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Sometime in the future when his helmet and uniform are placed in the shrines of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the record books will show that
Jeff Gordon was one of the all-time greatest racers with at least 85 wins and four championships.
Although the numbers are worthy of the recognition in stock car's most hallowed grounds, perhaps one of Gordon's
most memorable seasons was 1996 -- a season that saw him coming up 37 points short of the championship.
It was that year which truly epitomized and displayed the core values and qualities of Gordon and the #24 team. After all,
it was the season in which he defended the Cup championship for the first time in his then young career.
He was a rising star at the ripe age of 25 with nine career wins, God-given talent to wheel a burly stock car, as well as
the best supporting cast that propelled him into contention for wins on any given week.
Additionally, he had a headstrong crew chief in Ray Evernham whose innovative and steady leadership disciplined his racer
and teammates into formidable contenders weekly.
The 1996 season was perhaps the most important one for Gordon and his team during their early years, as it chronicled how
they'd handle adversity and ultimately defeat in a bitter fashion. When a driver wins 10 races and scores 21-top fives and
24 top-10's in a year, it's about as good as it gets for a championship. However, as it usually goes in NASCAR, it was
consistency that determined the outcome of one of the 1990's closest title battles.
The 1996 season saw Gordon off to a slow start with finishes of 42nd and 40th at Daytona and Rockingham before a string of
six consecutive top three finishes ushered him into the top-five in points. Then, in typical title contender fashion,
he'd run into some trouble that was followed by strong performances and wins throughout the late spring and summer.
Wins at Richmond, Darlington, and Bristol would be complimented by a season sweep at Dover and triumphs at Pocono, Talladega
and the Southern 500 before a three-peat Victory Lane streak at Dover, Martinsville, and North Wilkesboro.
All that stood between Gordon and a second title in as many years was a consistent stretch of races in October and November
that would put an exclamation point on his title defense. Simple, right?
Think again, because lurking behind Gordon virtually all season long was Terry Labonte, who actually led the points hunt
during the summer before surrendering the prime spot to a surging Gordon in September. To say the least, it became an
in-house battle for the Cup title at Hendrick Motorsports. The Labonte vs. Gordon saga had some storylines that unweaved a
tapestry of subplots. For instance, there was the internal frosty relationship beteen crew chiefs Ray Evernham from the #24
team and Gary Dehart of the #5 camp. Essentially, their relationship could be compared to that of Cole Trickle
and Russ Wheeler from Days of Thunder.
As the circuit made its way to Charlotte Motor Speedway, Gordon and Labonte were licking their chops at what was
essentially a home game. What should've been a steady, solid top-10 finish in mind for Gordon became an exercise in
patience, as mechanical woes befell the #24 Chevy into a 31st-place finish while Labonte went home as the victor.
Rockingham wasn't any kinder to Gordon, as handling and tire issues relegated him to a lap-down 12th-place run while
Labonte again walked home with a solid third-place finish. Suddenly, that once "secured" points lead by Gordon vanished,
with Labonte easing in front.
Try as he might, the defending champion threw everything he had at Labonte to regain the points lead, finishing a solid
fifth with a crinkled fender at Phoenix. Topping Gordon's performance was Labonte's terrific third-place effort, which was
done with a broken hand from a practice crash during the race weekend.
Labonte would race the final two events with that injury, one that worsen throughout the last two spectacles of the
1996 season. Alas, it was will and determination that served as the catalyst for the Corpus Christi, Tx. native.
About every adversity in the book was experienced by Gordon at the season finale in Atlanta, when a loose wheel sent him
three laps down. It looked as if he was all over and finished but, then again, this wasn't any other team. This was one
whose slogan was "Refuse to Lose," and that's what they did, keeping their driver with the leaders to regain those lost
laps and ultimately have a shot to win the championship.
Ultimately, Labonte's consistency was just too much to overcome for the top prize in NASCAR. A worthy adversary from
Daytona in February to Atlanta in November, it was the 39-year-old and 1984 title winner who got to hoist the Cup again.
Meanwhile, the 1996 season taught Gordon about consistency, showing the right cards at the right time, and
how to handle defeat with grace and honor. He's lost more titles than he's won in the 15 years that have passed since that
memorable season. But he's won three more titles, 66 more races, and the respect and high regard of his fellow competitors
who've come and gone in the changing scenery of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing. At age 40 with his youthful years in the
rear view mirror, what remains is the swagger and hunger to win more championships before the time arrives to place his helmet
in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
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