In Gordon, Earnhardt saw a star and dollars
Quote selected text Published May 1st, 2007 in NASCAR News
Dale Earnhardt’s fans have lambasted Jeff Gordon for a dozen years, showered him in beer cans, mocked his appearance and minimized his success.
They’ve missed the point, or maybe the joke, completely.
When Gordon tied the late legend with 76 victories at NASCAR’s highest level at Phoenix on April 21, he had a unique opportunity. He had the win, a share of sixth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, and the forum to put it back in their faces.
But as Gordon, 35, rolled to a stop, a call came over the team radio that crewman Aaron Kuehn was rushing over a flag the team had stashed in its hauler since late last summer, when Gordon pulled one win behind Earnhardt. Kuehn handed it inside, unfurling it.
Earnhardt’s iconic “3″ in black and red.
This was not the gesture of a scorned man. It was the gesture of a friend, a colleague, an apprentice. And an accomplice in a ruse, a manufactured class war and textbook rivalry that benefited not only both men, but NASCAR as it readied to welcome in millions of new fans in the mid 1990s.
NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said the on-track rivalry served as the hook for a new generation of younger fans from all over the country.
“The Earnhardt-Gordon rivalry was as good as any we’ve ever had in the sport, ” he said.
But it wasn’t as nasty as many believed.
“Earnhardt was a teaser, ” said Ray Evernham, now a team owner who won three championships as Gordon’s crew chief. “But I think deep down inside they had a ton of respect. They did some business deals. If they were teasing and antagonistic, it was part of the show. Earnhardt was a master at selling hats and T-shirts.”
More at SPTimes.com
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- 1997 Daytona 500: Star becomes a mega-star
- Earnhardt, Jr criticizes TMS again
- Speedtv experts to decide who is better: Gordon or Earnhardt?
- Earnhardt, Jr opens Whisky River bar
Amazing…No responses yet to this story. Everyone must be busy cooking up new conspiracy theories or new and improved reasons to hate racers….
Amazing that people could actually believe that Jeff would be being an ass to Dale Sr and his family! They were competitors and yet friends. They respected each other as much as any could. My family has a story to tell about that competition. My son was an Earnhardt fan and daughter a Gordon fan. Back in the late 90’s they both had rugs that were for their rooms showing their respected drivers. Their rooms were across the hall from each other. EVERY DAY I would have to kick the rugs back into their rooms because one would put the rug out which would force the other to kick theirs out too. This went on for a couple years…but when Dale Sr. won his Daytona 500 everything seemed to start changing and before long we were all Earnhardt fans as well as our own favorite drivers too. When Sr. died our whole family was crushed and those 2 teenagers were putting that rug out together. Dale Sr. was a class act and everyone in Nascar knows it…especially his biggest rival and definately a fan Jeff Gordon!
I think some fans just need to grow up. It’s not about hate…
it’s about competition. Every sport has it and that is what
makes it exciting. These drivers might get hot headed at times
but they all respect each other and they should. Each one
of them has had many accomplishments in this sport or they
wouldn’t be where they are with NASCAR!