Gordon Vs. Burton Gordon’s Victory Could Trigger Nascar Rivalry
The Southern 500 may have showcased NASCAR’s next big rivalry - Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton. And Burton may be just the young driver to check Gordon’s greatness.
“We had the fastest car all day,” Burton said. “Now we know how to race. We know how he’s going to race, so we know how to race him.”
Gordon captured his third straight Southern 500 and the Winston Million bonus. Burton, the second youngest Winston Cup winner this season at age 30, was bitter after being cut off low in the final moments by the 26-year-old winner.
What more does a showdown need?
Through the years, every Hall of Fame driver had a pursuer ready to put him into the wall for the checkered flag. King Richard Petty tangled with David Pearson and Bobby Allison. Dale Earnhardt bumped Rusty Wallace out of the way at Bristol two years ago and Wallace bounced a water bottle off the driver known as “Ironhead.”
Gordon has battled with Dale Jarrett and Mark Martin, both more than 10 years older, during the past three seasons. Gordon, with 28 victories and the 1995 drivers title, had the crowd all to himself before Burton’s emergence this season.
Burton stands fifth in the points race, 283 behind Gordon. He has wins at Texas and Loudon, N.H., this season, and his second-place finish at Darlington was the third time he’s finished just back of a triumphant Gordon this season.
Burton had the strongest car all race Sunday, always fighting back among the leaders after falling behind in the pits. He seemed clearly out of it, in sixth place with 25 laps to go and about a quarter of the track to make up. But by the last lap, Burton was on Gordon’s back bumper and ready to end the young star’s million-dollar dream.
But Gordon shot down low in front of Burton coming out of Turn 4 and the cars hit.
“I would have expected it (in the same situation,)” Gordon said.
Burton was less than pleased with the champion’s move, as he watched an armored car filled with fake money follow Gordon during the victory lap. He even tried to spin out Gordon before the race was over.
“I just didn’t get him good enough. … I was going to do my best to make sure he didn’t win the race, because he cut down on me,” Burton said.
Gordon had no regrets about his strategy. He had said all week that if he had the million dollars in sight, anything was possible.
“If I have a shot to win this thing on the last lap, watch out because there’s a guy going for a million bucks and three Southern 500s in a row,” Gordon said. “The desire takes over at that point.”
Burton says the next time he and Gordon are in the same position, he’ll make the pass, sweep around the rainbow-colored No. 24 car and cross the line first.
It’s something Gordon learned long ago. “You get that checkered flag in your mind and in your sight and you’ll do just about anything to get there,” Gordon said. “That’s what I did.”