Jeff Gordon has been poised to win his next NASCAR race since July 9th, 2006. "So what?" you say, big deal, why all the fanfare and who cares anyway?
The fact is, it's a huge big deal. You see Jeff Gordon has won 75 career races in Winston Cup and Nextel Cup combined, just one shy of the late, great Dale Earnhardt's record of 76 wins. So when will Gordon win his next race? I don't know, but it's just a matter of time.
Whenever that elusive next win comes, whether it's this year or next, Gordon not only equals Earnhardt's record but will also share 5th spot with him, on the all time wins record. So now that we've all accepted that Gordon will win another race, what will the fans reaction be to reaching this milestone? As any real NASCAR fan can tell you, people either love Gordon or hate him, not much in the middle.
Many will argue that Earnhardt was the better driver because he won 7 championships by virtue of his 76 wins, while Gordon only has 4. The Gordon camp will argue back that Jeff has won 75 races in only 464 starts, but took Earnhardt 676 races to do the same. This debate could go on and on, but let’s consider a few things; Gordon has 4 championships, that’s good for second place in the all time Championships list; only Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt are better.
Another fact to consider is this;in the 2006 chase, Gordon is firmly in 4th place and is a definite threat to take yet another championship. Besides Gordon, Matt Kenseth is the only other driver in this years chase to have experienced a championship run, they both understand the pressures and the focus required to win the big trophy. Experience is on their side.
So bear with me for a moment; assuming Gordon wins this years title, he could potentially tie the record set by the King and the Intimidator simply by winning two more championships. My apologies to all, I know I'm stepping on hallowed ground here, but isn't it possible? Anyway we need time to figure out a new name for Gordon, you know, something like "Superman"!
I'm sure by now, I've totally lost the interest of the Earnhardt fans, but the Gordon fans are still interested. The point is this; Gordon fan or not, nobody can deny he is one of the all time greats. I guess you could deny it, but that’s not reality.
So the questions still remain, what happens after the next win? A little celebration and then back to focusing on the next record; Cale Yarborough and 83 wins. Like I said earlier, its a just a matter of time.
Edward M Rose is the author of The Un-Official NASCAR Fan Guide, author of many NASCAR articles, stories and comments on the sport and just may be Canada's biggest NASCAR fan.
Visit my websites at: www.theunofficialnascarfanguide.com and www.collectablecreations.com
Source: www.isnare.com
