a few more good years left in me.”
And should he win the Daytona 500, 2013 will certainly be one of those good years.
