Back of Nationwide garage feels like big time to some (cont'd)

With some financial help from partner Frank Varischetti, Gordon is racing his own car out of DuBois, Pa. -- the middle of nowhere, from a NASCAR perspective -- and operating a team with three full-time employees. Some old friends from his All-Pro days, guys like gas man Jim Fitzgerald and catch-can man Bill McKenzie and older brother Todd Gordon, show up each weekend to help out on a volunteer basis.

Except, they're not in All-Pro anymore -- they're competing against Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch.

"The guys that are here, and aren't here through family money, are natural talents. They get recognized, and they're here. Now they're in top rides, and they're expected to do well," Gordon said. "We've always been good, but we didn't stand out enough, I guess, to get a ride with one of the big teams. So I've always had to do it myself.

"A lot of people are like, 'Why don't you do drive for this guy or that guy?' And I've had offers to drive for people. But I enjoy owning my own stuff. The way I am, I enjoy owning my own team and having my own people. It's not always better on the other side, because if they don't like what you're doing, you're out. Here, I can control my own destiny."

It's a little amazing, seeing where Gordon was 10 years ago and where he is today. Back then he and his crewmen would descend on their little garage outside of Charleston, S.C., after work, and toil on the All-Pro car until after midnight. On race weekends they'd load the vehicle into a trailer and haul it to race tracks that could be 10 hours away or more. His crew worked for free, doing it because they loved to race, even though the long hours and long road trips often took a toll on the people left back home. They slept at the homes of friends, or cramped inside the trailer, or on nice nights up on the truck's roof. They drove home right after the race, battling sleep deprivation all the way, and then turned around and did it again the next week.

And step by slow, laborious step, they climbed the ladder. Good seasons in All-Pro led to a successful stint in the former Hooters Pro Cup Series, where Gordon won a championship in 2005. Two years later he broke into NASCAR's national divisions with a Truck Series start at Milwaukee, finishing 15th. Still, that magical telephone call from Jack Roush or Richard Childress never came, so Gordon kept at it on his own.

Richmond marked his sixth Nationwide start of this season. His goals are modest, not surprising for someone with a spartan budget, a three-man staff, a mostly volunteer pit crew, and no Sprint Cup support. All of which makes his 12th-place finish at Iowa on Aug. 1 seem that much more impressive.

"Right now, we get a top 20, it's a win for us," he said. "We've set our goals as top 20 runs, and finishing. I'm one big wreck away from being done, so I've got to race smart. I can't get tied up in banging fenders or anything like that. I've got to race smart, finish races, and not tear stuff up. That's kind of the mode I'm in. It's not like I'm one of the top cars out there and whatever happens, happens. I can't tear my stuff up. It makes us race smarter, and people see that."

Gordon plans to attempt one more Nationwide start this season, at Memphis on Oct. 24, and holds hopes of running a full schedule and competing for rookie of the year honors in 2010. Of course, that's if the sponsorship comes together. But even that unknown hasn't kept him from progressing in other areas -- he's started a dirt late model developmental team, and at least one moonlighting Cup Series star has complimented Gordon on his on-track decorum and his off-track business sense. Fans may wonder if he's related to Jeff or Robby or another, more famous driver with the same last name. But inside the walls of his own garage area, people are beginning to know who he is.

Ultimately, sponsorship money will determine how far Gordon can go. He's close enough to NASCAR's pinnacle that he can literally see it, those shiny Cup transporters visible just across the race track. Sure, he'd love to be over there, making millions and not having to worry about cobbling together a little more sponsor money to keep his dream alive. But Benny Gordon is too much the realist to dwell on that. He's a self-made driver who knows all too well what life is like at racing's lowest levels. By comparison, a spot in back of the Nationwide garage seems like Shangri-la.

"I don't consider myself a natural talent or anything. I've had to work very hard," he said. "I've built most everything I've done with just myself, with my brother helping me and people close to me helping me. We were very successful in the Pro Cup Series. There are a lot of people who spent a lot of money to try and win those titles, and we won them. We're really proud of that. So I'm pretty proud of being here. If I can get a rookie season and get enough financials to run this for a living, I'd be very happy."

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.