Hendrick Cars Sweep Duels; Hamlin and Danica Tussle

Dale Jr scored a historic win in his duel Thursday night (Google Images) 

After Sunday's pack qualifying session at Daytona, fans and drivers alike (especially Clint Bowyer) started a debate about what should be done to make qualifying less risky. And if you haven't seen Bowyer's post-wreck rant yet, you can see it here. It's worth a look because it started a lot of controversy over NASCAR's recent changes to qualifying for the "Great American Race." But while Sunday's time trials locked a few cars in and won Jeff Gordon the pole for his final Daytona 500, the risk wasn't over for drivers still trying to make the field.

Thursday nights Budweiser Duel 150 qualifying races are always treacherous for those on the bubble and this year's twin races kept to that tradition. Both races had drama and disappointment, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. They also had a bit of history because for the first time in its history, Hendrick Motorsports swept the Budweiser Duel races, with Dale Earnhardt Jr winning the first one and Jimmie Johnson scoring the win in the second.

Junior's win was also fairly historic because, since his qualifying time was disallowed, he was forced to start at the rear in his duel. He started in 25th and finished in first and that is the furthest anyone has ever come from to reach victory lane in one of these qualifying races. Dale Jr was also helped by the fact that teammates Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne were at the front to run with him because Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr picked up where they left off Saturday night and looked like the cars to beat again.

The only incidents that occurred in the first race came when Casey Mears lost a motor and when Johnny Sauter got squeezed by AJ Allmendinger and sent Sauter's No. 83 Camry through the infield grass and into the outside wall. Trevor Bayne also got loose and hit the turn three wall and damaged the No. 42 of Kyle Larson. However, the real fireworks were yet to come.



Denny Hamlin and Danica Patrick talk on pit road (Google Images)

After Junior, who said earlier in Speedweeks that he had the fastest car in Daytona, scored a very convincing victory, it was time for the second race to go green.

Jimmie Johnson led the field to green and, despite a round of pit stops a few wrecks, he managed to dominate the race, hold off Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards and complete the Hendrick Motorsports sweep. But this race did feature a lot of drama as to who would make the field and who wouldn't.

David Ragan lost his owner points when Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins moved the points from Ragan's No. 34 car to teammate Cole Whitt's No. 35 because of Ragan's plate racing prowess. The only problem was that on lap 21 of his duel, Ragan spun around off the nose of Justin Allgaier's No. 51 Chevy. Ragan suffered some right rear damage and lost a lap in the repair process, but while he was down, it was early enough in the race that he was not out just yet.

The next wreck was much bigger and had major implications as to who went home. On lap 38 Jeb Burton, attempting his first Daytona 500, appeared to wiggle behind the No. 9 of Sam Hornish Jr and caught Hornish's right rear. This turned the No. 9 into the outside wall and collected the No. 7 of Alex Bowman and the No. 3 of Austin Dillon. The wreck also led to a 7 minute red flag to clean up the race track. This caution also led to Ragan getting back on the lead lap. Remember that for later.

Oh yea... Jimmie Johnson won the second duel (Google Images)

Once the race went green, it was clean until the end. But with four laps to go, Denny Hamlin lightly bumped Danica Patrick for the second day in a row (the two wrecked in practice Wednesday afternoon) and sent her spinning into Bryan Scott and Bobby Labonte. This led to a post race argument and a post race reaction where Patrick talked for two minutes and managed to say absolutely nothing.

However, despite running the risk of missing the race, Danica still managed to make the field for the 500. Oh and David Ragan? Despite his early wreck, all the subsequent carnage allowed for him to pick up the draft and finish inside the top 15 and also make the field for Sunday's race.

However, some drivers were not as lucky. Bowman, Burton, Scott, Josh Wise, Justin Marks and Ron Hornaday all missed the cut for the big dance and were forced to pick up their marbles and head home.

So now all that remains is to run the 57th installment of the biggest race in NASCAR. Forty-three teams will take to the high banks of Daytona for 500 miles on Sunday and every one of them stands a chance of taking home the coveted Harley J. Earl Trophy. This is really shaping up to be one of the most exciting 500s yet. Tune into FOX this Sunday at 1 pm Eastern to watch it all unfold.

Matt Kenseth Wins Sprint Unlimited; Breaks Winless Drought

Matt Kenseth and his crew pose in victory lane at Daytona (Google Images)

The 2015 Sprint Cup tour is officially underway and Matt Kenseth took the first trophy of the season Saturday night. While it wasn't a points paying win, this also snapped a losing streak for the No. 20 team; one that stretches back to the September 2013 race at Loudon.

Saturday's race was also a big one for second place finisher Martin Truex Jr. The New Jersey native put his defensive driving skills to the test and blocked all of his challengers to lead 28 laps in the season-opening event. Last season, Truex and his Furniture Row team only led one lap the entire year so their season started off great as well.

The race began with Paul Menard and Kasey Kahne leading the field to green and drivers like Truex quickly asserting their dominance. Drivers got close to bumping into each other, but it wasn't until lap 23 that one car got too close to the edge. Second year driver Kyle Larson tried to squeeze his No. 42 Chevy in between Penske Racing teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. This sent Keselowski spinning through the infield and back up the track. While he managed to avoid collecting other cars, Keselowski did hit the frontstrech wall head on, demolishing the front of his Miller Lite Ford and ending his night early. The wreck also provided a dramatic end to the first  25 lap segment, which was won by Truex Jr.

Once the second half of the Unlimited began, fans were treated to a no holds barred shootout for the first trophy of the season.

The racing was still really hard and really close, but drivers managed to avoid taking each other out. But just like a 200 mph game of musical chairs, once the music stops, someone is going to wind up without a place to sit.

One tap, one big wreck and a  bunch of cars done (Google Images)

On lap 46, Greg Biffle tapped the rear bumper of Jamie McMurray off of turn four and sent the No.1 car spinning down the track and back up in front of traffic. But unlike Keselowski's wreck, the rest of the field wasn't lucky enough to miss him. The wreck collected Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson and last years Unlimited winner Denny Hamlin. Kenseth also suffered a couple scrapes from this accident. Once the carnage had been cleared, only 11 cars remained on track. More than half the field had been eliminated in one spin.

After that wreck, with just a handful of cars remaining, you'd think the drivers would've calmed down a bit and preserved their cars. Wrong. With just eight laps remaining, Tony Stewart got loose and collected Biffle and Kurt Busch. The wreck sent Biffle into the backstretch wall (really hard) in a shower of smoke and sparks.

Once the race went back to green, Kenseth grabbed the lead back from Truex and managed to build up a pretty sizeable gap. Normally at plate tracks this is a bad thing and everyone was waiting for Truex to build a run and slingshot the No. 20 for the win. But surprisingly that didn't happen and Kenseth held off Truex and teammate Carl Edwards for his first win in the Sprint Unlimited and his first win in a year and a half.

After the race, the fireworks continued as 2014 champion Kevin Harvick and Logano exchange words on pit road after late contact. You can watch the FOX footage of this little skirmish here.

But one thing Logano said is, "new year, same stuff." And that's absolutely true. Last season ended with some wrecks, some fights and a nail biter of a final race. Now, in this opening race we saw some wrecks, a fight and an exciting fight to the finish.

NASCAR is back and they're picking up right where they left off. We should be in for one heck of a year

Heading into 2015,Change is the Name of the Game

Austin Dillon (3) leads the field to green in last year's Daytona 500
(Google Images)

This is it. After almost three months of waiting, this Saturday's Sprint Unlimited at Daytona marks the beginning of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. This race, which this year has become more like a big game of musical chairs than the prestigious race it was when only pole winners were eligible, will kick off the latest campaign for NASCAR's top series. And as this new season begins, there are a lot of changes taking place and a lot of questions that fans are awaiting the answer to.

First off, will the changes made by NASCAR to limit horsepower have any impact on the actual on-track product? Going into this year, the sanctioning body decided to do to the cup cars what they did to the Xfinity cars and Camping World Trucks a few years ago and run a tapered spacer on the cars at every track. Essentially, a tapered spacer is akin to a restrictor plate. It limits the amount of air allowed into the intake manifold and limits the car's power. This change alone is expected to cut horsepower from around 850 to around 725, according to NASCAR.com. In addition to reducing power, teams will also use roller valve lifters instead of flat valve lifters, lower gear ratios in the rear differentials and rear spoilers that have been shortened from 8 inches to 6 inches. This should all lead to lower speeds, tighter packs and, hopefully, better, closer racing.

One of the more unconventional changes, which has already been tested at Michigan International Speedway, is the optional driver-adjustable track bar. Located in the rear end, the track bar is the part of the race car that helps to control how "loose" or "tight" the car is and helps the rear tires grip better. Until now, it has only been adjustable with a wrench that the tire carrier's had to stick through a hole in the car's rear window. So now that a driver might have the option to adjust the way his car handles on his own and not wait for a pit stop could make things much more interesting.

Changes are coming to pit road in 2015 (Google Images)

Speaking of interesting, NASCAR has also changed their pit road officiating policies. The days of "Storm Troopers" in their white suits and helmets standing beside a car to overlook every pit stop are over. NASCAR will now use 45 cameras placed along pit road, the data from which will be fed to a central location where eight officials will keep track of what happens and report any potential violations. NASCAR.com also explains how this new technology will work in a little more detail.

The sanctioning body also changed the rule that each car must have all 20 lug nuts securely tightened down before they leave their pit stall. This used to draw a penalty and forced the driver to return to pit road to bolt down their loose wheel. But now, tire changers need no longer drive themselves "nuts" worrying about tightening down each lug. Technically, crew chiefs could even gamble and only tighten four or even three lugs on a late race stop with the win on the line, banking on their car crossing the finish line with all four tires still underneath it.

All of these changes are geared towards improving racing and making the competition more enjoyable for fans. But there are quite a few teams that are hoping these changes will help them improve their performance from last season.

Richard Childress Racing might have come within one position of winning last year's championship with Ryan Newman, but that was based solely on consistency. RCR drivers Newman, Paul Menard and Austin Dillon all went winless last year. Roush Fenway Racing also failed to score a victory with drivers Greg Biffle and Ricky Stenhouse Jr (Carl Edwards won two races for RFR, but will drive for Joe Gibbs Racing this year) and Gibbs Racing's Matt Kenseth went from winning seven times in 2014 to a giant goose egg in the win column last season. All of these drivers are more than capable of winning and a few have also shown they're capable of contending for the Sprint Cup trophy as well. These teams are all looking for a serious rebound and will no doubt be expecting big things in 2015 season.



Can Kevin Harvick defend his title this season? (Google Images)

Hendrick Motorsports also has a few drivers worth keeping an eye on. Jeff Gordon will be retiring after this year and his legions of fans will be hoping that his final "Drive for Five" will finally be the one to net him his fifth championship (and his first since 2001). And, in all honesty, Gordon is so well respected that anyone would be happy to see him go out on top like that. It will also be fun to watch his replacement, Chase Elliott run his first five Sprint Cup races in preparation to take over Gordon's famous No. 24 in 2016. With a schedule that is designed to challenge him, Elliott will be running some tough events, like the Coke 600 and the Southern 500 at Darlington. Seeing if he can reach the level of success he has in the Xfinity Series behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup Series car will be exciting to watch.

But perhaps the biggest question is can Kevin Harvick defend his Sprint Cup title? A driver who always came up just shy of the title in his tenure at Richard Childress Racing managed to win his first championship last season in his first year at Stewart-Haas Racing with crew chief  Rodney Childers. As mentioned before, in 2013 Matt Kenseth won seven races and came within just a few points of winning his second title. That was his first year at JGR. But last year he had a serious sophomore slump in his No. 20 Toyota. He failed to win a race and was eliminated right before the final round of the Chase began. Harvick won five races last year en route to his first championship. Will he be able to maintain his success? Or will he suffer the same fate as Kenseth did this past year?

There are a lot of questions to be answered this year. From rules changes to driver changes, there is a lot to look forward to this season. And when these changes go into effect this Saturday night at 8pm Eastern on FOX, fans will finally get a glimpse as to what the season might hold. We also might find out some answers to some of these questions, find out which changes were worth it and which might  work out to be a complete bust.

Jeb Burton Signs Multi-Year Deal with BK Racing

Jeb Burton will make his Sprint Cup debut in 2015 (Google Images)

On January 28th, Jeb Burton tweeted that "Due to a lack of sponsorship, I do not have a truck program for this year. I will continue to do everything in my power to fulfill my dream!" Now, just two short weeks later, it appears that Burton no longer needs to worry about his dream of being a race car driver passing him by.

After retooling their driver lineup for this season, BK Racing announced Monday that they have signed Burton, the 22-year-old son of 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton, to a multi-year deal that will keep him in the team's No. 26 Toyota for the foreseeable future.

"We are very lucky to have a great, young, talented driver like Jeb Burton in one of our NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars," BK Racing co-owner Anthony Marlowe said in a statement. "It was important for us to find full-time anchor drivers for this season that are experienced and team-oriented. Jeb's success in the Camping World Truck Series, along with his family's history in the sport, makes his emergence into Cup a great story. The story, which also includes a strong shot at winning Sunoco Rookie of the Year in 2015, has already proven to be very marketable."

Burton, who has seven poles, 19 top tens and a win at Texas in 49 truck series starts, said that he is, "...so thankful for the opportunity that BK Racing has given me. It has been a dream of mine to race in the Daytona 500 since I was 9-years-old and I stood with my dad in victory lane." The young rookie went on to reminisce about that day and talk about his cautiously optimistic outlook for 2015.

Jeb Burton (L) poses with his father, Ward, after his lone truck series win
at Texas in 2013 (Google Images)

"I remember thinking to myself then, in 2002, I would like to win the 500 one day," Burton continued in a team statement. "Now I have a chance at making that dream come true. I am looking forward to making the 500, providing the best possible finish I can by racing and by running and racing hard every lap this season. I also look forward to competing for the 2015 title of Rookie of the Year. Each week I will be concentrating on finishing on the lead lap and learning as much as possible."

In addition to Jeb Burton, BK Racing also landed his father. The elder Burton will be working with the organization as a "team ambassador" and accompany his son to select appearances throughout the year.

This latest addition is the latest in what has been a rough offseason for BK Racing. After losing rookie Alex Bowman to Tommy Baldwin Racing and Cole Whitt to Front Row Motorsports, the team only had J.J. Yeley signed a few weeks ago. But now, it appears BKR will be able to maintain the two full-time cars it had a few years ago with veterans Travis Kvapil and David Reutimann.

Yeley will pilot the team's No. 23 car and Burton will be in the No. 26 Camry. The team also announced that it will field a third car on a part-time basis for Johnny Sauter. So far, Sauter will be in the team's No. 83 Toyota in the Daytona 500, the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona this July, as well as both events at Talladega.

Getting the "Bugs" Out in 2015: Biffle is Key to Roush Resurrection

Greg Biffle looks to heat up the track with new sponsor Ortho in 2015
(Google Images)

Last season was one to forget for Roush Fenway Racing. The team only scored two wins and, despite getting drivers Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards into the Chase, consistency only brought them so far and both were eliminated before they could shoot for the title. There was also a good deal of speculation about whether Edwards and Biffle would return to RFR in 2015. But while Edwards decided to depart the team that gave him his break for Joe Gibbs Racing, Biffle decided to stay put and try to right the ship.

This was not entirely surprising because, like his owner Jack Roush, Biffle bleeds Ford blue and he has been with the team since his truck series days began back in 1998. The Biff took a pay cut a few years ago to stay in his familiar No. 16 Fusion, so clearly he cares more about racing than money.  This season, Roush-Fenway added Elliott Sadler and Darrell Wallace Jr to their Nationwide Series fleet as teammates to Ryan Reed giving them a serious shot at the 2015 series title. The team also elevated Trevor Bayne to full-time Sprint Cup competition, so on the cup side the level of inexperience between Bayne and third-year driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr is going to mean a steep learning curve for both young drivers.

Enter Biffle, who won the 2000 Camping World (then Craftsman) Truck Series championship and the 2002 Xfinity (then Busch) Series title for Roush in addition to 19 Sprint Cup victories. Now he will be the elder statesman and his experience will be key in getting RFR back to a competitive level. His knowledge and expertise will only help boost the performance of Stenhouse and Bayne and return not only the No. 16 car to the front of the pack, but both of his young teammates as well. But while his fans have been known to "stick with the Biff," the 45-year-old veteran spoke about seriously debating whether or not he should stick with Roush Fenway Racing.

"You know, loyalty in this world only goes so far," Biffle told media members during the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour. "I felt like I had to wrestle with the decision on whether I leave or not. It makes it easy to leave, it's easy to kick a guy when he's down, right? So we were having tremendous trouble last year, and I've been there trough three of these cycles, and we're not going to sugar-coat it -- last year, we were at the bottom of the heap compared to the teams. We just were, and no light at the end of the tunnel, and so it would've been an easy way for me to leave at that point."



Biffle celebrating his most recent win, June 16th, 2013 at Michigan
(Google Images)

While Edwards might have taken the easy way out Biffle described, the Biff sticking around is the best thing that could've happened to RFR and, just like many of his fans, he believes Roush is due for a comeback in 2015. And he wants to be the one leading that charge back to the front.

"Knowing that the stock is at the lowest price that it's been at, sometimes that's the opportunity. It's going to go up," Biffle told reporters. "It doesn't have to, but logic says it's going to go up, and so I wrestled with it and sat long and hard about it, and I said 'I want to be the guy that brings the organization back out of where we're at. We're in a bad place. I could jump ship right now.' And I decided I didn't want to do that. I wanted to give it another opportunity."

Steve Newmark, president of Roush Fenway Racing, spoke about the idea of losing Biffle, a great driver who has also become a great company man and team spokesman.

"It was critical," Newmark said of re-signing Biffle. "Greg and I spent a lot of time talking. He was solicited by a lot of teams, which I would expect with a driver of that caliber. After a lot of discussions, I think he felt like Roush was the right fit for him and the right place, and he and Jack had some unfinished business. But he brings an element that we wouldn't have had without him. We have a lot of other talented drivers, but none of them has had the history with both our organization and the championships, so he's been fantastic."

One of the other bug reasons Biffle could've left is because of the loss of longtime sponsor 3M. Losing that kind of funding could be a big blow to any team. But now, with new sponsor Ortho Bug B Gone, both Biffle and Roush Fenway will be looking to work out the bugs from 2014 and return to the highly competitive level they're used to this season. As Newmark said, Biffle has an intimate knowledge of all things Roush and he has proven that when his Fords are right, he can contend for wins and championships. The No. 16 car might be coming out of a revamped shop and have some different stickers on the hood this year, but the same hard charging, talented driver will be behind the wheel. For that reason alone, there's no reason at all why Biffle, his team and his fans shouldn't be optimistic heading into this year.

"We're all confident," said Biffle. "Everyone's so excited about the way our company looks, about how everybody's getting along and how excited everybody is to work together again, and on a common goal. We all feel really good."

Chase Elliott to Make Cup Debut at Atlanta?

This photo posted to Jayski.com could mean Chase Elliott will run
some Cup races sooner than later (Google Images)

Last year's Nationwide Series champion might soon become this year's Sprint Cup Series rookie sensation.

Chase Elliott has long been rumored as the heir apparent to Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 team. Now that Gordon is retiring, at least from full-time competition, the path is now clear for Elliott to make his way to Sprint Cup full-time. But while he has not been officially announced as Hendrick Motorsports' newest wheelman, it's really a no brainer that he will be promoted next year.

Actually... make that this year.

Ever since last season there has been speculation that Elliott would run a limited number of Sprint Cup races in 2015 to try and wet his pallet. Under NASCAR rules, despite the fact that HMS has four teams, they are allowed to run a part-time team with a rookie for a select number of events. In addition, the funding is already in place to run a few cup events. NAPA Auto Parts has been Elliott's sponsor since 2014 when the duo won three races, two poles and the Nationwide title. NAPA also has money to fund a full-time Sprint Cup Series ride. They did so with Michael Waltrip from 2001 until 2009, then with Martin Truex Jr from 2010 through 2013. Given that they have already had more on track success in one year with Elliott than they did in over a decade with Waltrip and his team, they have clearly found their golden goose. There's no reason why the auto parts juggernaut wouldn't want to gain even more exposure with Elliott and his team by moving to Sprint Cup.

Jayski.com, NASCAR's premier "Silly Season" authority posted a picture they received from a fan of a blue and gold No. 25 NAPA Chevrolet with Elliott's name on the door. Many fans have been debating whether Rick Hendrick would resurrect the No. 25 his son drove in the Nationwide (then Busch) Series and by Brian Vickers and Casey Mears in cup or if Elliott would run a number his famous father, "Awesome" Bill Elliott ran. His cars carried either a No. 9 or No. 94. But with the leaked photo, it appears Elliott will run the No. 25 this season. But when will he actually climb aboard his new mount?

All signs point to the race in Atlanta on March 1st. The Elliott's are from Dawsonville, Georgia. The town still sounds the fire siren on top of the pool hall in town whenever Chase scores a victory, just as they have done so many times with Bill. Not only is Atlanta Elliott's home track, it is also the home base for NAPA. No doubt both parties would want to make their Sprint Cup debut in front of their home town crowd.

Looking at how this story is playing out, it all sounds a little familiar. Hendrick Motorsports is bringing a farm series standout to the sport's highest level on a part-time basis in preparation to run for a title next season; their first start being at the Atlanta Motor Speedway with a big time, big money sponsorship deal.

That all seemed to work out really well for the man who drove the guy who drove the No. 24 car in that well documented debut. I think his successor should do fine following the same path in the No. 25 car.

UPDATE: Hendrick Motorsports announced Friday afternoon that Chase Elliott will drive the No. 24 car full-time in 2016 with crew chief Alan Gustafson. Sponsorship will be announced at a later date. Elliott will also run five Sprint Cup races in 2015 with crew chief Kenny Francis and the No. 25 NAPA Chevrolet. NAPA will also back Elliott as he defends his 2014 title in the Xfinity Series this season.. The pair will be entered at Martinsville Speedway (March 29), Richmond International Raceway (April 25), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 24), Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 26) and Darlington Raceway (September 6).

"Chase brings the kind of intangibles that make him the total package as a driver," team owner Rick Hendrick as he announced the news during the team's season kickoff employee event. "Not only is he a special talent inside the race car, but there's a natural combination of competitiveness, work ethic and smarts that you rarely see. Chase's personality and demeanor make him popular with fans, teammates and sponsors. He's a great fit for our organization on many levels, and we feel he and Alan will be a successful combination. There's a lot to be excited about."

"Chase has been a fantastic ambassador for NAPA," said Gaylord Spencer, senior vice president of marketing for NAPA Auto Parts. "As he embarks on this next important step in his career, we are proud to support him across both series in 2015 and look forward to an exciting year on and off the track. The NAPA family is behind Chase 100 percent."

"So many people have been behind me, and the first thing I want to do is thank them," said Elliott. "My parents especially have believed in me every step of the way, and I know this wouldn't be possible without all the sacrifices they've made to focus on my racing career. This is such a big week for our family. I'm also extremely grateful to Mr. Hendrick and my teammates at both Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports for believing in me. NAPA has been a huge supporter and I'm honored to represent them on and off the track. Of course the fans have been amazing to me, and I'm so appreciative of that. I know how rare this opportunity is and will work as hard as I can to make everyone proud."

End of an Era: Jeff Gordon Announces Retirement After 2015 Season

Gordon and owner Rick Hendrick after their record fifth win at Indianapolis
last season (Google Images)

Jeff Gordon has run every race he has entered since November 15th, 1992 and the season finale at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Now over two decades since that first race, on January 22, 2015, Gordon announced that the 2015 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway would be his final start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, at least on a full-time basis.

Champion driver and NASCAR on FOX commentator Darrell Waltrip famously made his opinion known at the time of Gordon's first start that he didn't believe the California driver would be able to make it in the Winston (now Sprint) Cup Series. He appeared to have a point, as Gordon started 21st and finished 31st after a wreck in that first start. But now, four championships and 92 wins later, I think DW would agree that Gordon's done ok for himself at NASCAR's top level. But his success in stock car racing also transcends his on track victories. 

Gordon is from California, is great with the media and is one of, if not the most recognizable face in the sport of stock car racing today. His professionalism and personality made him an ideal guest for talk shows and an ideal spokesman for sponsors. His off track credits also include hosting Saturday Night Live in 2003 and voicing Jeff Gorvette in Pixar's 2011 film Cars 2. Through appearances like these, Gordon has been able to help bring NASCAR beyond its southern roots and propel it onto a national stage and brought new fans into the fold. Throw in the great work that the Jeff Gordon Foundation does for children with illnesses like cancer and, like him or not, it's almost impossible to argue that Gordon has been nothing but good for the sport.

Speaking of loving or hating him, Gordon is perhaps one of the most polarizing figures in the sport. This is because he is seen by many as a pretty boy; just a spoiled rich kid who had his stepfather help him buy his way to the top. This was the biggest reason that lead to his rivalry with Dale Earnhardt; he was the antithesis of the Intimidator. Earnhardt described himself as someone who could "win a race on Sunday and feed the cows on Monday;" a blue collar, working class, average Joe that fans could relate to. Gordon and Earnhardt were the two most successful drivers in the late 1990's and, because of this, they garnered a lot of media attention. This coupled with their feuding fan bases, one would assume the two racers hated each other as much as their fans did. But that was simply not true.



Gordon and Earnhardt share a moment on pit road (Google Images)

Both drivers had a mutual respect for each other, but that didn't mean there weren't a few good natured jabs thrown in. Earnhardt was the one who dubbed Gordon "Wonder Boy" and, even though he won the second NASCAR event at Indianapolis in 1995, Earnhardt declared himself the first man to win the Brickyard 400. The joke being that Gordon had won the first race at Indy the year before. But Gordon had a few unforgettable highlights too. When it seemed Gordon was a lock to win the title in 1995, Earnhardt said, "if he wins, he'll have to toast everyone with milk." On stage at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel after winning the title, Gordon did exactly that. He raised a glass of milk and toasted his rival on a "great season man." Later in his career, when Gordon won the spring 2007 race at Phoenix and tied Earnhardt at 76 wins, he took a victory lap with a black flag emblazoned with the Intimidator's legendary No. 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr called "really classy." While the fans might have been the ones to create this rivalry, Earnhardt and Gordon were great friends on and off the track.

Personally speaking, I was always an Earnhardt fan. But not just because of his success. I was young at the time, so a great deal of my decision making went into how the cars looked. Plain and simple, Earnhardt's jet black, silver trimmed Monte Carlo was so much cooler than Gordon's Chevy with the big, girly rainbow on the hood. I'd like to think any other seven year old boy would have found that to be an easy decision too. "The Man in Black" or "The Rainbow Warrior?" It was really a no brainer.

Gordon drives to victory lane after I saw him win the fall 2014 Dover race,
potentially his final victory in the Sprint Cup Series

But now, looking back on how the sport of NASCAR was back then versus how it is today, Gordon doesn't seem all that bad anymore. Now that he's retiring, one of the last of the old guard is hanging up his helmet. While I'm still not a fan of Gordon, it's hard to not have respect for how he carries himself and for the great amount of success. 92 wins, four titles, three Daytona 500s, 77 poles and 454 top tens to date? A quarter of those numbers is a career for most drivers. Yes Gordon might have had more help getting to the top, but he clearly had the talent to stay put once he got there. It will be strange to see the No. 24 car with a different driver next year; or perhaps not even on the track at all. But while his car will have a different driver (cough...chaseelliott... cough), Gordon has already signed on to be a color commentator for select FOX Sports Xfinity Series broadcasts.

While it will be an adjustment seeing him behind a microphone instead of behind the wheel, Gordon has done everything you can possibly do and won all there is to win in NASCAR. Heck, if he wins at Kentucky this year, he'll have won at every NASCAR track he's ever raced on (including Rockingham and North Wilkesboro). He's retiring on his terms and, unlike many other drivers, he's going out at the top of his game. But perhaps the most important thing is that Gordon is leaving this sport much better than it was when he first arrived on the scene 22 years ago. And for that, every race fan owes him a big thank you.