Who Won the Sprint Cup Championship?

He was small and shy and his mustache was as narrow as a power cord.

I do have a bone to pick with Gordon. Gordon has raced in Generation 4, 5, and 6 cars, including the vehicle of Tomorrow; and won in them all.

Gordon was from California and IN, and not from the South, which was rare for a driver at the time.

Gordon eventually made his way to victory lane to congratulate Busch, who began his career as Gordon’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports.

Gordon is 44 now.

He expected to be in high demand from well-wishers and pulled this way and that as fans and friends want one last word, one last moment with the four-time Sprint Cup champion.

He’s trying to remember all the details of his celebratory day, including a visit from racing legend Mario Andretti, three-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and sports-car ace Scott Pruett. “We felt like we had to take a really big swing at it”. But he has mellowed with marriage, gained perspective after the Daytona wreck, and was determined to be on his feet in the delivery room when wife Samantha delivered their first baby, a boy born in May – right after Busch returned to the race auto and celebrated his 30th birthday.

Jeff Gordon has equilibrium, the kind that results from the inner ear as opposed to the old saw about the seat of the trousers.

Jeff Gordon – He’s got the sixth stall on pit road, two behind Logano, and will be sandwiched behind Michael McDowell and rookie Brett Moffitt.

“Then Jeff expands his reach to networks”. The only NASCAR driver to host “Saturday Night Live”, Gordon was name-dropped in a song by rapper Nelly, became a nationally recognized Pepsi spokesman and proved he can gracefully move from his fire suit to a business suit for any occasion. “And all of a sudden here’s people in California and sponsors that are showing up that never witnessed NASCAR”.

Nearly never in sports history has there been a celebration like the one afforded Gordon. And there on national TV is a NASCAR emissary who is smart and amusing and good looking. Last week: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the rain-shortened race at Phoenix. Off the track, they were business partners. A year ago was the season he could have – maybe even should have – won title number five.

“When I sat at his house and we met and talked about doing this, that’s what we both said is, we wanted to be in a position where we could race for a championship, and not only for one year but do it for multiple years and keep things going”, crew chief Rodney Childers said.

So Gordon is prepared to walk away?

There is a guy who is just like Gordon – and has already clinched more championships. “Nobody can ever say anybody changed the face of the sport like Jeff Gordon did”.