This past weekend was really moving for me to watch Jeff Gordon in his final drive
I have been a Jeff Gordon fan ever since I met him in 1994 at an amusement industry trade show in Miami after arriving in the States. I had no idea what NASCAR was or who Gordon was, but I saw this strange car, all painted in the Dupont rainbow colors and a young driver in a rainbow fire suit, looking kinda lost as the hall was quite empty. So being a car guy I walked up to him, introduced myself and started chatting with him about the car. I am sure we spent several hours over the next few days chatting about life, racing and other stuff.
He was charismatic, friendly, approachable and nothing but a pleasure to chat to. So easy to relate to.
Back then there was no internet, no Google and I still couldnt afford a TV so it was about 6 months later that I figured out who Jeff was, and what a high profile and accomplished racer he was, which made his friendliness and accessibility so much more remarkable. Jeff made me take an interest in NASCAR and I have been a fan of his ever since, even during the years where nothing was going his way.
To see his last season come together like this was very special, but more importantly to see the respect he has from all the drivers around him, that is what we all strive for. And to see my other hero's Lewis Hamilton and Mario Andretti on his crew stand for the race, WOW! What a tribute!
And the cheer when he got to the lead early in the race was something special! I kick myself for not going to see his final race. Glad that my friend Alex Acosta got to experience it first hand.
Jeff - thanks for the memories, and I look forward to seeing you as a commentator next year.