Gordon’s year already fulfilling
CONCORD, N.C. – There was a time not too long ago when Jeff Gordon wondered if he’d ever win another race.
His personal life was in shambles, and a long losing streak had the four-time series champion doubting himself for the first time in his storied NASCAR career. The wins were few and far between, and the consistent title contender had turned into a perpetual also-ran.
Now five years later, Gordon can’t be stopped – he’s ticking off wins, marching toward another title and, no coincidence here, has never been happier.
With his sixth win of the season Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Gordon opened a healthy 68-point lead in the Nextel Cup points standings. He then celebrated with friends and family, including his only sister, Kimberly Coykendall, who through bad timing had missed the first 80 victories of his Cup career.
As he approaches his first wedding anniversary with wife Ingrid and delights in the joys of fatherhood with infant daughter Ella, Gordon insists he’ll be satisfied no matter where he winds up in the final season standings.
“I’m going to tell you right now, I don’t care what happens with the championship. This is my year,” Gordon said. “Even with the wins that we’ve had so far, the kind of year on and off the racetrack, for me personally, it’s just been the most incredible year.”
The 22-year-old kid who sobbed in Victory Lane after his first Cup win here back in 1994 matured into one of the most dominant drivers in series history. He reeled off 56 wins and stormed to four championships in a seven year span from 1995 to 2001.
Along the way, though, his picture-perfect marriage to former NASCAR model Brooke Sealey crumbled. He was 30, at the top of his profession and had more money than he ever dreamed possible. But living in Florida, isolated from family, friends and the NASCAR community, he realized just how miserable he was.
The couple entered into a nasty, public divorce in 2002 that captivated the garage area and coincided with the worst losing streak of his career. The one driver who contended each and every week was in a nearly yearlong slump, failing to visit Victory Lane for an unheard of span of 31 races.
Gordon has nine wins in his 77 races with crew chief Steve Letarte, who got the job after the 2005 season, and they have been flawless this season while building a lead of more than 300 points during the “regular season.” It was all wiped out when the Chase began, but Gordon has quickly taken command of the title hunt.
With five races remaining, it looks to be Gordon’s title to lose, and team owner Rick Hendrick believes it’s a direct correlation to his personal life.
“I think I see a real happy Jeff Gordon,” Hendrick said. “I think that his life outside of racing is probably the best it’s ever been, especially with his little girl.”