Friday, August 4, 2006

PAT SULLIVAN: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for this NEXTEL Wake-Up Call. It's great to have with us a gentleman for whom the Rookie of the Year at Bloomington Speedway is named, I might add. But he's also, by the way, four-time champion of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, Jeff Gordon.

One quick business item. I'm going to try to repeat every question because this is being transcribed, so being a little patient. We'll try to repeat the question.

First off, Jeff, we got a call from Sam Hornish, Jr., who won the Indianapolis 500. You might know he is an avid bowler, so he wants to know what you've got.

JEFF GORDON: Well, obviously, I don't have what he has. I saw him bowl last night. He's quite a bowler. I mean, I think that, you know, if this racing thing doesn't work out for him, he's got a chance there at the professional bowling tour. He's really good. He would crush me. But we had a lot of fun last night for everybody that came out. I just can't thank them enough for making such a successful event for Riley Hospital for Children here in Indiana and Indianapolis. It was our fifth annual event, we had a great time; and thanks to Sam and a lot of other drivers, that came out and helped to make it very successful.

SULLIVAN: Thank you, also. It's very important part of our community, as well. We appreciate it. Both of my children received some treatment there, and so your efforts are really greatly appreciated. Questions?

Q: Jeff, might this not be the best place for you to do it from the standpoint of it being a very friendly place, very renowned place and place where you've had success? Would this be the friendliest place to tie the 76 wins of Dale Earnhardt, Sr.?

GORDON: I mean, I just want to win. It doesn't matter to me where it happens, how it happens. I would love to get to 76. That's certainly not my goal when I go out there, you know, and start the races, that we're out to reach a certain number. We're just out there to win every single weekend; we're giving it our best effort. This definitely, you know, I feel like our team has some momentum right now. We come off a great run at Pocono. We've gotten a couple of wins, and I feel like we're starting to come into our own. And this track has been good to us. So I feel like our opportunity to win here, you know, is good.

We always seem to shine at this track and with things going well for us right now, I'm very excited about getting out there even though we didn't have a very good test. We only got one day in and we had a lot of rain. So the conditions weren't the best. So I really have no idea what we do have. But I can't think of a better place to pull off a win right now for us and gain momentum than right here. I mean, you know, to get No. 5 and also to tie Dale Earnhardt, it almost sounds too good to be true. At this point I'm thinking that it is, and we're just going to go out there and give it our best effort and see what happens.

Q: Would you rather tie Earnhardt for the sake of his following, his residual following, would you rather tie it here than, say, at Talladega or somewhere else?

GORDON: You know what? Really honestly, it matters -- it does not matter to me where or if it even happens. I'm content with being at 75, you know. I want to just continue to battle for wins, and I'm not going to pick or choose where I want it to happen. It certainly isn't going to be based on what I think the crowd reaction is going to be.

Q: Jeff, everybody's definition of give and take has kind of evolved. Is the definition of give and take on the track changing as we get closer to the Chase?

GORDON: Definitely think so. As the intensity increases, just because of competition, we see less give and take. If you're battling for a championship, you see less give and take. Right now when you're battling to be in the Chase, that's almost as if it's battling for the championship. It's almost as if it's its own championship within the season, you know, because if you make it in that Chase, you've got a legitimate shot at the championship. So I think that, you know, right now, yeah, you're going to really start to see it increase each and every week, especially as we get to Richmond. Any track that is a tough track to pass on that has more of a one-groove racetrack, you're going to see less give and take just because it's harder to pass. You know, if we get in a big, wide track like Michigan, then you won't see as much of that. This is a very tough racetrack to pass on. You could see a little bit of it here. You get to a short track like Bristol, you're going to see a lot less of it there.

Q: Jeff, are you guys where you need to be preparation-wise going into the Chase or are you looking at these next races as a possibility of getting better going into the Chase?

GORDON: We're obviously a lot closer than where we were at the start of the season. I'm really happy that things have progressed the way that we hoped they would. I didn't expect us to come out of the box and just be on fire. I felt like it was going to take some time four the team to jell. We've got some new people on the team, new pit crew, we've been trying new setups, and I knew it was going to take some time for us to really start to see that come together. And it did but it really has started to come together at the right time. 

In my opinion, it's all about having momentum, you know, to get yourself in the Chase; but really going into the Chase, if you're going to be in the Chase, you want that momentum going your way, and I feel like that momentum has turned a little bit for us. I don't feel like we're quite where we need to be. I mean, Denny Hamlin wore us out at Pocono, so obviously we're not where we need to be. I felt like we were off here a little bit at this test but we have made big gains, and I feel like we're not far away from being where we need to be.

Q: Jeff, in the two years, previous two years that the Chase has been around, the thinking has changed as the season has gone on. Obviously, it's all in our thoughts right at the beginning of the season. Now, how much does it occupy your thoughts? How much do you think about the chase and the points and how much energy do you put into that?

GORDON: Well, it definitely is a different mindset than what it used to be. You know, it used -- every single race, every single DNF made such a difference. And today, you know, you can throw away a lot more races than what you used to. I think I have three or four DNFs right now and although I'm not solidly in the Chase, we would be out of the championship altogether. So I feel like it's a different mindset. You have a bad race, you feel like, OK, we can get it back, we can get it back. And what we need to do is just focus on getting into the Chase, then we can refocus on what it's going to take to win the championship. But, you know, I think that you can't start thinking about it too early but, yet, if you have consistency you're going to be in the Chase. If you don't have DNFs, you're going to be in the Chase. Those are the facts.

But when it comes to the Chase, you've got to perform, where in the past I felt like you just had to be consistent throughout the whole season. You didn't even have to win races; you just had to be consistent. That's kind of the same sort of mind-set it takes to be in the Chase. But, at the same time you're going, OK, but we know once we get into the Chase, we've got to step it up and start performing. And so you're trying to prepare yourself to be in it, but at the same time you're trying to make it into it. It definitely sometimes will confuse you, because you're saying, OK, we can be more experimental at this time in the season because we need to prepare for the championship once we get in there. But if you're too conservative or if you're too aggressive, you can find yourself outside the Chase, which is kind of where we're at right now where we've had some issues and we've had some problems. The good thing is that we can have those problems and still make it.

Q: At very much of a basic level, Tony Stewart has said in the past that he watches the points very closely, and he thinks about if he did this or that, what would happen. Do you do that at all? Do you keep a running tab on the points and know exactly how many you're ahead of this guy or behind that guy or don't you pay much attention to that?

GORDON: I don't know. At the end of the race when it's all over, I look at where the points are and where we're at. You know, I mean right now it's crazy to even do that because it's so close amongst so many guys that I don't want to focus on anyone. I think that's the way we've always gone about it, whether it was the points the way they are now or the way they were before, is that we always just focused on getting the best finish we possibly could; and maybe if it came down to the final race or the final couple races and we were battling two or three like we did with Jarrett and Martin that year, then we start focusing on those guys. But other than that, we just focus on getting the best effort, at the end of the day see where the points fall.

Q: A few months ago some retired drivers on television claimed that you had lost your focus and maybe taking long vacations. Since things have improved, how much stock do you take in that?

GORDON: Well, I mean, it always gets back to you, you hear those things, and it's a bit frustrating when they're basing that off of sitting up in a booth because it has nothing to do with them spending every day with me in my shoes and knowing what focus I have or don't have. It's all based on being in a booth and seeing our performance. I was the first one to say that we obviously weren't clicking, we weren't where we need to be, but I didn't at any time feel like it was my focus or anybody else's focus on the race team. As soon as we started -- I mean, that was a work in progress at the time those things were being said. We were working on different combinations of setups and trying to figure out where we could be better, testing, doing all the things that I feel like you have to do. So I haven't done anything different, I can tell you that.

I just got back from a vacation on Wednesday. I left Sunday night after Pocono, got back Wednesday. And, you know, to me that's the same way I've been doing it for about the last eight years. It's the way, the routine that I like to go through. In my opinion, it's what helps me stay focused, not what prevents me from being focused.

Q: Jeff, you cannot only tie Earnhardt in the NASCAR standards but you can also tie Schumacher's standards, I believe. Have you ever met him? Have you ever met Michael Schumacher?

GORDON: I have met him briefly in Barcelona, went to the Formula One race there a couple years ago on one of my vacations. (Laughter) And it was very brief; it was right before the race. You know, he asked me when I was going to come run Formula One. I told him as soon as he retired. But it was just really in passing. Other than that, no, I haven't really spent much time talking to him. Yeah, I admire Michael Schumacher. I think he's an amazingly talented race car driver. To match up to anybody like him, you know, and I put Dale Earnhardt in that same category, you know, is a great honor. But I've said this a hundred times, I'll say it again, to me I can't compare what we do in the NASCAR circuit here to the Indy 500 and those guys, you know, like Al Unser and Rick Mears and A.J., I can't compare to those guys, either, and certainly can't compare to the F1 guys and what they do. You know, it's the same facility as far as the walls are concerned, but it's three completely different races and series.

I'm very proud to have four and, you know, the fact that sometimes I get my name mentioned in the same sentence with those other guys that have four Indy 500 victories is so cool to me. I was here, saw Michael win that fifth one, and I knew right away, you know, it's coming, now I've got to go out there and try to get five. I want five, but not because Michael Schumacher has five.

Q: Jeff, with the points as tight as they are, especially between seventh and, say, 14th, do you expect the intensity, the pressure on those guys, including yourself, to affect the racing, final racing?

GORDON: Well, you know, obviously it's important for all of us. We want to be in there. We know how much -- I know how much pressure there is because I've been in it and I've been out of it. You know, the intensity only increases as you get closer and closer to Richmond and from the fans and the media, you know, from the competition, on every side it gets more and more intense. So to me right now is a time when we've got to really act because we've got to get ourselves a little bit more comfortable. Not that there's going to be a real comfort level. But we can't be on the outside looking in trying to make it into the Chase at Richmond, we've got to be inside of it trying to protect that position and force other guys to have to step up their game. So to me it's about what we do this weekend, it's what we do at Watkins Glen, Bristol. Those are the racetracks that are going to get us into the Chase. Not to mention Richmond hasn't been too kind to me, so I don't want to go in there hoping. So the intensity level and the pressure and the frustration that can kick in is overwhelming. We went through it last year, and it was not a lot of fun. It looks like we're going to go through it, you know, somewhat again. But at least this year I feel like we have momentum and things happening in the good way coming into this stretch, where last year I felt like we started strong and really started to fade at this point. So I'm feeling a lot better about our chances. But I think that, you know, there's so many guys that are performing well, that are winning races, that are capable of winning races that are right -- you look at from Tony to Biffle and Junior, it's going to be very interesting to see and to watch. That's why we can't focus too much on those guys, got to focus really more on our own program.

Q: Juan Pablo is moving over to NASCAR, of course you had traded cars with him here a couple years ago. You have a better view of him than probably anybody. Does that make you want to come to Indy to duplicate what he did here? Montoya, what's the impact, how do you think he's going to do? Would you like to trade places with him and run Indy?

GORDON: Indy in an F1 car, yes. You know, I think that -- first of all, I was very impressed with Juan Pablo when he got into my car, and getting into an F1 car and feeling what it's like to experience that car. You know, the same things apply, just differently. I mean, that car, you know, the F1 car, it stuck so good that in some ways it was very easy to drive. But to find those last couple seconds would be extremely hard. In our car, you know, it's easy to get up to a certain speed, but once you really start getting up, kind of the same thing, it starts to get very difficult. Our cars just don't have a feel, really don't give you that feedback that that car does. So I think in that sense, and on the road courses, I think he'll be fine. Really, more so than actually driving the car, I feel like driving on ovals is the bigger challenge here. This is a guy that doesn't have very much oval experience, especially short track. It's a lot different running an IRL car and at the time I think it was Champ Car when he drove, to driving a stock car, you know, on a half-mile Bristol or a Phoenix or some of these types of places. So I mean he's got some challenges. He's got a lot of talent; I think he definitely has the capabilities with enough seat time to adapt to these cars. Chip Ganassi, you know, I think is obviously committed to it. If he stays committed to it and gives him the kind of openness to really learn, then he'll do well, but it's going to take a while. I think it's going to be surprising to him as to how difficult the ovals are with our cars. But at the same time, I feel like -- I talked to him briefly and even though he's a very confident guy, he also, I think, is recognizing that it's not going to come fast, it's not going to come easy, and I think that's a great way to approach it. I think that they really need to get him into as many tests as they possibly can at places like Kentucky or Rusty's (Wallace) new place out in Iowa or, you know, in ARCA cars and Busch cars and trucks, whatever they can get him in and just get him that experience.

I am shocked that he came, I am. I heard the rumor prior to the announcement, and I was like there's -- a couple weeks before and I was like there's absolutely no way, no way that he would do that. But, you know, that's why I'm a huge supporter; I think it's great for the sport. I think it really is. It's going to open NASCAR NEXTEL Cup up to a whole new fan base. I think that -- I've already seen -- I was just over in Europe, and one day I chartered a small boat to run around. The captain on this boat, who was wearing a Formula One hat when I walked on board, he looked at me and he was like, "What was your name again?" I said, "Jeff Gordon." He said, "Juan Pablo is coming to NASCAR; we're all very interested to see."

I was in a garage the other day, and a guy told me that he reads the Spanish paper and saw me and Juan Montoya together, and I'm hearing from people that I have never known to be interested in NASCAR in any way. So it's going to be huge and it's great, and I wish him success. I want to see him have success. But he's definitely going to have to go through a lot of the same steps that most of us go through. You know, it's so tough, I feel, for guys like one of my biggest heroes is Steve Kinser, when he came into this series, he came straight into Cup, and I wish he could have gone through the Busch Grand National Series for one or two years like he's done with his son Craig right now. Because when you're that big of a name and you get that opportunity, it's so hard for you to step back and go through those steps again because you've already made it to the top and you feel like you've got to stay there.

And yet it's such a big transition that a lot of times it ends up being the worst thing that can happen to them. So if those guys can put him in some Busch races, ARCA races, talking about Juan Pablo, and get a lot of testing and give him the time. I mean even if he can't run the full Busch circuit, and Chip can get through the first year, year and a half, then I think they'll be successful.

SULLIVAN: We've only got about five minutes and, as you see, my feeble mind gets overtaxed. I've got this gentleman here and this gentleman here and this gentleman here.

Q: Jeff, the last 10 races last year, kind of reflecting back on last season, what was it like for someone like yourself who's been in the spotlight your entire career, how much is that memory serving as a motivator?

GORDON: After we went through what we went through last year, I wanted to be ignored. Once we didn't make the Chase, to me it was all about us refocusing our thoughts and our energy on getting prepared for this season. That's why we put Steve Letarte in there; that's why we started rebuilding some race cars and trying totally new different things than what our teammates had been successful with and were running. We just started, you know, refocusing everything on that and, you know, I didn't want any publicity or any focus being put on us, good or bad. That was the best thing that could have happened to us to get ourselves really ready for this year.

Q: Jeff, hypothetically, there will be some perhaps tweaks to the Chase format if the likes of you or Tony Stewart or Dale Earnhardt Jr., don't make it the Chase, will that call for some radical changes in what you're doing given your popularity?

GORDON: If Brian France wants to create the point system so that me, Tony or Junior have a shot at winning the championship every year, then I'm all for it. (Laughter) I mean, to me a point structure is not based around making sure somebody wins it, the point structure is about -- whatever the point structure is, it's the best team and driver combination that goes out there and wins it and competes for it. Those are the guys that deserve to be in it. If we went back to the old point system, you know, and all three of us weren't near it, then -- it just is what it is. I'm not saying there shouldn't be some tweaks made, but it shouldn't be made for that reason. You know, it should be made to just keep the excitement level up there for the fans, for the competitors, and shouldn't be based on, well, this guy didn't make it or that guy didn't make it, we need to have this guy, this guy and this guy in it. That's the competitor that comes out in me. It's hard for me to think, you know, as the marketing side or the promoting side of it, and that's why I'm glad those guys have their job and I have mine, because that would be a tough call. But, I mean, I think there are some tweaks that, you know, that could be interesting and fun with the points system, but I just hope they're not based on that. I think there should be more points spread between the positions. I don't think it should pay points -- should pay the same amount of points from about 30th on back. 

I think it's absolutely crazy for us this day and age with as many competitive cars that are out there on the track every weekend, to crash and feel like, you know, you have to put that car back together and get back out there on the racetrack. You have no idea how many times myself and other guys have gotten out there on the racetrack and rode around with a minimum speed with a car that really shouldn't be out there running that speed. So I think that, you know, from a safety standpoint it's one, not to mention it could help you throw away some races. I feel like if you have a couple bad races and you finish 35^th or 36^th or 40^th, you know, you can throw that away and by putting a little bit bigger points spread between the positions, it gives you that opportunity to make up those points.

So, I think it always should pay -- right now our series pays consistency. You don't have to win a single race still to this day to win a championship. I think that would be something that I think would add some excitement to it is forcing guys to have to win, even though they have here and for the most part, you don't really have to. If you think about it, you can finish fifth or sixth or eighth every weekend and you're going to be solidly in the Chase. And if you do that throughout the Chase, you're probably going to win the championship.

Q: Jeff, when did you first realize in your career that you had won or earned the respect of Dale Sr.? Would it mean more to tie his victory mark?

SULLIVAN: He's answered the second question I think a couple times. But when did you know that you had really kind of earned the respect of Dale Earnhardt Sr.?

GORDON: I don't know. I mean, you know, it's hard to say. I can't really remember an actual moment. You know, anytime Dale ever came up and put you in a headlock or, you know, grabbed you by the shoulder or something, you know, you felt like he wouldn't do that to you unless he liked you. You know, I guess for me, the acceptance was when he came to me and said, "Hey, there's some things going on business-wise that I would like to talk to you about," and I was like, "Who, me?" So I think that on the racetrack, I really couldn't tell you. I have no idea. But just based on the way he treated me off the racetrack, you know, I felt that, you know, probably '96 or '97, maybe after I won my second championship.

SULLIVAN: Thanks for coming by the NEXTEL Cup Wake-Up Call.

GORDON: Thank you. I enjoyed it.

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