Notes: Decision on future for Gordon not before 2009

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- If you're a Jeff Gordon fan, mark your 2009 calendar as a watershed moment in the icon's NASCAR career, as he said Friday at Martinsville that it's very likely that might be when he makes a decision on what the closing phase of his career will be.

Gordon was specifically asked if getting married and becoming a father in the last year had changed his perspective on possibly retiring from driving.

"That's a good question," Gordon said. "I can tell you that in 2003, 2004, 2005, those were years where I was like, 'this is getting old real quick.' I realized just how competitive I truly am and that I don't like to ride mid-pack or the back of the pack. Nobody does, I know that.

"But when you've had the success that we've had, it even makes it tougher because there's a lot of expectations that come along with that. Had we continued down that path that would have made things end a lot earlier. So it's been very cool and very inspiring to turn things around last year and come into this year the way we have.

"It's fun again and that to me, it changes the way I look at things because it tells me that you do have to have everything lined up, the chemistry has to be there among the team. Obviously the cars have to drive well but you have to have confidence, people have to have confidence in you and you have to have the structure and balance off the racetrack just as in line as you do with the race team and the team on the racetrack.

"So I think that there truly is no number [he's set as a deadline to retire]. All I can tell you is that 2010 is when our contracts are ending and probably 2009 is a year that's going to have a lot of decision-making for me. Those contracts might be up in 2010 but they all want to talk about them in 2009.

"So to me that's going to be a big year. We'll just see where I'm at, how things are going, how fatherhood is going -- how much tuition is for kindergarten [laughing]. I don't know. This year I'm just having a blast and enjoying life and racing like I never have so [quitting] hasn't even been a thought."

Bowyer on shock and awe

Clint Bowyer says he's nowhere near shocked to be a Chase for the Nextel Cup contender with five races remaining in the season, but despite being only 78 points behind four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon, the championship leader, and 10 points behind second-place Jimmie Johnson, the defending Nextel Cup champion, his prospects for a title are a little daunting.

"It's definitely the fact that it's two proven race winners and champions [he's chasing]," Bowyer said. "It's not a back marker that you're trying to chase down, it's Jeff Gordon, and it's not only Jeff Gordon of two years ago where he was a top-10 car, it's Jeff Gordon where he's a top-three car about every weekend -- so we know we got to pick up our game.

"Even if we do that and win two or three more races this year it's still going to take some bad luck on their side. If you win they're going to finish second or third. They're just that good right now but we have to be that good, too, and hopefully if they slip up and stub their toe or something, we have to be there for the taking and racing as hard as we can week in and week out. That's all we can do." (Continued)