Got an iPhone? Check out these hot Apps!!
We are giving away free copies of iPit!!! To get your free copy, email Apps@200mphDesigns.com
You will get a coupon redeemable on the iTunes store for a free download of iPit. You must have an iPhone or iPod Touch to play this game.
Welcome to InsideThePitBox.com!!
Check out ALL our sections and features here!!
There is plenty to keep you busy on our main page!
Printer Friendly Version Here
Jeff Gordon tumbled three places in the standings this week and is now in the danger zone for making the chase. Now standing just 82 points to the good, the giant white elephant in the room cannot be ignored any more - what is the problem for the 24 team?
Let's look at three elements here; the first being Jeff Gordon himself. I know there a lot of people in the NASCAR world that hate Jeff. And there a lot of people that love him. But the fact remains - love him or hate him, he will go down as one of the greatest drivers ever in any series. He has had tremendous success and become exceedingly wealthy in the process - by all estimates well over the $100 million mark. Has he lost his edge? Has having a baby (and a beautiful baby, at that) taken some of that edge away? Has he lost the "Eye of the Tiger?" Those are questions that can really only be answered by one man - Jeff Gordon. We can speculate all we want (and we will!) as to what is going on there, but none of us know for sure.
You also have to wonder if having such a great season last year only to have the championship taken from him by the dominating performance of his teammate in the Chase has something to do with it. That kind of emotional let-down can either inspire you to go kick some butt, or could dishearten you totally. My take - the problem does not lie with Jeff Gordon. He has had too much success and knows the thrill of dominating the competition to lose his competitiveness.
Secondly, let's look at the equipment. OK. Maybe we won't look at the equipment. Obviously, there are no problems there, other than those guys may have spent so much time working on winning a championship in the last 10 races of last year that they were not ready for the beginning of this year - the year of the Car of Tomorrow. Or Today. Or since we passed the inception of that car, is it the Car of Yesterday? Or the Car of Now? I'm confused, so I digress.
That leaves us with Steve Letart, the crew chief. Steve is a very smart guy and obviously has great talent and knowledge. I don't think that there is anything lacking in Steve's ability whatsoever. I believe he is one of the top crew chiefs in the business behind Chad Knaus (48 car), Greg Zipadelli (20 car), and Bob Osbourne (99 car). Maybe there is a chemistry problem between him and Jeff. Again - all speculation. But there is no speculating that there is definitely a problem somewhere on that team. This week's blown tire and subsequent wreck at Michigan was just bad luck - pure and simple. What I am talking about was evidenced at Watkin's Glen when the winningest driver in NASCAR road course history was left scratching his head with a car that was handling so bad, it could not have won with Toyota's 30 extra horsepower.
I really don't see that team continuing down this path much longer with it's losing ways. They are in a freefall in the standings and if Jeff misses the Chase, one would have to believe that there will be some wholesale changes on that 24 team. Obviously, Jeff is not going anywhere, so the next in line would have to be Letart. Gordon fans are hoping they can turn this ship around and head for better waters. The question will be whether Steve Letart will stay on as first mate to Captain Jeff.
Keith@insidethepitbox.com
Printer Friendly Version Here
|
Want to comment on this article??
Click Here for a Message board or fill out the form below!
Thanks for visiting InsideThePitBox.com!!
Check out ALL our sections and features here!!
There is plenty to keep you busy on our main page!
(Editors Note:The views and opinions of our writers are just that, theirs. If you have
comments, write to them. We take no responsibility for their articles... Do you blame us?)
Article archives
Return to the Main Page
Copyright © 2001-2010 InsideThePitBox.com,LLC
All Rights reserved
1279
|
|
|
