Fear and yawning in Talladega
Dale Earnhardt Jr. described race as ‘boring’
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Jeff Gordon said Sunday's race was the first in which he had ever yawned. In a TV interview, Dale Earnhardt Jr. described the race as "boring." It never ceases to amaze me that human beings can become so conditioned to driving 200 mph inches from other cars that it becomes normal.
Gordon certainly was wide awake at the end. The final 10 laps were almost thrilling enough to make up for the first 178. According to racing-reference.info, this is the first time in Gordon's long and storied career that he has won a race while leading only one lap. I would have guessed that out of his 79 previous wins, one of them would've come while leading only one lap, but nope. His previous low of laps led in a win: nine, in the Pepsi 400 at Michigan on August 16, 1998.
Winning by leading only the last lap has been somewhat common in the last four years. Jeff Burton won at Texas this year by leading only the final lap, and Jimmie Johnson did it at Las Vegas last year. In 2003, it happened twice: Ricky Craven won at Darlington in the closest finish in the electronic scoring era, which also happens to be the first race that made me jump out of my chair and scream at the end. Also, for all the criticism he receives every time he looks cross-eyed at somebody, Kurt Busch has never gotten due credit for the gracious and classy way he congratulated and celebrated with Craven. Even though he lost, Busch is proud to have been involved, and I say bully for him.
Bully for Bobby Labonte, too, who won the 2003 season finale at Homestead after Bill Elliott dominated the race but cut a tire on the last lap. In my mind's eye, I can still see Fatback McSwain jumping up and down, jiggling like a jelly donut as Labonte took over the lead. That was the last time Labonte won, and it seems like it was the last time he led, though it probably wasn't.
Something else about Gordon yawning: The whole sport will be doing the same if he and Jimmie Johnson run away with the points race.
How in the world would NASCAR market the final race if it's just those two choir boys? Pretty boy vs. prettier boy? Ken versus Ken? Thing 1 vs. Thing 2? I want to go to Miami in mid-November as much as the next guy, but not to write about two goodie-goodies.
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But seriously, if the whole season comes down to Gordon vs. Johnson, for whom would the rednecks cheer? I root more for good stories than drivers, so I really hope there's some kind of contrast, a driver who has sin in his background. Two words: Come on, Tony and Kurt!
Back to Gordon. As good as he's been this season, he also has been extremely lucky. This win wasn't quite a fluke, but it was hardly all skill and fast car. He also got lucky when he won at Darlington and Pocono.
Luck is always important; in a recent story in SI, Jimmie Johnson listed the keys to the Chase as luck, luck, luck, luck and luck. In racing it's better to be lucky than good, and Gordon has been both. That's why I've said all along, and will continue to say, that he'll win the championship.
And if it's down to him and Johnson, I promise to try not to yawn.
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