No backing down: Gordon lasts 600 miles despite back spasms
Going into Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 there might have been questions about Jeff Gordon's back issues, but there was no question Gordon had a fast car.
The No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet was fast from the drop of the green flag, quickly moving up from his 27th starting spot. By Lap 30 he was up to 14th, and he cracked the top 10 for the first time on Lap 59 after the first round of green flag stops.
For the remainder of the 600-mile race, the longest on the NASCAR schedule, Gordon kept his car among the leaders, challenging for the race win in the closing laps.
Taking two tires on his final green flag stop of the day, Gordon and his crew chief Alan Gustafson looked as if they might score the win in dramatic fashion.
However, when the final caution flew with 20 laps to go, the rest of the field bunched up on Gordon's back bumper for the final charge to the checkered flag. With most drivers on four tires behind him, Gordon dropped to seventh as teammate Jimmie Johnson drove away with the win.
After climbing from the car in the Charlotte Motor Speedway garage, Gordon admitted he was sore, but happy with the team's performance throughout the weekend. He had sat out the final practice for the race on Saturday after suffering back spasms.
"I'm going to be real sore tomorrow," Gordon said. "We had an awesome race car, and that was driving me in this Drive to End Hunger Chevy more than anything else out there. Just knowing the commitment this team has given, the types of cars they keep bringing to the race track."
The four-time champion admitted he had one incident where his back pain flared up during the race as he stepped on the brakes heading into Turn 1, but the team worked on making the car turn better and he worked through the pain.
Once the adjustments were made, Gordon was able to focus on the task at hand, not his back.
"I knew when I was in the car (Saturday), even though it was short and I was in pain, I knew the car was great," he said. "As hard as it was to get out, it helped knowing the car was that strong. I was pretty confident we were going to have a good car today. We got up there to the top five, and that's when it got real tough -- not just on me, but just trying to fine-tune the car to get it just right."
Gordon does not expect his back to be an issue next weekend at Dover, one of the circuit's most demanding tracks. Unlike this weekend, Gordon has time to prepare by resting and doing his normal therapy.
The veteran driver believes the unique schedule on Thursday contributed to the back pain that forced him from the car. With close to three hours of downtime between practice and qualifying, Gordon believes his body became tight and he tweaked the back during an aggressive qualifying run.
"I certainly have some things going on in (the back), with some slight bulging discs and things like that," he said. "When the muscle gets tight and that gets close to a nerve, that's what's flaring up."
Looking at the scans of his back, Gordon said he and his team of specialists know these latest issues are not something new, but in fact a flareup of an older issue.
"Each time we learn a little something every time we do a scan," Gordon said. "This one, I think we really pinpointed it and were able to attack the area. That's why I think I was able to race today."
While Gordon said once again that getting out of the car on Saturday was "one of the hardest things" he's ever had to do, he was clear in saying once the race started there was no chance he would get out before the end.
In addition, Gordon does not plan on getting out off the car in future races, because he would be giving away an opportunity to run for the win.
"We still need to go out there and try to win races," Gordon said. "If anything, I think me staying in the car and going through all I went through is only going to earn more respect with this team and make us work that much harder going forward."
Gordon knows his team has plenty of respect for their driver, but admitted, "I don't know if they necessarily think I'm that tough."
After not only surviving a challenging 600 miles around Charlotte Motor Speedway, but contending for the win, the No. 24 team certainly has their answer.
"That team respects him so much," team owner Rick Hendrick said. "I know he was in a lot of pain. I was worried (about) if he would get in the car. But Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the teams talked about it and it looks like Jeff Gordon of 20 years ago. He's fired up. He's up there every week.
"He's got the entire garage talking about the kind of year he’s having right now.”
