Gordon hopes test can squelch talking

admin · 05-06-2008, 10:08 PM

CONCORD -- One of Jeff Gordon's goals during this week's Sprint Cup test at Lowe's Motor Speedway is to find a way to have a little more peace and quiet -- over his team's radio.

"I apologize to everyone who's been listening because I've been terrible on the radio this year," Gordon said Monday as the two days of testing began. "Why? We've run like crap, that's why. If we're running up front, you won't hear a word out of me."

Gordon said he's apologized to crew chief Steve Letarte at times for things he might have said.

"It goes back to frustration," the four-time Cup champion said. "I can't stop my thumb from pushing that button and expressing my frustration."

Gordon's team set at modern-era record with 30 top-10 finishes last year, but this year the No. 24 doesn't have a win and has had only four top-10s in 10 races. Gordon is 13th in the Cup standings.

"I know what we're capable of doing," he said. "I know how good we can be."

Gordon said his team has struggled with getting grip in the new car being used at all tracks for the first time.

"We're so far out of the box with what we're trying to do that it just drives really, really bad," he said. "The crazy thing is it seems like the worse we make the car drive, the faster it goes."

Gordon said his team is happy to get the test here, which only recently was added by NASCAR. Not only will it help for the Sprint All-Star Race on May 17 and Coca-Cola 600 on May 25, Gordon said what teams learn can be applied to other tracks.

"When you only have a couple hours of practice when you get to the track, sometimes it's tough to find that," he said. "You can take your time a little bit more and really try things, make changes and really know what those changes are doing."

Richmond ripples beginning to fade?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch said they look forward to a chance to talk about their Lap 398 incident in Saturday night's race at Richmond, Va.

"I hope we can talk about it and put it behind us," Busch said. "I've reached out to Dale Jr. -- I called him earlier this morning and got his voicemail. Hopefully we'll either see each other in the garage or he'll get back to me later. Maybe even tonight. It's Cinco de Mayo, maybe we'll go party it up a little bit."

Busch said again he felt the contact, which came as the two battled for the lead and wound up with Earnhardt Jr. spinning out of contention for a win, was simply a racing incident.

Earnhardt Jr. said he didn't feel he could be more vocal or angrier about what happened because he wound up hitting and knocking Busch out of a Chase for the Cup race last year at Kansas.

Briefly

• Casey Mears said he's not worried about losing his ride at Hendrick Motorsports. "We're solid for next year and definitely focused on moving forward," he said. "We feel like we're just now starting to feel like we're getting on the same page."

• Brian Vickers said NASCAR's decision to let teams test here was a good one.

"I am very glad NASCAR took the initiative to add this to the schedule after some of the issues we've had at the 1.5-mile tracks," he said. "I don't think just one test is going to solve all of the problems. But I do think this will help, so I commend them for saying `Let's do something to try to make it better.' "

He said that by late in the afternoon session, drivers were running different lines.

"Charlotte has become a multi-groove track again," he said.

• Kasey Kahne's idea for this test is simple. "My main goal is to try to figure out how to go as fast as Carl Edwards," he said. Edwards' No. 99 Ford has been exceptional on similar tracks this year.

• Busch is the first-quarter winner in the Driver of the Year balloting by a panel of motorsports writers and broadcasters. He got 14 of 17 first-place votes and 142 points in the voting. Edwards got one first-place vote and 72 points. IndyCar's Danica Patrick got two first-place votes and 51 points to finish third, just ahead of NHRA's Ashley Force.

• Today's testing is open to fans, and those attending will be offered the chance to participate in the annual "Royal Flush" at 5:30 p.m. Fans will be asked to flush some of the 1,200 toilet fixtures to simulate "peak demand" on the water-sewer systems. Those participating will get a "Royal Flush Society" T-shirt and $5 off a Coca-Cola 600 ticket bought while at the track.

Gordon hopes test can squelch talking

05-09-2008, 01:45 AM

I haven't been listen to his radio scanner this year because of volume issues. However, I'm not surprised to hear about some of the things he's said. Jeff's rants and cursing and such isn't offensive to me in the least.

revvinjim · 05-09-2008, 01:58 AM

The crew chiefs say they know when they need to do something when the driver's voice gets high pitched. Not making fun of Jeff here, because I respect him, but I wonder what that sounds like to Letarte.

05-09-2008, 02:03 AM

One can only wonder but I'm sure Letarte is used to it by now/ I'd probably laugh at first myself. LOL

blueyedfairy_1 · 05-09-2008, 12:09 PM

I still think that Jeff needs to get rid of Letarte... Not saying Letarte isnt any good its just that I dont see chemistry there that driver/cc need to win championships..

24girl · 05-09-2008, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by blueyedfairy_1

I still think that Jeff needs to get rid of Letarte... Not saying Letarte isnt any good its just that I dont see chemistry there that driver/cc need to win championships..

No,have to disagree there,

they do have chemistry,I just think that every driver has an off season once in awhile...you cant be dominant every yr.,..
Listening to trackpass,Jeff and Steve do jive,just bad season for them,
again

admin · 05-09-2008, 04:14 PM

They will figure it out, and you'll know it when they do imo.

revvinjim · 05-10-2008, 02:56 AM

You have to give that team a little time with the suspension/tire combinations, and before you know it, they'll be back on top again. I think Jeff Gordon and Steve Letarte have a good driver-crew chief relationship, and that is very important to winning.
I get tired of people pushing the when are they going to win question. There are still a lot of races, and believe me, drivers like Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, and Dale Earnhardt Jr will win, probably more than once.

05-10-2008, 03:09 AM

I think it's a bit premature myself to think that Steve Letarte needing to go. Although I do think that sometimes they're not trying hard enough.

05-06-2008, 10:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
admin Administrator Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 4,364	Gordon hopes test can squelch talking CONCORD -- One of Jeff Gordon's goals during this week's Sprint Cup test at Lowe's Motor Speedway is to find a way to have a little more peace and quiet -- over his team's radio. "I apologize to everyone who's been listening because I've been terrible on the radio this year," Gordon said Monday as the two days of testing began. "Why? We've run like crap, that's why. If we're running up front, you won't hear a word out of me." Gordon said he's apologized to crew chief Steve Letarte at times for things he might have said. "It goes back to frustration," the four-time Cup champion said. "I can't stop my thumb from pushing that button and expressing my frustration." Gordon's team set at modern-era record with 30 top-10 finishes last year, but this year the No. 24 doesn't have a win and has had only four top-10s in 10 races. Gordon is 13th in the Cup standings. "I know what we're capable of doing," he said. "I know how good we can be." Gordon said his team has struggled with getting grip in the new car being used at all tracks for the first time. "We're so far out of the box with what we're trying to do that it just drives really, really bad," he said. "The crazy thing is it seems like the worse we make the car drive, the faster it goes." Gordon said his team is happy to get the test here, which only recently was added by NASCAR. Not only will it help for the Sprint All-Star Race on May 17 and Coca-Cola 600 on May 25, Gordon said what teams learn can be applied to other tracks. "When you only have a couple hours of practice when you get to the track, sometimes it's tough to find that," he said. "You can take your time a little bit more and really try things, make changes and really know what those changes are doing." Richmond ripples beginning to fade? Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch said they look forward to a chance to talk about their Lap 398 incident in Saturday night's race at Richmond, Va. "I hope we can talk about it and put it behind us," Busch said. "I've reached out to Dale Jr. -- I called him earlier this morning and got his voicemail. Hopefully we'll either see each other in the garage or he'll get back to me later. Maybe even tonight. It's Cinco de Mayo, maybe we'll go party it up a little bit." Busch said again he felt the contact, which came as the two battled for the lead and wound up with Earnhardt Jr. spinning out of contention for a win, was simply a racing incident. Earnhardt Jr. said he didn't feel he could be more vocal or angrier about what happened because he wound up hitting and knocking Busch out of a Chase for the Cup race last year at Kansas. Briefly • Casey Mears said he's not worried about losing his ride at Hendrick Motorsports. "We're solid for next year and definitely focused on moving forward," he said. "We feel like we're just now starting to feel like we're getting on the same page." • Brian Vickers said NASCAR's decision to let teams test here was a good one. "I am very glad NASCAR took the initiative to add this to the schedule after some of the issues we've had at the 1.5-mile tracks," he said. "I don't think just one test is going to solve all of the problems. But I do think this will help, so I commend them for saying `Let's do something to try to make it better.' " He said that by late in the afternoon session, drivers were running different lines. "Charlotte has become a multi-groove track again," he said. • Kasey Kahne's idea for this test is simple. "My main goal is to try to figure out how to go as fast as Carl Edwards," he said. Edwards' No. 99 Ford has been exceptional on similar tracks this year. • Busch is the first-quarter winner in the Driver of the Year balloting by a panel of motorsports writers and broadcasters. He got 14 of 17 first-place votes and 142 points in the voting. Edwards got one first-place vote and 72 points. IndyCar's Danica Patrick got two first-place votes and 51 points to finish third, just ahead of NHRA's Ashley Force. • Today's testing is open to fans, and those attending will be offered the chance to participate in the annual "Royal Flush" at 5:30 p.m. Fans will be asked to flush some of the 1,200 toilet fixtures to simulate "peak demand" on the water-sewer systems. Those participating will get a "Royal Flush Society" T-shirt and $5 off a Coca-Cola 600 ticket bought while at the track. Gordon hopes test can squelch talking

05-09-2008, 01:58 AM	#3 (permalink)
revvinjim Resident Old Fart Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 1,973	The crew chiefs say they know when they need to do something when the driver's voice gets high pitched. Not making fun of Jeff here, because I respect him, but I wonder what that sounds like to Letarte. __________________ Never argue with an idiot--people watching might not be able to tell the difference.

05-09-2008, 12:09 PM	#5 (permalink)
blueyedfairy_1 VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 3,779	I still think that Jeff needs to get rid of Letarte... Not saying Letarte isnt any good its just that I dont see chemistry there that driver/cc need to win championships.. __________________

05-10-2008, 02:56 AM	#8 (permalink)
revvinjim Resident Old Fart Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 1,973	You have to give that team a little time with the suspension/tire combinations, and before you know it, they'll be back on top again. I think Jeff Gordon and Steve Letarte have a good driver-crew chief relationship, and that is very important to winning. I get tired of people pushing the when are they going to win question. There are still a lot of races, and believe me, drivers like Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, and Dale Earnhardt Jr will win, probably more than once. __________________ Never argue with an idiot--people watching might not be able to tell the difference.

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05-09-2008, 01:45 AM	#2 (permalink)
24n88fan Guest Posts: n/a	I haven't been listen to his radio scanner this year because of volume issues. However, I'm not surprised to hear about some of the things he's said. Jeff's rants and cursing and such isn't offensive to me in the least.

05-09-2008, 02:03 AM	#4 (permalink)
24n88fan Guest Posts: n/a	One can only wonder but I'm sure Letarte is used to it by now/ I'd probably laugh at first myself. LOL

05-09-2008, 04:14 PM	#7 (permalink)
admin Administrator Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 4,364	They will figure it out, and you'll know it when they do imo.

05-10-2008, 03:09 AM	#9 (permalink)
24n88fan Guest Posts: n/a	I think it's a bit premature myself to think that Steve Letarte needing to go. Although I do think that sometimes they're not trying hard enough.

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