Gordon: NASCAR drivers should be themselves
Jeff Gordon, one of the highest-profile athletes in NASCAR, is pushing for drivers to feel free to be themselves.
In recent years, many drivers appear to have become less willing to show their feelings, less eager to wade into an issue and offer an opinion. A variety of factors, from increased media coverage to potential repercussions from fans, sponsors and even NASCAR, for actions can alter the way a driver behaves. Once someone has crossed a line or has found himself embroiled in controversy, something Penske Racing's Kurt Busch once did and has now tempered his remarks on all issues as a reaction, then he seems even less willing to repeat that.
Jeff Gordon is opposed to that trend. As a young driver, he tried to be all things to all people. These days, he's opened up more and allowed glimpses of his private life to spill into public view. He's also less strict in his comments and says that he sometimes criticizes his own interviews.
He's not trying to single out anyone or to encourage an outbreak of rowdy or out-of-control behavior and remarks. He's just trying to encourage a generation of drivers to feel a little more free to be themselves, to be more willing to speak up and show fans how diverse the people in this sport truly are.
During Champions Week in New York City, Jeff Gordon found himself constantly asked to assess Hendrick Motorsports' teammate and friend Jimmie Johnson's personality and asked to describe Johnson to people who don't know him that well. In doing so, Jeff Gordon found a platform to open up about his opinion on all the personalities in the sport - and how he feels they should be showcased more.
"I think that one of the issues that we have in our sport right now is that there's so much more personality in all these guys, including myself, that you don't get to see, and the reason is because that we're representing the sport, our fans, sponsors, and you have to be conscious about letting yourself get too far out there," he said. "I think sometimes we get caught up in trying to be, and I'm the perfect example of this, trying to be what we think the fans want us to be, our sponsors want us to be. You have to be yourself, but you also have to have limits on that because we are under a microscope. There's a lot of criticism that comes along if you step out of line, and also, you just don't want to deal with the controversy. You'd rather stay under the radar, do your job ...
"I think that it's unfortunate in some ways because I think that our sport has now grown into something that is about entertainment, television ratings, fans, and those fans want to see more personality, and it's a tough balance. And sometimes I wish that we could find a way to stretch those limits a little bit more so more of our personality comes out."
Jeff Gordon is not blaming anyone for clamping down on the drivers, especially not NASCAR itself. Part of the problem is that when drivers are in the spotlight is when they are focused on extreme competition. Race weekends are two- or three-day events filled with the pressure of adjusting the car, practicing, qualifying and competing. Every moment is dedicated to finding a little more speed.
It's hard for a driver to shift gears in the midst of that and let people really see who they are.
Jeff Gordon certainly understands how difficult that can be. The four-time Cup champion has been in the spotlight practically from the moment he came onto the NASCAR scene. Some years, he and his Hendrick Motorsports team won more races than anyone but didn't claim the lion's share of fans. Others, they struggled, but still found both support and criticism.
Jeff Gordon, now 36, has had to learn that is simply a part of competing. Once a driver realizes that, he thinks, he is more free to be himself.
"I started off just not being myself and trying to be what everybody else, I thought they wanted me to be," he said. "When you start off with your fan base and you start winning races, you want to be the perfect driver, and you realize later down the road that is never going to exist... You're not going to have all the fans on your side ... It just took me a long time to just be comfortable enough with that to understand that it's not about what I do on the race track, it's not about what I say, what I don't say. I need to just really be myself and not try to think about it too much and always try to say the perfect thing or the right thing."
Not anymore. Now he sometimes sees replays of his own interviews and wonders why he used some phrase he's repeated in the past. He recognizes that NASCAR is both sport and entertainment - a combination that would be more appealing to viewers if they saw just how personable these men are.
Asked what NASCAR could do to help alleviate the problem, Jeff Gordon offered several ideas.
"I think they really need to explain to the drivers where their limitations are and what they consider over the line and within the boundaries and try to encourage everybody to be yourself, let your personality come out. This is what the fans want to see; this is what the audience wants to see. The drivers, their personality has become a big part of this sport. It's not just about what happens on the race track," he said.
In the end, it's an individual's choice as to how much of himself he allows to shine publicly and how much remains private.
Jeff Gordon seems to think that opting for the former will not only make a driver more comfortable in his environment but also make NASCAR more appealing to fans as a whole. Drivers have to decide whether or not the controversy or reaction to that personality is worth risking letting it show. Then, each must determine how he wants to be seen.
"If you're happy, show it," he suggested. "If you're mad, show it. If you're sad, show it. All of us have to make those decisions as to how much we're going to have to deal with on the other side of it if we do that."
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