Dale Jr.: Gordon should've moved over

Elwood · August 12, 2003

By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive

Monday, August 11, 2003

J. Gordon hit on final lap | R. Gordon completes road course sweep

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. was so fatigued after the Sirius at The Glen that he excused himself to sit on the inside pit wall.

When he finally collected his energy, Earnhardt had good reason to be pleased.

He had led 11 laps, the first of his Winston Cup career on road courses and he had scrambled for a third place finish -- his second top-three in the last three races and his best ever on a road course, beating his previous by eight spots.

"It was a good day for us," Earnhardt said. "We got to lead some laps and try and get some points on Matt. Just tried not to make too many mistakes and hope everybody else doesn't lose their concentration."

And he proved that he is maturing and learning patience as a driver.

"I was behind Biffle (at the beginning of the race) and I was just kind of riding there to save my brakes," Earnhardt said. "He was running real hard and I could see the rotors on his car were getting kind of red, so I just wanted to sit there and chill out -- I didn't want to make that same mistake and wear my stuff out there at the first of the race."

At the end, Earnhardt said he definitely had a good enough car.

"We were 20th on that last restart and had to race real, real hard to get up through there," Earnhardt said of the procedure at Watkins Glen that mixes lead lap and laps-down cars. "I passed a lot of guys then, but I didn't have anything for the guys up front.

"It was just real hard to pass, but I can't say that's why I didn't win the race -- they had good cars, too. I'm just real happy, and happy for my team."

Earnhardt Jr. caught Jeff Gordon -- who was running out of fuel -- on the final lap. Gordon said he was trying to get out of the way, but he was hit first by Earnhardt then by Kevin Harvick.

"I ran into the back of him because he ran in front of me," Junior said. "I knew I was catching him a lot -- probably 50 mph faster than he was going. Wherever I went, he went, and I knew that he was going to try and block me.

"I couldn't lift because the 29 (Harvick) was coming. I guess the 29 ran over him too, (which was) not very smart on his (Gordon's) part. I would've just taken the spots I lost because I ran out of gas.

"You're not going to block me all the way around the last two corners of the race track. I don't care who you are, you don't need to block anybody the last two laps.

"He ended up in the wall and lost a bunch of spots, so you tell me who made the bad decision."

tmf6902 · August 12, 2003

I'm glad he got run over....to bad he didn't get the DNF, I mean he never really did cross the finish line.

JonesNTN · August 12, 2003

All I got to say is payback is bitch. Especially @ Bristol.

gmcjoe · August 12, 2003

I'm glad he got run over....to bad he didn't get the DNF, I mean he never really did cross the finish line.

He ran out of gas way before that turn.

Yep, that's been my beef all week. DNF all the way

TarheelZ · August 13, 2003

All I got to say is payback is bitch. Especially @ Bristol.

I don't think Jeffie's got enough hair on his a$$ to deliver payback!

JonesNTN · August 13, 2003

Whatever.

gmcjoe · August 13, 2003

Whatever.

Nice comeback

JonesNTN · August 13, 2003

I choose to take the high road. I got better things to do than argue with a bunch of 4-time Champion, winningest active driver bashers. Especially when it is in favor of Only won 3 races, run his mouth insted of drive the d**n car hothead, only landed a good team because somebody died and pulled off a miracle victory Kevin Harvick.

tmf6902 · August 13, 2003

JonesNTN · August 13, 2003

My sentiments exactly.

gmcjoe · August 13, 2003

I choose to take the high road. I got better things to do than argue with a bunch of 4-time Champion, winningest active driver bashers. Especially when it is in favor of Only won 3 races, run his mouth insted of drive the d**n car hothead, only landed a good team because somebody died and pulled off a miracle victory Kevin Harvick.

First off, I was only messing with you, it's all a little Nascar bashin ;)

Nice comment on Harvick, doesn't sound much like the 'high road' to me

MacA · August 13, 2003

I choose to take the high road. I got better things to do than argue with a bunch of 4-time Champion, winningest active driver bashers. Especially when it is in favor of Only won 3 races, run his mouth insted of drive the d**n car hothead, only landed a good team because somebody died and pulled off a miracle victory Kevin Harvick.

General Lee 01 · August 14, 2003

Guys,this isnt the thrash room,so please calm down.

Gordon was runnning in the racing groove. Ithought it was common sense to get out of the way when prolems occur withyour car.

JonesNTN · August 14, 2003

I do believe that a disabled car should get out of the racing groove. Gordon was running out of fuel but wasn't completely out. The fuel pick up was obviously not getting enough gas constantly enough to keep the car running strong. He would have been out of the racing groove when he exited that corner. Think about it, if he would have went high in the last corner, he would still have to cross the racing groove to go low or right to cross the finish line. Road courses do have a racing groove, problem is it takes up the whole track, one corner it may be on the inside, the next it may be on the outside. Harvick didn't get out of Gordons way when Godon passed him on the same lap. Gordon bumped Harvick, but didn't spin him. A more proffesional driver can negotiate a pass without running all over the disabled car, twice.

Harvick can drive, there is no doubt about that. However, the Goodwrench team is/was a championship caliber orgnanization. Harvick is not a champion-type driver.

Nobody in the top 5 in points would have just pulled off of the track on the last lap as long as the car was moving. I doubt anybody at all would pull off the track on the last lap.