Anybody But 48 Club has a New Member

(By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service)

Posted: Tuesday,April 27th, 2010

Thank you, Jeff Gordon.

Enclosed is your membership card for the Anybody But 48 Club.

Sunday’s doubleheader at Talladega Superspeedway produced a surfeit of pyrotechnics, but the real heat of the day came from your dust-up with teammate Jimmie Johnson on Lap 182 of the Aaron’s 499 Sprint Cup race.

You were coming through Turn 3 with a full head of steam when Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet chopped you, forcing you below the yellow out-of-bounds line. That broke your momentum. Cars checked up behind you, and Jeff Burton’s Chevy turned across the nose of Mike Bliss’ No. 09.

LAS VEGAS - FEBRUARY 28: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont/Pepsi Max Chevrolet, and Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Shelby American at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on February 28, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images for NASCAR)

You couldn’t escape the accident, and your No. 24 Chevy—one of the strongest cars in the race—subsequently struggled to finish on the lead lap, in 22nd place, as Kevin Harvick took the checkered flag.

Remember what you said after climbing from your car?

“The 48 is testing my patience, I can tell you that. It takes a lot to make me mad, and I am pissed right now. … He’s been testing my patience, and it’s about reached its boiling point.”

Those were strong words from you, Jeff, but they were justified. A week earlier, the 48 pinched you in the tri-oval at Texas and left a big, black donut on the side of your car. You and Jimmie traded barbs after that incident, but Friday at Talladega, you both minimized the apparent hostilities.

You’re an even-tempered guy with a long fuse, but, as we know, even volcanoes in Iceland can erupt mightily. So hold that thought.

You’ve come a long way from the sickening love fest you and Jimmie staged in 2007. Remember what you said about your teammate before the season finale at Homestead, in what was tantamount to a concession speech?

“I can’t speak highly enough about this guy. Again, I know the equipment, I know the people, I know the set-ups, I know everything, and he flat out can drive. He’s been showing it ever since he came to Hendrick Motorsports. And while he’s been there, he’s been learning from me. I’m going to have to learn from him now, if I’m going to step up to what he’s put out there on the racetrack.”

You were 86 points behind him then, after an admirable run at the 2007 championship. You had a phenomenal year. Jimmie’s was just a hair better.

Since then, however, your paths have diverged. Jimmie has won 17 races and two more championships since 2007. You suffered through a barren 2008. Your only victory in the past 86 races came last April at Texas.

You’d like nothing more than to win a championship under the Chase format, but Jimmie has a stranglehold on the title, having won four straight. You finished second eight times last year. Jimmie won seven races. You’ve been playing second fiddle in a two-fiddle band.

Yes, Jimmie accepted blame for the Talladega incident and apologized.

“I misjudged the closing rate,” he told The Associated Press. “We all make mistakes. I am no different. Certainly, that was my fault. I made the mistake there.”

Had Jimmie not made another mistake on the backstretch shortly after he forced you down to the apron, Jeff, he would have gotten another solid finish at your expense. So don’t fall for those crocodile tears. Anyone can ask for forgiveness after a race.

Your frustration is understandable–particularly when your teammate starts to bully you on the racetrack. You shouldn’t stand for that. After all, this is the guy you brought into the Hendrick Motorsports fold. You made an impassioned pitch for Jimmie in the Lowe’s boardroom, assuring executives that Jimmie could win races.

Odds are you didn’t have any idea how many.

For goodness sakes, you own a piece of his car—maybe the piece that hit you.

So please accept your new membership card. Display it proudly.

And make sure it’s in your back pocket when you’re on the racetrack this weekend at Richmond.

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