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| | Friday, August 18 Tale of Tape: Gordon vs. Stewart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ESPN.com On the track, Jeff Gordon may still hold the edge. But it was what happened after Gordon and Tony Stewart left the Watkins Glen track that got us to thinking which driver held the edge off the track. We've watched the video, scrutinized the exchange of words and reviewed the war of words. And without the use of a single "bleep," below is ESPN.com's tale of the tape, which sizes up these two budding rivals. These categories are just the beginning, and we are certainly open to suggestions. So, click here to send along your own categories and the driver you feel has the edge. We'll add 'em to the list as we head into Michigan this week for a possible second round of "Spar in the Cars."
Gordon: No Wins, 7 Top 5s, 11 Top 10s. Rookie of the Year. Stewart: 3 Wins, 12 Top 5s, 20 Top 10s. Rookie of the Year, and most rookie wins ever. Edge: Stewart. If they had entered NASCAR at the same time, Stewart would have cleaned house as Rookie of the Year. Scott, Eugene, Ore. Labontes Gordon: Terry, the Iceman -- two-time Winston Cup champion. A great champion and driver. Terry's very calm and collected and tries to avoid confrontation. Stewart: Bobby -- the current Winston Cup points leader who is a lot like his older brother in that he usually thinks before he acts or speaks. However, Bobby's been know to throw a helmet or two in his career. Edge: Fairly even ... a Labonte's a Labonte. Stewart may have a slight edge since Bobby has some experience hurling helmets. However, if it came down to it, both Labontes would abandon their teammate to defend their brother. Deneese Spivey, Phenix City, Ala. Celebration Styles Gordon: Stand on door and wave at fans. Get down, and give kiss to Brooke. Stewart: Dent roof, waste 2 good bottles of Gatorade, and give kiss to Greg Zip. Edge: Gordon for two reasons. Pepsi is better when consumed, and (I hate to be repetative, but...) c'mon its Brooke ... a former Miss Winston! Chris Janota, Manhattan, Ill. Television Commercials Gordon: Speeding around the yard on his lawnmower while Brooke fixes lunch, or driving like hell to grab a Pepsi, rubbin' fenders showing off his new Monte Carlo. Stewart: Chasing Labonte around the garage after a can of Chef Boyardee? They both look like fools. Edge: One is a man, the other a noodle. Ralph Hughes, Tulsa, Okla. Tough-guy voice: Gordon: Still has the voice from his "go kart" days. Stewart: Okay, he's not WWF material either, but c'mon. Edge: Stewart ... Was that Brooke or Jeff yelling at Tony? Chad, Charleston, W.Va. Whinning Gordon: Wwwhhhaaaaa! Stewart: Wwwhhhaaaaa! Edge: Neither. Both drivers should go back to open-wheel driving. Sunday is why they put fenders on stock cars. Remember, "Rubbin's Racing." David Davis, Rapid River Street smarts: Jeff Gordon: Crew is always a little slow watching his back. Tony Stewart: Smart enough to have his crew close at hand. Edge: Stewart ... Gordon obviously doesn't spring for enough steak dinners for his crew! T.S. Matthews, Trumann, Ariz. Fan Base Gordon: Hardcore NASCAR fans who were looking to root for clean-cut kid in 90's to beat "good ol'boy network." Stewart: NASCAR fans who wished they jumped on the Gordon bandwagon 4 years ago ... sorry, too late. Edge: Do you have to ask? Bob Coleman, West Palm Beach, Fla. Car Owners Jeff Gordon: Rick Hendricks the car dealer. Tony Stewart: Joe Gibbs the three-time Super Bowl champion. Edge: Stewart ... Sure, Gordon could learn some quick talking and dealing from Hendricks, but if it turned physical, Stewart has the edge. Gibbs can train the pit crew as defensive linemen and Stewart can be the linebacker blitzing in to tackle Gordon. Mark Kirchenbauer, Newton, N.J. Car Design Tony Stewart: Orange, black and white Pontiac. Jeff Gordon: Rainbow Chevrolet. Edge: Stewart ... any car that looks like the General Lee is a hands-down winner. Matt Schrecengost, Chicago, Ill. Special Paint Schemes Gordon: Jurassic Park, Chromalusion, Star Wars: Episode I, Superman, NASCAR Racers, NASCAR 2000, Peanuts, etc. Stewart: Habitat for Humanity Edge: Gordon, only because he sells more diecast cars this way, while Stewart gets to help build a house with his team owner and sponsors. Chris S., San Francisco, Calif. Goals Jeff Gordon: Become among NASCAR's greatest drivers and win multiple Winston Cup championships. Tony Stewart: Follow in Jeff's footsteps. Edge: Gordon ... Tony, however, just needs 45 more wins and three championships to accomplish his goal! | ALSO SEE Furr: Gordon finds his foe Weber: Tony's temper gets the best of him AUDIO/VIDEO   Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon 'discuss' their incident following the race.avi: 2689 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1   Jeff Gordon was looking for a little consideration.wav: 134 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 A calmer Tony Stewart admits he was at fault.wav: 111 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
