LONG POND — Standing in his team’s hauler, the memories of his career at Pocono Raceway come racing back to him.
Surprisingly, though, it’s the ones that got away that stream to the forefront.
Like the time in June 1995, when he missed a shift on a restart while leading with seven laps remaining, enabling Terry Labonte to win the race. Or the time in June 2006, when he lost his brakes coming down the long frontstretch, slamming into the wall in Turn 1, calling it one of the hardest hits he has ever experienced. Or the time in August 2013 when he took the lead from Kasey Kahne on a late restart, only to lose it back to him on another restart.
Funny how those types of incidents stand out, he said, as much as the good moments.
Over the years, there were plenty of great moments for Jeff Gordon at Pocono. He owns the track record for wins (6) and laps led (1,038) and ranks second in top-five (20) and top-10 finishes (34).
Today, the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, who is retiring at the end of the season, makes his 46th and final career start at the 2.5-mile triangular track. He will roll off the starting grid 10th in the Windows 10 400.
Born in California and raised in Indiana, Gordon has other tracks on the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit he considers his “home” track. But he certainly felt right at home at Pocono.
His first race here came in June 1993, starting fourth and finishing 24th. What stands out most for him about that day was the fans. He was overwhelmed by the throng that turned out at the local airports, waiting for the drivers to arrive, hoping to get an autograph or a picture.
When he put his fan club together, Gordon said the largest number of members by state were from Pennsylvania.
“This has always been one of the tracks where the fan demands are greater than what we can fulfill,” Gordon said. “But that’s a good thing. It means there’s a lot of excited people here who love their drivers, love the sport and want to gain as much access to it, autographs, pictures. That’s always been the case here at Pocono.”
Early on, Gordon had some uneventful moments at Pocono. In June 1994, he spun out during a caution and got stuck in the grass. Then, he delayed the restart as he tried to reclaim his spot in line.
“I remember the radio conversation with (crew chief) Ray (Evernham), trying to explain to him how we were stuck in the grass and trying to get out,” Gordon said. “He was confused, didn’t understand how that was possible. It was a cool day and the tires needed to get to temperature in them. So I was trying to scuff them and lost control of the car. It rained a lot that weekend, so that’s why the grass was so wet and muddy.
“Then Ray told me to go get my position back. I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway. He got in a lot of trouble from NASCAR.”
One year later came the missed shift on the restart. All he could do was watch helplessly as cars passed him while he faded.
“Wonderboy” — the nickname Dale Earnhardt had given him — turned into “Blunderboy.”
“These restarts are crazy,” Gordon said. “You just don’t want to make mistakes. Not only do you want to hit your shift marks, but you’re watching your mirrors to see what’s going on behind you, what’s going on next to you. A lot of times because you’re paying attention to all those things, you do make a mistake.
“On that one, it was the one thing I wasn’t thinking about that I had taken for granted, the shifts. Maybe I tried to do it a little too quick or carefree and wasn’t abrupt enough with it and missed it. That hurt the engine and we were done.”
Gordon learned from his mistakes, though, and won for the first time at Pocono in June 1996. He won here again in June 1997, July 1998, June 2007, June 2011 and July 2012. His victories have come in all varieties, from dominant (leading 164-of-200 laps in July 1998) to fortunate (two wins were rain-shortened).
Overall, Gordon ranks third on NASCAR’s all-time victories list with 92 and has won four Cup Series championships (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001).
Quite often, retiring athletes will have a change of heart and begin to question their decision.
Not Gordon. He is content.
“I’ve put in a lot great years and it’s been amazing for me,” Gordon said. “All of us try to figure out when is the right time to step away. You don’t want it to be too early, you don’t want it to be too late. Right now, I feel like it’s the right time and I feel good about that.
“Also, I’ve been fortunate to get some great opportunities that are involved in racing that will keep racing close to me.”
Indeed, it’s not as if Gordon is going away forever. He will still be at the track, working as a full-time analyst for Fox Sports television.
To honor Gordon in his final race, Pocono painted his name on the track at the start/finish line. It also has a sign thanking him near the tunnel exit of the infield.
As Gordon nears the final laps of his career, how would he like to be remembered?
“I feel like I put it all out there on the track, gave 100 percent and am very proud of what I’ve accomplished on and off the track,” he said. “The fans have been absolutely amazing. That’s been the highlight so far this year; the interaction and the comments, whether it be on social media or at the track, of the fans and their overwhelming support. That kind of says it all to me. If they didn’t care I was leaving, it would be a little harder to leave.”