...15 Years And 75 Victories Later

Just 15 years ago, NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick was sitting in a suite outside of Turn 3 during the 1992 Atlanta 300 NASCAR Busch Series race when something caught his eye.  That something was a white No. 1 Baby Ruth sponsored race car with a youthful Jeff Gordon behind the wheel who sat on the pole that day and won the race, en route landing his first Cup Series ride with impressed owner Rick Hendrick in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet.

http://www.davesracing.com/Actionimages2/
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You know the above article I have pasted a portion of in this post today is kind of hokey.  I smell a rat.  What the author is alluding to is a race during which everyone who witnessed it on TV that day was bombarded with stories on Jeff Gordon during the said race after Gordon captured the pole for the race the day before.  The media crowned him a champion that early.  And you know what?  They were right.

So to say it caught Rick Hendrick's eye isn't saying much.  Hell, it caught Kevin Woodard's eye too.   Who is Kevin Woodard?  He is this writer, and saying Jeff caught my eye that day ain't saying nothing.  Saying it caught Rick Hendrick's eye ain't saying nothing either.

more...

http://www.autoracingdaily.com/article/jeff_g
ordon_returns_to_ams_15_years_and_75_victories_lat
er/

On another front,

http://www.celebopedia.com/jeff-gordon/im
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Don't look now but a familiar face is sitting in second place in the NASCAR Nextel Cup points standings.  Yes, it is Mr. Gordon.  And if Mark Martin doesn't run the full season, then what?  Here are Gordon's comments that he made recently in Las Vegas regarding Martin's predicament.

"I would take a long vacation and man I would enjoy it while it lasts and say I went out on top, that is what I would do.  LAUGHS  I don't know, you know he made a decision and I think when he made that decision there are things that come along with making that decision that could be more rewarding and more positive to him than even leading the points.  I think it might be a little bit different if we didn't have the Chase, he might stick around a little bit longer.  But with that Chase format in there, everything changes when you go in to the last 10 races and not saying that they still wouldn't be a factor and be strong because he has done a fantastic job, it is just showcasing his talent. To move to a different team has kind of been exciting, I know it has been exciting for that team.  I know we are all going to be curious when we show up at Bristol.

And there is a baby on the way?

http://i.a.cnn.net/nascar/2006/news/features/
conversation/08/15/jgordon.conversation/gordon.ing
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"I think I would have won the race today (Sunday) if I didn't have a baby on the way because...LOUD LAUGHTER...because I guess that was my distraction out there, I just lost concentration out there thinking about that baby and what I am going to name her and didn't win the race today. LAUGHS

There is nothing that is going to take away from what we do as race car drivers when we get inside that car.  Honestly I have got so many distractions already, I don't see how it could get a whole lot worse. I feel like I am lacking in sleep now, and I know that is going to get worse, but you just deal with it once you get to the race track. There is nothing that is going to be more exciting or more motivating than to actually have an addition to my family.  That is something that I am very proud of.

http://images.sportsnetwork.com/auto/getty/20
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more...

http://www.jeffgordon.com/news/fullstory.sps?
iNewsID=410397&itype=12216&iCategoryID=1126p>