The No. 24 crew chief views Gordon's final Cup season as 'a great opportunity'
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There may be wins and there most certainly will be losses, and each will be magnified by the significance of the situation.
Jeff Gordon's career as a full-time driver in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series has reached Turn 4 and will soon be headed for the checkered flag.
Among those along for that final ride will be crew chief Alan Gustafson, Florida-bred and a product of the deeply talented Hendrick Motorsports organization.
"Yeah, I think if we let them get away, that's going to be tough," Gustafson said of the final opportunity to compete for wins with the four-time champion. "That's definitely going to be tough.
"There are a lot of races that I can think of in my career that you can sit there and say, 'That was ours; we just gave it away.' If we do that, it's going to be tough to swallow."
But if the losses sting any worse because of the circumstances, then the victories will no doubt be that much more memorable.
"When we succeed it's going to be sweet and I so want to do that, because … he deserves to go out on top," Gustafson said. "We want to win for us, for the 24 team, for each other. But there is that significance there that Jeff's career needs to end on a real high note."
Gustafson, 39, has worked with some of the best drivers the sport of stock car racing has to offer.
When Kyle Busch won for the first time in the series, at Auto Club Speedway in 2005, it was Gustafson that was atop the pit box.
Four years later, when the seemingly ageless Mark Martin cranked out five wins and finished second in points at the age of 50, it was with Gustafson in his corner.
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And for the past four seasons Gustafson has been in Gordon's ear, picking his driver's brain while witnessing firsthand the re-emergence of a legendary driving career.
Between 2008 and '10, Gordon managed only a single victory.
Paired with Gustafson the following year, Gordon has since won 10 times, including four this past season while making a strong push for a fifth series title. Among his '14 victories was a record fifth win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The opportunity to work with Gordon was something Gustafson said he never imagined would happen. But a crew chief shakeup following the 2010 season opened the door, and Gustafson has never looked back.
"I can remember watching him and Mark battle; I was a huge fan of both of them," Gustafson said. "To be able to win races and work with both of those guys is an amazing thing."
Gordon's talent is undeniable, his success there for all to see -- his career win total in the Sprint Cup Series stands at 92 heading into the '15 season, third best in the history of the series. And only three other drivers -- Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, have won more championships.
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"Jeff, he's the greatest of all time in my opinion," Gustafson said. "To be able to work beside him and learn from him and have all the experiences has been just unbelievable. I think he's an amazing driver."
Beginning in 2016, the familiar No. 24 will have another driver behind the wheel as 2014 XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott makes the move up to full-time competition in Sprint Cup. "He's got it together," Gustafson said of the youngster. "I can't wait to get going with him.
"I've been fortunate to work with a lot of good drivers and I enjoy that relationship; I enjoy the personalities and learning from everybody integrating into the team, just making it go."
But until then, there's one last go-round with Gordon.
"I can't wait to get to Daytona; I'm ready to go, ready to race, ready to do it," he said.
"To me, it's not like a 'boo-hoo' thing. It's a great opportunity."