Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 13, 1995 TAG: 9511140033
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON, GA. LENGTH: Medium
Gordon was battling handling problems that had developed early in the NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but crew chief Ray Evernham opted to leave him on the track past the time for his normal pit stop.
That way, Gordon could lead a lap and earn five bonus points, which would clinch his first Winston Cup title. But his ill-handling Chevrolet Monte Carlo was a handful, particularly on old tires.
On lap 61, however, leader Sterling Marlin pitted, Gordon picked up the lead for a single lap, and the team's 10-month title campaign was over.
``OK, we just led a lap. That's the championship. We are the champions,'' Evernham told Gordon as he called him to the pits for his stop. ``Okay, clear the pits. Clear the pits! Let's go! Get these people outta here. We've got work to do.''
After the stop, Evernham told his driver, ``Look, I know I gave up some track position, but you are the Winston Cup champion.''
``Good job, good job,'' Gordon replied matter-of-factly - his first reaction to the news. ``I was able to hang onto [the car].''
On lap 72, when the first yellow flag flew, Gordon took a moment to say: ``I just want to say one thing - congratulations, guys.''
``Congratulations to you. Let's go, let's go. Catch it up, catch it up,'' replied Evernham, still busy with matters at hand.
A couple of laps later, with the yellow flag still out, Evernham had time to catch his breath. He said, ``We gave up a lot of track positions, but, hell, you're the Winston Cup champion, Jeffrey.''
``Pretty awesome,'' the new champ replied. ``Pretty awesome.''
Then car owner Rick Hendrick chimed in his congratulations, and convinced Gordon's wife, Brooke, to come on.
``Congratulations,'' she said.
``Thank you, sweetie, I love you,'' he said.
``I love you, too,'' she said.
``Hell, I love all you guys, but not as much as I love her,'' he said. ``I love everybody today.''
Everybody except, perhaps, his race car, which was making him put in a full day's work just to drive in circles. And late in the race, he got back on the radio one more time and said, ``Well, it wasn't much of a day, guys, but it was a hell of a year.''
THE WORK NEVER STOPS: Now that the season is over, Gordon is headed to Hawaii. But that doesn't mean the work stops in NASCAR-land.
Gordon's crew chief, Evernham, said his first order of business today is to be in the shop at 7 a.m. to try to find out why his car drove like junk on Sunday.
And even before Evernham gets to work, NASCAR officials will have been working all night at the Lockheed wind tunnel in Marietta, Ga., once again testing the aerodynamics of the Ford Thunderbird versus the Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
Race winner Dale Earnhardt's Chevy was carted off to the tunnel, as was the Ford of Ernie Irvan, who finished seventh.
``The biggest reason is for us to figure out new rules for Daytona as soon as we can,'' said NASCAR spokesman Kevin Triplett. ``We wanted cars that came off the race track race ready. Most of the data and information we find will probably be incorporated into the 1996 rule book.''
ANOTHER STEP FOR IRVAN: Irvan did not lead a lap in Sunday's race, but he didn't need to in order to prove his
success in the next step of his long comeback.
Irvan was strong throughout the day and ran second for more than 40 laps late in the race before fading to seventh.
``This is a tough place, probably one of the toughest places,'' he said. ``And today we cleared another hurdle.
``I'm still governed by not being able to see as well out of my left eye. Maybe they'll do the surgery on it this winter and get it where I don't have to wear prism glasses. That's still a hindrance, but that's just part of it. Obviously, I've been able to do the job with what I've got to work with.''
by CNB