Chat Transcript: Jeff Gordon

June 6, 2001
3:34 PM EDT (1934 GMT)

[Nascar_Host1] Welcome to NASCAR.com's chat with Jeff Gordon!

[Jeff_Gordon] Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining me this afternoon.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [joni24] Hey Jeff, great run at Dover. I was wondering what car are you bringing to Michigan for the race on Sunday. Is it going to be the one from California where you finished in second? I hope you can make it two in a row at Michigan.

[Jeff_Gordon] I am going to take my best guess here, but I am almost positive it is the same car we had at California. I am pretty sure that was also the same car from Charlotte, I think. Our boys in the engine shop got us a few more horsepower, so I think we have everything it takes to have a great race.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [MicheleAnn] Did you get a chance to talk to Ricky Craven after Sunday's race? He said that he was thinking about you in the closing laps and how great it would be to race you for a win since he considers you his best friend in racing.

[Jeff_Gordon] That is funny because I got asked that yesterday in Daytona. I was asked about my best friend in racing, and I said Ricky Craven. It goes back to the early days of being together, and we also talked about race setups at Dover. He had such a great day and I would have loved to have raced him for a win there. If I couldn't have won the race there, I would have loved to have seen him win.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [raceracer] Jeff, after your performance at Dover, do you think NASCAR should install a mercy rule? (laughs)

[Jeff_Gordon] (laughs) No. Some days you just hit it like that and you never know when it will happen. If you look at the end of the race there, Steve Park and Dale Jr. both had strong cars. Either of those guys would have won the race if they were in front. No mercy rule, but we had a strong car, though.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [phizer] How was the Fan Forum at DAYTONA USA last night?

[Jeff_Gordon] It was great! We had a HUGE crowd. We had a bigger crowd there then when we did it during Speedweeks for the 500. It was amazing the reception we got and also how exciting Daytona USA is and the expansion that is going on there.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Gordon1] Jeff, congratulations on a dominating win. At a point in the race you radioed that the car was running tight. Did you ever worry about being run down at the end by Park or Craven?

[Jeff_Gordon] Definitely. At one time prior to that last caution, I knew that Ricky was running me down and I was extremely tight in some of the traffic. I knew we needed to make some adjustments. I was fine with the last one not coming out because the car was perfect, but with it coming out and being in clean air, the car was just great.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [LtBanOne] The Humpy Bumper featured last week at Dover looks to be a simple safety device to add to the cars. What is your opinion on the bumper?

[Jeff_Gordon] I think it needs to have more testing. They are doing more on it now. From what I have seen, it has a good concept but it doesn't look to me like our body was going to fit on it. It would have to be changed on the front to fit under our nose. Our bodies would have to be changed in order for it to work because it sticks out so much, but I like the concept of it.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [CATwoman_22] Jeff, what do you think about your nomination as one of GQ's "Man of the Year" for Sports?

[Jeff_Gordon] That is cool, especially when you look at the other guys that are part of it. Lance Armstrong has done some amazing things and I think the world of him. Andre Agassi is in there, as well as Ricky Carmichael, and I am a big fan of Supercross racing. I don't know how they picked me, but it is an honor.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [joni24] Hey, Jeff, you usually run at least one Busch race a year and I was wondering are you going to be in any Busch races this year?

[Jeff_Gordon] No, I am not doing any more this year. We did that for a couple of years but the plans have changed. My commitments are with the Winston Cup team. We are also working on our new team with Jimmie Johnson in Winston Cup, and I will be a part owner in that and I am looking forward to being involved with that program. So, sorry, no Busch races.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [racechick24] Congratulations on your win at Dover! It was so awesome! My question is how do you feel about NASCAR not allowing you to run bump stops anymore and will that effect your setups? Cheering you on from Houston, Texas! Go Jeff!

[Jeff_Gordon] It really won't affect us very much at all. I got to the point where we were making them work, but I never really was a big fan. I really think it helps us out a lot because at a lot of tracks, some people had a really good take on them. I think it will help us now that we don't have to worry about the bump stops.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [nascargeek] Hey Jeff, do you have any special strategies for this weekend's run at MIS?

[Jeff_Gordon] Michigan is one of those tracks where you don't know what it is going to come down to. It could be a fuel mileage race, or sometimes it is a horsepower race. We are going to take our best stuff and try to get the best fuel mileage out as we can. The strategy changes throughout the race, whether there are a lot of cautions or not.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Pepsi24] Jeff, how much preparation went into the Dover car to get it so good, after having limited time at the track?

[Jeff_Gordon] You know, we really did get all the practice that we needed in Happy Hour for the race. It was after the Busch race, so there was a lot of rubber on the track. We unloaded well there and the setup was really good. The car felt right at the beginning. When you unload well, you just need to work on some small adjustments. We felt really good about our adjustments to the springs and shocks, so it was just a lot of little things. Sometimes you hit it in the right direction and sometimes you don't.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [speedracer1] Hey Jeff, did you ever think about punching it when you were driving through Wilmington last week for DuPont's NASCAR Day?

[Jeff_Gordon] Well, I wasn't given a whole lot to punch! It was a show car. I was able to get the RPMs up to make a lot of noise, but DuPont is pretty big on safety, so I don't think that would be a good time to pull something like that. (laughs)

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [24] What do you think about Hendrick being on the brink of 100 wins?

[Jeff_Gordon] I am excited about that. Rick Hendrick has been the greatest person to ever race for and friend to have. He has been so successful in his career owning race teams and I just can't wait. Rick wasn't there this weekend for No. 99, so I am looking forward to him being at the track when it happens. It could be Jerry or Terry, because either of them are capable of getting it, and I would like to do it for Rick, but I would be excited either way.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Pepsi24] Jeff, do you feel that you will have any advantage at all when you come to Chicagoland, due to the tire test you recently did?

[Jeff_Gordon] I think that any time you go to a new racetrack and you get a chance to test, especially a tire test, I think it is an advantage. By the time we start the race, that advantage will be gone. We will be well prepared for the first hour of practice, so we may have an edge for qualifying, but by the time the race starts, I don't see us having one.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Pepsi24] Jeff, do you feel teams that "double dip" between Busch and Winston Cup have any advantage since the cars are becoming more and more similar?

[Jeff_Gordon] I think that this year they are closer than they have ever been because of the horsepower and changes made to them, but there are enough differences between them that you don't get 100 percent true characteristics of what a Winston Cup car will do. All cars will be different no matter whether it is a Busch or Cup car. Things are going to be different.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Dale3thebest] Jeff, you have closed the points gap between you and Dale Jarrett. Do you think you can gain the lead in the next couple of races?

[Jeff_Gordon] You know, I have no idea. We had a great car in Charlotte and I thought we could make up some points, but we had trouble on pit row. There are so many races left to go and we are in it for the long haul. We want to make sure that we are in the points lead when it really counts, which is at the end of the season.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [JG24Forever] Jeff, congratulations on the win at Dover! When I watch you this year you seem more aggressive in your driving style. Have you become more focused this year and has your confidence gone up? Thanks, Jeff, for all you do! Good Luck this weekend!

[Jeff_Gordon] I think that because we have as good a team as we have, and our cars are driving well, I have been very comfortable this year. I have gotten my confidence back in my driving this year, but the team has done that for me. They have built great cars and engines and had great pit stops. We are just going to get better and better as we go. It took us time to click as a team, and now that we are, more great things are to come.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [dawn] Jeff, your strategy for when to pit and not to pit is great. Who makes the decisions, you or your crew chief?

[Jeff_Gordon] I wish I could take the credit, but really it is Robbie Loomis and Brian Whitesell. Robbie makes the calls and he can see the bigger picture with what is going on with other teams. I try to leave that in his hands. If asks me to pit and I feel strong that we shouldn't, I probably could override it, but we try to make it together. He has been doing great and you build confidence with that. You try to stick with the guy making that call, and that is Robbie.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [jamieluvsjeff24] Jeff, does it worry you when you start to lead a long race so early. Do you think about using your car up so quickly?

[Jeff_Gordon] It seems like this year, as important as aero is and the new tires are, you are able to run really hard at most tracks. Dover is one of those tracks that if you get out front, you have an advantage. With a concrete track, I figured we could run hard and stay out there. Towards the end of the race I didn't want to get in trouble with fuel mileage. I didn't want anyone else to do in on fuel mileage, so the bigger lead we had gave me an advantage over everyone else that had to pit and we would keep the lead.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [MODIFIEDSMAN48] Jeff, congratulations on the Dover lap lead record! How does it feel to have such confidence in your pit crew? They pull 14.5s all the time!

[Jeff_Gordon] That is what I was so excited about when it was all over. Not only did we have a great car, but we also had all the pieces to make it a perfect day. We had great pit stops. I knew we were going to have a great stop every time we came down. That is going to get us the consistency for each stop, and that is what put us over the top on Sunday.

[Nascar_Host1] That's all the time Jeff has for us this morning. Thanks, Jeff! What are you final thoughts?

[Jeff_Gordon] Thanks to everyone that has been supporting us, and we are just really excited about this season. I hope that we can keep up the great teamwork and make a run for this championship throughout the rest of this year.