Závit: Napriek roky plynuli, Jeff Gordon stále motivované Win

Jeff Gordon riadil Chevroletov pre Hendrick Motorsports viac ako 20 rokov. Počas tej doby bol vyhral 87 pretekov a štyri majstrovstiev.

DAYTONA BEACH NA FLORIDE -Táto anekdota pochádza z pred 21 rokmi.
Môj kamarát Tom Higgins a zúčastnil koktail party hozený Charlotte Motor Speedway-to bolo počas éry, kedy skladieb robil také veci – a boli sme zaparkované v bare.
V chodili baby-čelia chlapec s tenkou fúzy. Sme vedeli, kto to bol, samozrejme. On bol Jeff Gordon, 20 - ročný závodné whiz, kto bol schmatol majiteľa tímu Rick Hendrick a chystal pustiť na NASCAR Winston Cup kariéru.
"Dobrý deň, pán Higgins. Dobrý deň, pán Waid,"povedal zdvorilo.
Predtým, než sme mohli povedať mu zavolajte Tom a Steve, Gordon požiadal barman kolu. Keď sa dostal to, spýtal sa:
"Koľko?"
Bolo jasné, ako veľa nováčik Gordon bolo NASCAR, že viac, takže keď prišiel do koktailových večierkov.
V tej dobe ani Higgins, ani som- alebo ktokoľvek iný na to príde-nemal potuchy čo Gordon by sa stalo v NASCAR. Sme nemohol pochopiť skutočnosť, že by vytvorenie obrovsky úspešnú kariéru a stal jedným z najväčších ovládače v skladom car racing histórie.
Jeho kariéra trvala viac ako dve desaťročia. On je takmer 42 rokov. On je štyri-čas Sprint Cup víťaz s 87 kariérových výhier. Je ženatý a má dve deti.
Môžete si myslieť, že teraz, Gordon by som pustil volantu, najmä preto, že doba sa zmenila jeho osobný život. S rodinou, má mnoho viac zodpovednosti od trate.
Ale Gordon naďalej pretekať. Stále s Hendrick jedným z najdlhšia tímu-vodič združenia v histórii NASCAR, on bude znovu chase kostkovaný vlajok a, áno, kariéra piatej hlavy.
"Nie, Nemôžem tomu uveriť," povedal Gordon. "Keď sa pozriem do zrkadla, vidím ďalšie vrásky a šedivé vlasy, viem, že to už nejakú dobu.
"Pozerám sa na niektoré z tých starých fotografií a veci. To bolo sakra jazdu, veľa zábavy, veľké a náročné chvíle.
"Mám by chcel alebo požiadal o niečo iné ako spôsob, ako to bolo za posledných 20 rokov."
A prečo by on? Vzhľadom k jeho Zoznam úspechov, Gordon utváral svoju kariéru, že dobre, bolo okázalo úspešný a určite pristane mu v niekoľkých siene slávy.
Ale Gordon ešte nie je hotový. A možno je férová otázka: prečo?
Keď mladý Gordon prišiel Hendrick 21 rokmi, málo predstavovala by mal obrovsky úspešnú kariéru.

Gordon povie vám‑ napriek všetkým o tom..., dosiahol, že... chce viac.
"Biť zmlátil Dostali podieľal až trochu nie je konkurenčné ako, ako som bol pred rokmi 10," povedal. "Bez ohľadu na aby, ako ste v tomto bol dlho šport, keď ste konkurenčné ako je ťažké to... riadiť tieto očakávania.
"Tlak je na mňa krok do mojej hry udržať túto úroveň konzistentnosti disk () talent, ktore dostál som mal ma na tejto úrovni výhier nás majstrovstvá dostál."
Čo znamená Gordon je, že... chcel vrátiť, v nejakej forme, do dní, kedy bol dominantný NASCAR vodič.
Napríklad od roku 1996-1998 na zostavil udivujúce 33 víťazstiev vyhral šampionát dvakrát.
Porovnajte s 2008-2012 a počas ktorej Gordon získal šesť výhier naozaj nikdy v spore o titul.
Známe je Pravda, že... je čertovsky dobrý záznam-desať, ktore môže zodpovedať niekoľko ovládačov.
Aby mohlo byť zdať sa vopred úsek 42-rok-starý vodič zápas úspechy mal, keď mu bolo 24, Gordon si myslí ale, že... nič iného, keď si skúsiť na heckuva.
"Veci Rôzne motivovať ma," povedal Gordon. "Som nikdy vyhral Sprint Cup odvtedy si formátu tohto išli. Prišiel som blízko v "07, ale mám poraziť.
"Samozrejme, pre mňa jediná vec je vľavo, aby je ďalší šampionát vyhrať Sprint Cup.
"Ako som dostal starší veci veci ma zmenili. Chcel aby sa ostatní ľudia hrdý, ľudia, ktore dal veľa úsilia do nášho závodu tímu; moji rodičia na Krasňanoch, posádky ako náčelníkov Ray Evernham moja žena módne party tanec Ukázať kráľovná.
"Toto sú veci, ktoré ma motivovať ma riadiť, pracovať ťažšie ciele dosiahnuť, ktoré sa nedokončilo."
Buďte istí, že... jedna dôležitá vec tiež motivuje Gordon: chce vyhrať Daytona 500, znova.
O je preč dobrý štart. Kvalifikovaní č 2 za Danica Patrick vie o je uzamknutý do závodu cez čo sa v meste deje Budweiser duely na február 21.
"To je veľký" povedal Gordon. "K je úspech podieľal seba ľan o preto, že... toľko tvrdej ľudí koľko práce do neho nielen z nášho tímu, ale, ktoré sú tímy všetky tam."
Gordon je trojnásobný víťaz Daytona 500, ale jeho posledné víťazstvo prišlo v roku 2005. Ako o sa týka je čas, aby napraviť.
"Vždy Som sa pozrel na ako jediný najväčší závod máme je na jedno," povedal Gordon. "Jediný najväčšia vec, ktorú budeme usilovať o je majstrovstiev v každom období ročnom. Takže je skutočne cieľom konečným šampionátu.
"Ale keď stačí pozrieť každý, pripraviť si môžete závod pripraviť rôzne Daytona 500. Je na rôzne. Je obrovská obrovská udalosť.
"Pre všetky dobré dôvody, História, vzrušenie a. energie, táto trať... táto udalosť má sú na špičkovej úrovni.
"(A) začína vpredu súboje rovnako ako je 500 skvelá vec. Myslím, že... spôsob navrhovania sa rozvinúť škrtiaci chystá taniere závodné vo všeobecnosti snažím rok, že... vpredu je prémia.
"Myslím, že... to je vždy ale myslím možno ešte viac, snažím rok s aero balík."
Gordon má za sebou dlhú cestu od že... chlapec s tenkou fuzy, ktore nevedel nápoje zadarmo na sponzorované koktail party.
O je teraz jedným z NASCAR staršie štátnikov. O ako skôr o radu dáva do požiadajú.
Vie, že... jeho čas sa skracujú. Tak chce chytiť všetku slávu dokáže zanechal včas.
"Viem, že... nemám 10 rokov opustil vo mne," povedal Gordon. "Je dôležité, aby mi zostali konkurencieschopní tak dlho, ako ja možná môže.
"Myslím, že... určite majú niekoľko dobrých rokov opustil vo mne."
(A) na vyhrať Daytona 500 do roku 2013, určite bude jeden z tých dobrých rokov.

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.