No. 24 Hendrick driver talks disappointing finish, recaps career at Indy
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MORE: Full race results | Updated series standings
SPEEDWAY, Ind. — It was an emotional final start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Jeff Gordon, but not for the reasons he expected.
Just 50 laps into Sunday afternoon’s Crown Royal presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard, Gordon’s famed No. 24 Chevrolet was involved in an accident, a chain reaction spin into the wall that badly damaged Gordon’s car while the original cars involved — Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne — were able to motor on relatively undamaged.
The Speedway’s favorite son and five-time winner Gordon, however, spent nearly an hour in the garage while his team frantically made his car drivable again and he returned to the race with only 40 laps remaining.
Gordon won the first Brickyard 400 in 1994, but this year he was scored 42nd out of 43 cars in his last — 54 laps down to winner Kyle Busch.
“Just disappointed with the way the day went,” Gordon said on pit road after the race. “I feel like we showed up here with a car that had some speed in it. Then we didn’t qualify very good and that was disappointing.
“Even though we weren’t good at the start we made up some spots and I thought we were going to be in a position to make some gains. I don’t know if we had a winning car or top-five car but I was looking forward to see what we did have.
“Not the day we wanted to have. We had a great car all weekend, didn’t start the race off great, but I thought we were making some headway on it.”
As Gordon spoke with a small group of reporters on pit road, just behind the crowd sitting along the front grandstands starting loudly chanting, “Jeff, Jeff, Jeff … ” and Gordon turned around and flashed a big grin and wave that was received with huge cheers.
They love Gordon here.
The speedway is located only a half hour away from tiny Pittsboro, Indiana, where Gordon’s family moved their teenage racing prodigy from California to advance his racing career — and where on Thursday a parade was held in Gordon’s honor.
“The fans have been absolutely amazing not only this weekend but throughout the last 22 years and I appreciate it so much,” Gordon said. “For the last 22 years they’ve been cheering. Indiana is such a special place to me. We wouldn’t be here today if not for Indiana and racing here. I always hoped I could do something special here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and I have gotten to do that.”
Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles only half-joked addressing the pre-race drivers meeting that there was a definite sentimental favorite this year.
He suggested to the other drivers that they should “move over and let the three Hoosiers (Gordon, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman) battle it out themselves.”
Gordon smiled at the idea and raised his hand with a thumbs up.
The adoration and admiration for the four-time NASCAR Cup champ is always apparent when he races here. But this weekend — and in particular on race day — it was tangible and abundant.
Five hours before the green flag dropped there was a large crowd lined up against a chain link fence near the garage stalls, people waiting with cameras ready to take a photo — and cheer wildly — as Gordon’s No. 24 Chevy rolled through the normally mundane routine of pre-race inspection.
Nearby, about 40-50 people stood outside Gordon’s garage just behind the speedway’s pit road. Lucas Farmer, 20, and his father Barry wore matching, brightly colored Jeff Gordon hats intent on getting the perfect selfie photo and video in front of the garage stall.
The Farmer family, from Paris, Tennessee — home to the “world largest fish fry” they proudly explained — made the trip to Indianapolis as their “big” and only summer vacation. It’s the first NASCAR race they’ve ever attended although dad, son, mother Stephanie and 18-year-old daughter Libby have been longtime, loyal Gordon fans.
“If Jeff could win this, it would be a dream come true for us,” Barry Farmer explained.
“I just couldn’t imagine anything better,” Lucas agreed.
Unfortunately for the Farmer family and so many in the grandstands Sunday afternoon, the fairytale ending was a little more complicated than that.
“The last eight years have really been feast or famine, either we win or a have problem,” Gordon said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t end up on top, but congratulations to Kyle Busch he’s on a heckuva roll right now.
“We won this thing last year, won it five times, so I can’t be too greedy or disappointed, it’s been an amazing career here. The fans have been absolutely amazing not only this weekend but throughout the last 22 years and I appreciate it so much.”