Jeff Gordon Fans Are Falling in Love All Over Again

While many fans fell in love with NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon from the minute he took the track as a rookie driver with a crooked mustache, other fans have taken much longer to warm up to the four-time Cup champion.

But whether a long-time fan or a johnny-come-lately, Gordon has gained additional fans recently, especially after his recent dust-up with teammate Jimmie Johnson.

If phone calls to the NASCAR channel on Sirius are any indication, fans who typically loathed Gordon, or at least disliked him, have now been won over by Gordon's fighting words about the 43 team "wearing me out."  

The fact that Gordon said he was "pissed" at his teammate just sealed the deal for some.

Gordon's fandom has certainly taken many twists and turns over his years in the sport. Most interesting, it seems that the driver's fan following has often mirrored the ups and downs of his racing career.  

When Gordon first burst on the scene with his brash attitude that caused many a wrecked race car, a great deal of NASCAR fans simply wrote him off, saying he would never succeed in the sport.

But as Gordon gained more experience behind the wheel and on the various tracks, he slowly picked up fans along the way.

His incredible fan base was launched.

When Gordon became successful and started challenging the stalwarts of the sport, the driver actually began experiencing the mix of cheers and boos that would plague him for years.  This was especially true as Gordon challenged drivers like Dale Earnhardt and other wily veterans.

While Gordon's fan base seemed stable during the period at that stage of his career, it most certainly did not expand in leaps and bounds.  

Many blamed that fan plateau on Gordon's first marriage, where fans simply could not connect to a driver that seemed distant, even living in another part of the country other than the heart of racing in North Carolina.

After his divorce, Gordon's popularity seemed to be back on the upswing, taking a turn for the positive.  His focus was returned to racing and he re-dedicated himself to continuing his championship career. That endeared more fans to his cause.

Gordon's popularity soared when he married model Ingrid Vandebosch and particularly when he became a father for the first time, welcoming Ella Sofia Gordon to his world. Gordon fans will also celebrate another addition for their driver with the announcement that Ingrid is carrying Gordon's son.

But nothing has done more for Gordon's popularity than his feud with Hendrick Motor Sports teammate Jimmie Johnson.  Fans seem to be gravitating in droves to the driver as the issues have escalated between him and Johnson.

Last year, Gordon admitted that he was really struggling with his feelings about his teammate, especially after Johnson's successful and historic four consecutive championships.  

Gordon's feelings were especially intense as he was the one responsible for bringing Johnson into the Hendrick fold, and he is a part-owner of Johnson's No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet.

This year, however, the rivalry between Gordon and Johnson has escalated, with several on-track incidents between the two drivers.  

The straw that broke the camel's back was the most recent contact at Talladega, where Gordon alleges that Johnson pinched him off, forcing him below the yellow line which led to a major wreck and a terrible finish.

As Gordon shared his exasperation and anger with his teammate, his blood pressure no doubt got higher and higher.  But the more that Gordon expressed his anger, in detail and candidly, the more fans seemed to flock to the No. 24 camp.

Will the Gordon love fest continue?  

If payback comes in the Cup race this weekend between the two, Gordon's star will no doubt continue to rise at least among rank-and-file NASCAR fans.

But the showdown at short track may be in danger.  There are now rumblings of a reconciliation between the two teammates.  In fact, both Gordon and Johnson were seen chumming it up together on pit road prior to qualifying for the race.

Both drivers have acknowledged that after the Talladega incident, before the teams traveled to Richmond, team owner Rick Hendrick sat both of them down for a little conversation about their feud.

As a result of that, Johnson announced during qualifying that he and Gordon were "good with each other."  Gordon said, "It's all good, and we've moved on."

While Johnson indicated that he hoped that he would not cross paths with Gordon, the driver of the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet seemed not to back down on that point.

"I think we're still going to race hard," Gordon said.  "Those guys are so good that we know we have to race them if we're going to win races."

Those may not exactly be fighting words, but for Gordon fans, they are words that most certainly indicate the willingness to mix it up with Johnson on the track if needed.

Ironically, the drivers may get to "have at it: right from the beginning of the race, starting side-by-side in the third and fourth spot for the Crown Royal presents the Heath Calhoun 400 in Richmond under the lights.

And that may just be music to the burgeoning numbers of Jeff Gordon fans' ears.  

Or at least, it is good news for those fans who are simply falling in love with Jeff Gordon all over again.