April26

April 26, 2004

Rivalries, Race Fans and Rewriting History
By Allison Wagda

The greatest rivalries in NASCAR’s history also sparked
some of the most exciting racing ever seen. Legends
like Petty and Pearson, Earnhardt and Elliott…the list
goes on. And the action didn’t end with the checkered
flag.

Modern day NASCAR rivalries are created more by the
media than by the competitors themselves. But the
fans seem to be reacting as if the portrayed contentiousness is rooted in reality.
Nowhere was that more evident than after yesterday’s Talladega race.

Jeff Gordon won the Aaron’s 499 by managing to nose in front of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s
#8 car at the very moment of a late-race caution flag. NASCAR’s dubious rule,
freezing the field instead of allowing drivers to race back to the line, meant Junior
didn’t have a chance.

As soon as the race verdict became evident, beer cans came raining down onto the
track – a gesture of childish frustration from the legions of Earnhardt fans. After all,
Talladega is Earnhardt country. If it had been any other winner, fans would have
directed their outrage at NASCAR officials. But as Gordon emerged from his car in
Victory Lane, he was greeted with a cacophony of boos. How DARE he STEAL a win
from their golden son?

To understand the source of this supposed anger, you have to journey back to 1993.
Dale Earnhardt Sr., the Intimidator, ruled the tracks. His take-no-prisoners style of
racing, bumping and banging had propelled him to his best years in Cup racing. His
nickname was the result of the emotion other drivers would feel when the black #3
appeared in their rear view mirror.

It was also Jeff Gordon’s rookie season. This young upstart from, gasp, California of
all places wasn’t intimidated. Gordon began winning races, and within two seasons
had captured his first title. Some fans, tired by Earnhardt’s aggressive driving style,
began rooting for the clean-cut young Gordon.

Gordon and Earnhardt had a few run-ins on the track, and a rivalry-starved media
started fueling rumors that a duel was underway. NASCAR, knowing that rivalries
engage fans and make racing more interesting, seized the opportunity and began to
position Gordon as the slick outsider seeking to usurp the dominant position of a
legend in the making.

Early on, it seemed as if the competition would in fact bloom into a full-blown rivalry.
In one interview, Earnhardt offhandedly referred to Gordon as “wonderboy.” And at the
awards banquet for Gordon’s first title in 1995, Gordon toasted him with a glass of
milk, a direct challenge in return for a comment by Earnhardt that Gordon was not old
enough to drink champagne. In 1998, a bump-and-run by Earnhardt at Pocono
almost cost Gordon a win, The media had all it needed and a “rivalry” was born.

There was a bit of a problem. Despite the Pocono incident, over the years the two
rarely traded paint and never had the type of confrontation to fully galvanize their
divided fan bases. And off the track, the two became friends…with the Intimidator
becoming something of a mentor to Gordon. The much-hyped rivalry never
materialized on the track or off.

But Earnhardt’s fans had already accepted it as truth and continued to despise
Gordon. So despite four Cup championships in an unprecedented seven years,
Gordon was still seen as stealing the limelight. However, by then he’d also attracted
his own massive fan base.

After Earnhardt Sr.’s death in 2001, most of his fans focused their devotion on his
son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. At the first race back at Daytona after his father’s death,
Junior put on a spectacular late-race show to win his first Cup race. There wasn’t a
dry eye in the house. The victory seems to help heal some of the grief that had
permeated the stands since his father’s death.

A few months later at the first race post 9-11, Junior once again took the checkers at
Dover Downs. Junior’s crew ran across the infield grass with a giant American flag
and handed it to him. Instead of the usual celebration, the Bud car took a reverse
victory lap with the stars and stripes blowing in the wind. It was a highly-emotional
moment that once again helped to heal fans still rocked by terrorism.

It was almost impossible not to be a fan of Little E. His father’s fans devoted all their
love for the father to the son. And the rest of NASCAR nation followed suit. But by
early 2003, the elder Earnhardt’s fans began making it clear to newer fans that if you
liked Junior, you could not also be a fan of Jeff Gordon. Smelling a story, the media
once again began its hype machine, positioning the two as natural rivals with
headlines like “Rivalry appears inevitable between Earnhardt Jr. and Gordon” in the
Savannah Morning News and “Gordon vs. Earnhardt could be just what NASCAR
needs” in the Charlotte Observer.

The two have not cooperated. When Earnhardt Sr. was mentoring Gordon, Junior
became friends with the rising star. Nowadays, the two are frequently quoted
expressing their respect for each other, their fun at racing one another and their off-
track friendship.

On NASCAR message boards all over the Internet, Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. fans
always cross swords. Frequently, the discourse dissolves into name calling and
finger pointing. Gordon fans say NASCAR fixes races so Junior wins. Earnhardt fans
portray Gordon as a whiner and a cheater. I can’t wait to see Last Lap this week on
NASCAR.com. It’s guaranteed to be a slug-fest between the two factions.

Too bad for them. We won’t see it from the drivers. While Earnhardt disagreed with
NASCAR’s call, all he could talk about was how much fun he was having battling for
the lead with Gordon. Rather than a fistfight, the two are more likely to go out to
dinner to celebrate.

Gordon greeted the boos with his customary good humor. Just as last week he
handled the track issue with aplomb. After all these years, he deserves the respect of
all fans. He’s earned it.

NASCAR is getting lucky. In an age where money trumps tradition, they know this
“rivalry” will once again stir the passions of the fans. But I wish fans could see past
the propaganda, set aside old (and misguided) hatred and enjoy the great races –
from both drivers - to come.

© Copyright 2004 BackseatBlonde.com. All Rights Reserved, Any copying, redistribution or
retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of
BackseatBlonde.com is expressly prohibited.