Gordon having ‘wonderful year’

Dick Brinster

Thursday, Aug. 3, 2000 | 8:20 a.m.

A smile came to Jeff Gordon's face as he leaned back in an easy chair in his trailer, looking more relaxed than he has in years.

These are less stressful times for Gordon, no longer the phenom who won races or came close virtually every week for nearly five years.

He's now just another top driver who has escaped constant attention by losing a lot more than he wins.

But Gordon isn't complaining. As he returned home to Indiana, where he races Saturday in the Brickyard 400, he was a picture of contentment.

"In a lot of ways it's been a wonderful year even though I haven't seen the results I'd like," said Gordon, who nonetheless is seeking his third victory this season. "When we went four years in a row battling for the championship, it drained me."

For years, Gordon insisted he wasn't so special. He has said he was merely fortunate to be with a great team that gave him cars capable of winning just about anywhere. Few bought into the modesty.

"I was surprised every time I pulled into the winner's circle," he said. "I'd tell the people that and they'd say, 'I knew he was going to say that."'

They don't anymore. After getting 45 of his 51 career victories in 145 races, the three-time Winston Cup champion has won only four times in his last 38 starts.

Gone is Ray Evernham, the best crew chief of his era. Gone are the Rainbow Warriors, the fastest over-the-wall guys in the business. And gone is The Kid, replaced by an introspective veteran who turns 29 Sunday.

"It was never one person that made it happen," said Gordon, who two years ago tied series records with four straight victories and 13 overall. "It wasn't me. It wasn't Ray. It was the whole combination.

"Now, I'm playing more of a leadership role, but I'm also relying on the people that make it happen."

Among them is Robbie Loomis, Gordon's third crew chief since September. He sees a relaxed Gordon, and jokes about it.

"That's no good," Loomis said. "We want him tense and tight."

Instead, he says Gordon - given part ownership last year of his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet - has shown the patience other greats of the sport have had.

"Sometimes it's tough to stay on top," Loomis said. "But you look back at David Pearson, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. They proved that it's how you handle being down a bit that matters most."

Gordon is handling it well, in part because he says the perception that he wouldn't be able to deal with defeat wasn't accurate.

"People forget that I've been racing for a lot of years, and I've lost a lot more than I've won," he said.

Like most racers who drive Chevys - which have won just five of 19 races while Fords have taken nine - Gordon says the car is at a disadvantage. Because of aerodynamics, it's slower than the Fords on the longest NASCAR tracks.

That didn't seem like much of a problem in 1997, when Chevys won just 11 races - 10 of them by Gordon. So, what's the problem now?

Gordon says much of it has to do with the aerodynamic balance of the redesigned Monte Carlos.

"We've had all the same setups under this car as we have in the past," he said. "There's a lot more to it than just throwing a setup under the car."

What about the loss of Evernham, who quit last September to become a car owner in Dodge's return to Winston Cup next year?

Gordon concedes that chemistry with Evernham was a big part of his past success. But he likes the way Loomis has settled in, and the pit stops have been fine this season.

"I see the chemistry getting better," Gordon said. "I think you're going to see better results because of that."

He speaks of last season as a hit-or-miss experience. He failed to finish seven times, frequently blowing right front tires.

Despite winning seven races to extend his record of leading the circuit in victories to five straight seasons, he finished sixth in the points race. He's eighth going into the Brickyard 400.

But there have been no DNFs this season, so his place in the standings is because of better competition, not breakdowns.

"We pushed the envelope too far last year," Gordon said.

And this year?

"Things that you were able to do 3-4-5 years ago, you can't do today," he said. "Everything's different, even the way I have to drive the car."