As this racing year winds down to the finale in Homestead, Fla., this weekend, it appears that Jeff Gordon will most likely be watching his protégé Jimmie Johnson take home his third Cup trophy in a row.
While Gordon has tried his hardest to give Johnson a run for his money in the championship race, this year he has fallen well short of the mark.
In fact, Gordon did not even get to finish the most recent race in Phoenix. He had a pretty good car too, starting seventh in the Checker O'Reilly 500. But midway through the race, Gordon detected something, most likely a valve, going south in the engine.
Gordon managed to limp around the track, finally emitting that tell-tale puff of smoke that signifies the final stages of engine failure. This was the sixth DNF for the season for Gordon, dropping him two positions to seventh place in the Chase points battle.
Jeff Gordon has also gone all race season long without one win. In fact, he has now gone winless in 40 races, very uncharacteristic for this four-time Cup champion. This winless streak has not happened to Gordon since his rookie season in NASCAR in 1993.
But this year more than any other, it seems that Jeff Gordon may be measuring his success in a very different fashion.
While he is doing everything he can to be competitive on the track, there also seems to be an acceptance that his life is somehow bigger now than just trophies in Victory Lane.
He credits this difference in measuring success to now being a parent himself and having his own family, Ingrid and Ella, to care for.
But he seems to be looking at his life results as so much more than drives behind the wheel of a race car, but by the good he is able to do for others, especially children in need.
In Gordon's own words, "Although my adrenaline peaks behind the wheel, the smile of a child in need is the fastest way to warm my heart."
Jeff has become increasingly active this year with raising funds and awareness for several children's charities. He has also taken a much more visible role in the activities of The Jeff Gordon Foundation, a charity that is all about helping children with life threatening or debilitating diseases.
Just last month, Gordon hosted "A Hero's Journey," a fund-raiser for the Hendrick Marrow Program. The event started with a day of go-kart racing, with every racer getting the opportunity to go head to head on the track with Gordon.
The evening ended with a fancy banquet in downtown Charlotte, complete with the requisite silent auction. Over $310,000 was raised to help increase the number of bone marrow donors, especially helping children in need of bone marrow transplants in order to survive.
After the festivities were completed, Jeff Gordon stepped up to the microphone of the ballroom. And as a hush fell over the crowd, Gordon introduced the "hero" for the evening, young Tanner to his life-saving donor, Tom.
As the two hugged for a very long time, the tears flowed throughout the room. And Gordon, who so often had been teased in the past by Dale Earnhardt, Sr. for his post-race Victory Lane tears, was dabbing his eyes with his handkerchief for a very different, but even more powerful kind of a victory celebration.
Gordon admits that having his own child now has changed the intensity of his commitment to helping other children in need. The Jeff Gordon Foundation continues to work, with Gordon himself leading the charge, to raise even more funds for children who have no where else to turn for help.
So, has Gordon's perspective on what success truly means changed? There is no doubt that Jeff Gordon lives and breathes racing and his competitive spirit endures.
But he seems to have just a little different take on what is truly important in his own life. Success, while it may come on the race track, is also coming to Gordon in many other ways, most often through the eyes and smiles of children who would not even be in the world without his help.
19 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
SCOTT GIBB SR. 7 months ago
MARY JO COOL READ THAT SOUNDS JUST LIKE JEFF
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Mary Jo Buchanan 7 months ago
Thanks Scott and thanks for the pick. Yep, that's our guy!!
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Patti Rodisch 7 months ago
great job on this one!! i found this one through jeffgordon.com!! It's nice to see these drivers give back the way they do.. and Jeff has always been very involved!! good job!!
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Mary Jo Buchanan 7 months ago
Thanks Patti - these drivers are so fortunate - glad to see they can give back to others.
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S M Napier 7 months ago
Great read, MJ. Always nice to see our drivers give back, especially with so many athletes losing their way getting in trouble. The more exposure we give to stories, like this the more opportunities the young athletes/fans have to read it and be inspired by it.
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Mary Jo Buchanan 7 months ago
Let's hope that many other athletes and fans can be inspired to give back - there are so many people who need the help especially nowadays. I know Gordon is my driver but the event with the little boy and his donor just really touched my heart.
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Val Blenman 7 months ago
Excellent job MJ. Gordon is my driver also, but I think he doesn't get the respect and credit he deserves.
He is a great philanthropist, but he doesn't get as much exposure about his charities as some other drivers do. I thank God for him and all the drivers, crews, owners and whom ever is willing to give of their time and resources to help others. There truly is no greater feeling than to see the smile on someone's face that you have helped.
Thank you so much for this article.
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Mary Jo Buchanan 7 months ago
Thanks Val - we have a great driver - and human being - in common!!
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Val Blenman 7 months ago
Excellent job MJ. Gordon is my driver also, but I think he doesn't get the respect and credit he deserves.
He is a great philanthropist, but he doesn't get as much exposure about his charities as some other drivers do. I thank God for him and all the drivers, crews, owners and whom ever is willing to give of their time and resources to help others. There truly is no greater feeling than to see the smile on someone's face that you have helped.
Thank you so much for this article.
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Jim Crooks 7 months ago
Great job Mary Jo! You always lay it out on the line so well. My pick of the day!
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Mary Jo Buchanan 7 months ago
Thanks SO much Jim - greatly appreciated!
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Alpine Digital 7 months ago
Great article. Im kinda newb and find this place has some really nice reading to be had.
As for Jeff Gordon going winless, I have a theory. Look at last season - Gordon putting up the best season #s in NASCAR history, and then Johnson getting the championship. They put that bar so high that nobody could ever hope to touch it. So everyone bumped up their game, knowing that anything less than perfect execution on raceday will not get them into the chase. With everyone in the field desperately struggling for perfection, odds are that each individual track will be mastered by somebody else.
Nobody is likely to shine at every track, and most will struggle at a few. If one person sets the pace as Gordon did last season, it seems probable that 1 of 42 other drivers will outperform him, especially if he's not matching his previous performances. Well, thats hard as hell to do, considering. So if Gordon hasn't stepped up his game from season, it's quite likely this is a typical result. If he's failing to perform as well as last season, this is a guarenteed result.
It's probably safe to say he put his all on the line during his drive for 5 in '07. But the world witnessed Johnson beat him in the only way it's possible. The same old game plans probably wont work anymore, and I think 2008 has proven that. In fact, Bowyer hinted by making the chase without winning last season, and 3 drivers made it this season.
So how do they do it? What's the key to winning and being consistent? It's really pretty simple. Just gotta have a really cool painstcheme. (You didnt really think I would run the numbers for you did'ja? Okay, maybe next time. lol)
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Mary Jo Buchanan 7 months ago
Thanks for your comment and thanks for jumping on board - this is a great site, with wonderful readers, writers, and even some ranters now and again. You make good points, especially re Jeff's season. And let's hope you're right about the cool paint scheme as that is something the 24 is changing next year!!!
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Ron Ripple 7 months ago
Obviously the guy is successful but the only thing he was successful with this year was probably his hot wife. (and his generous donations... he's incredible for the bone marrow fund)
But if Gordon wants to be a winner again ON THE TRACK, tell him to call me and we'll change his ways. First thing being his sissy wine drinking.
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Mary Jo Buchanan 7 months ago
You are too much Ron - will send him your way! Meanwhile, I'm taking a sip of my chardonnay!!
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shiela cochran 7 months ago
Jeff Gordon is awesom no matter if he never wins another race.
Shiela
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Mary Jo Buchanan 7 months ago
Agreed Shiela - thanks for your comment!
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Gray Ghost 7 months ago
Mary Jo, what a great read. I, as a Jeff Gordon fan, was in the minority back in Georgia - and even those I know here in Idaho. I was disappointed when he went through his much publicized divorce, and am very glad for what having children has done for him, and especially learning about his charitable work with needy kids. Thanks for throwing the spotlight on this. *****POTD
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Mary Jo Buchanan 7 months ago
Gray - so glad to hear from you - and thanks SO much for the comment and pick. Us Gordon fans have to stick together wherever we are right?!!!
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