Daytona 500 2000 - Down? Maybe ... but clearly not for the count

Down? Maybe ... but clearly not for the count
ESPN The Magazine

'99 EARNINGS: $5,281,361 | POINTS: 6th | WINS: 7 | TOP 5: 18 | TOP 10: 21

JEFF GORDON

What Makes Him Go: Gordon's versatility is unmatched in Winston Cup. It doesn't matter where the race is. He's fierce on all tracks. Last year, he won at the superspeedway at Daytona, the two-mile oval in California, the 1.5-mile speedways at Atlanta and Charlotte, the road courses at Sonoma and Watkins Glen and the short track at Martinsville.
What Makes Him Slow: The shell-shocked 24 team is of less-than-championship caliber, and Gordon's strong will must fill the leadership void created by Evernham's departure. The speed of their recovery will depend on how fast Gordon can gain the confidence and respect of his team. And that will depend on the skill of new crew chief Robbie Loomis, Whitesell and those who have replaced the turncoat Rainbow Warriors.
Key Stat: 7 No, not his wins, but rather that's the number of races Gordon failed to finish in 1999. The DNFs resulted from blown engine at Rockingham and Atlanta; crashes in Texas and Talladega; a bad fuel pump at Charlotte; suspension problems at Pocono and transmission failure at Richmond. In contrast, champ Dale Jarrett had one DNF.

After enjoying unprecedented success at the beginning of his career, the bloom came off the rose for Jeff Gordon in 1999. Then the rose just flat-out withered and died.

By the end of the 1999 season, the three-time Winston Cup champion was one of those poor souls struggling to get back on the lead lap and eke out a top-10 finish. In the final five races of the year, he finished 12th, 11th, 10th, 10th and 38th. Hardly the level of racing we'd come to expect from NASCAR's most glamorous young face.

The big blow came in September, when Gordon's first and only Winston Cup crew chief, the brilliant and ultra-dedicated Ray Evernham, resigned after failing to reach an agreement with team owner Rick Hendrick about his future with the company. The battle of wills apparently ended when Evernham found himself without allies -- Gordon sided with Hendrick.

Even so, the divorce seemed reasonably amicable. Anyone could see that Evernham, who is just as personally ambitious as Gordon, needed a new challenge after three titles.

And Evernham got it. He was hired by Dodge as the point man to bring that automaker back into the Winston Cup series beginning in 2001.

Meanwhile, like a boxer who's been knocked out but doesn't know it yet, Gordon won two straight races at Martinsville and Charlotte with his new crew chief, Brian Whitesell. Clearly, Evernham had taught his men well.

In October, however, Gordon lost the bulk of his pit crew. Five over-the-wall members, who worked for Hendrick only on the weekends, defected en masse to Robert Yates Racing. They resigned without warning.

A shaken Gordon said, "It pretty much threw us for a loop."

Make no mistake about this: Jeff Gordon is in charge of his own career. Not Hendrick. Not wife Brooke. Not his advisors, business manager or agents. All of them offer plenty of advice, but Jeff makes the calls.

Because of this, Gordon himself seemed ready for a change of crew chiefs. After seven full seasons racing Winston Cup, Gordon was beyond needing Evernham's paternalistic counsel.

Gordon may be down, but he'll rise again. While the entire 2000 season could be a rebuilding year, it's inconceivable that he won't win at least a few races.

Gordon is one of the most ambitious and talented drivers in NASCAR history. Comfortable with his celebrity, he is the type of man who will change himself if necessary to achieve the team chemistry needed to win another championship.

Boos still cascade from the grandstands every weekend, but Gordon, so determined to add to his legacy, has never let them affect him. That's why he won't be down for long, if at all.

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