Gordon Makes History at Talladega Surpassing Earnhardt

Earnhardt fans take it hard as Jeff Gordon earns win number 77, surpassing Earnhardt in all time NASCAR cup wins. Gordon is now 6th on the all-time NASCAR win list. It happened at Talladega Motor Speedway in Alabama. Hendrick Motorsports had a good run all day, but took the win after a green checkered restart with Gordon, #24, in the lead. Gordon came into the Aaron's 499 with confidence. Driving for Dupont, Gordon had a win last week, and is the point leader in the Nextel Cup series. He leaves Talladega in euphoric victory with his history making win. Fans have never seen anyone any more jubilant in victory lane.

Another rude display from fans occurred when Gordon crossed the finish line. Cups, cans and toilet paper pelted car #24. This time, however, the trash rained down on all drivers, all over the track. On the other hand, when, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., briefly took the lead, and finished 7th the crowd of red was on their feet. Taledega is known among race fans as "the house that Earnhardt built."

Despite grandstand preferences, Gordon took the lead following a green checkered re-start. In a post race interview on ESPN Speed's "Victory Lane," Gordon expressed his pleasure with the win. He claims he knew he was coming into this race with everything stacked against him: competitors were running hard, today was Dale Earnhardt's birthday, the race was in one of Earnhardt's favored tracks, and recent resurfacing gave even novice drivers a good grip and a good chance in the race.

Once the green checkered re-start was given, all racers knew the race was all but over. In the 11th lap, with only ten to go, the men in the lead were likely to remain there. The cautious slow-down caused the usual wrecks in the rear, leaving the men in front trying to edge each other out. #24 came out in the lead and the pack followed single file, in a seldom seen racing formation.

A happy, but humble Gordon gifted Earnhardt and fans on his birthday by crediting his predecessor and former challenger, The Terminator, with teaching him a lot of techniques over the years which helped make him the driver he is today. With class and sportsmanship, Gordon said that even though they never discussed racing outright, that trailing him around the track in Gordon's early years had taught him a lot about Earnhardt's skills. He said that Earnhardt "watched his mirror more than anyone out there." He'd take advantage of the momentum, lanes, and airflow. In a parting remark of tribute, Gordon said of NASCAR's revered #3, "He would have blown us away if he'd been there."

In the same interview, Wallace said he saw Gordon breaking away, and wanted to block him. Age and wisdom, according to Wallace, led him to know better. Even though he has finished second six times at Talladega, he said trying to block Gordon would have led to a wreck. He even stated that this is something younger racers haven't learned to do in their quest for victory. He saw too much momentum behind Gordon, and an attempt to block would have wreaked havoc on the track in the final laps. Wallace enjoyed a run at the front at one point, in which he claims to have pulled away too fast, leaving him with little to draw from when the pack caught up with him.

Prior to the green checkered re-start, a variety of drivers had their chance in the spotlight, leading the pack. Lady Luck was just not in their corner today Gordon said he was holding back to reserve fuel, running half throttle. He knew that things would get "crazy" when the re-start flag fell. He pulled ahead of the pack, realizing the finish was too close to lay back. Jimmie Johnson, # 48, finished second. Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Jamie McMurray filled in the top five spots. Earnhardt Jr, finished 7th, proud to finish in the top ten, but obviously wishing he had pulled to the front and outrun Gordon. He admitted that he pulled up to get in the action, but with nowhere to go, he laid back and saw the finish coming. He was also running hot, and maintained a run of 260-280 mph. It had to be a hard day for the young driver at Talladega Motor Speedway on his father's birthday.

Jamie McMurray demonstrated excellent driving. His fifth place finish may have been a little surprising, in light of his overall race. However, at Taladega, fractions of second always make the difference.

Resurfacing, calmed the intensity of the tracks for the racers, according to Earnhardt, Jr. Long known for the intensity of its races, on oval track, the resurfaced grip meant no slip-sliding for race cars. Any wrecks on this track's second race since resurfacing were caused by driver error. Fan were treated to plenty crashes and run-ins, one of the most notable between teammates.

Casey Mears, # 25, was headed to pit road. In a miscommunication, teammate #48 was squeezed from the inside. The result for Hendricks team was a wreck. Hendrick's manager said he had already spoken to the team in Maer's garage, and he was certain it was a complete accident, a miscommunication. He claimed the other Hendrick's teams knew Meers was coming in, but for some unknown reasons someone didn't get the message.

When the 00 driven by Reutimann caught fire, there was some controversy by sportscasters as to whether a caution flag should have gone up. Drivers affirmed Nascar's decision, saying they saw oil on the track. Oil can only mean one thing for hot tires: spin-out. It would have been inevitable had the caution not been called. Some fans are griping that NASCAR officials are becoming too cautious. Can you be too cautious when men's lives are on the line? The thrill of the race is sport, skill, and good cars, not harm to the racers.

There were a lot of dynamic factors in this race. New 18 gallon fuel cells meant fewer green flag gas stops, but there were still a lot of gas stops as teams carefully monitored the the additional 2 gallons. There were lots of stops for new tires. Drivers like #07, who refused to stop for tires, ended up against the wall, instead of across the finish line. The problem all racers faced on pit road was the transition from asphalt to concrete. As they pulled back into the race, they had to be careful, losing fractions of seconds, as the change in surface.

Richmond, VA is the location of next week's Nextel Cup action. Race fans also anticipate the upcoming All-Star challenge. The track at Richmond has been scouted, but the race will prove its drivers next week in NASCAR's Nextel Cup Race.

Sources:
FOX Broadcast, NASCAR Aaron's 499 Nextel Cup Race
ESPN Speed, live broadcast 8pm eastern time