Friday, Aug. 2, 2002 | 8:49 a.m.
Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at [email protected] or (702) 259-4089.
INDIANAPOLIS -- A win in Sunday's Brickyard 400 not only would bolster Jeff Gordon's bid for a fifth NASCAR Winston Cup championship, it would allow him to join some exclusive company.
As a three-time winner of the event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Gordon would join such racing legends as A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser Sr. as the only drivers with four victories on the fabled 2.5-mile oval.
Although Foyt, Mears and Unser got their wins in open-wheel cars in the Indianapolis 500, Gordon said winning four at Indy in a stock car would be no less special.
"Quite honestly, that really amazes me" Gordon said of the prospect of joining the open-wheel legends. "I grew up in nearby Pittsboro (Ind.) and idolized Rick Mears as a kid and I'll never forget the day I met him and got an autograph.
"To be mentioned in the same sentence with Unser, Mears and Foyt is unbelievable to me."
Even more important to Gordon is that a win Sunday not only would be his first of the season, it also would be crucial in his championship bid.
Gordon is fourth in Winston Cup points and trails front-running Sterling Marlin by 188 points. It also should be noted that each of the past four winners of the Brickyard 400 has gone on to win the series championship -- including Gordon last year.
"That may be just a coincidence, but I think this summer stretch is crucial to a team's championship hopes," he said. "It's not just Indianapolis; you have to perform well at Michigan, Pocono and Darlington -- that's what makes or breaks your season.
"Just because we're not winning doesn't mean we won't be a threat for the championship, but we would certainly like to do it in winning fashion."
Gordon won the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 and added wins in 1998 -- his third championship season -- and 2001.
Last year, Gordon overcame a poor starting position (27th) and an ill-handling car to put himself in position to win after a two-tire stop late in the race.
"I had to win (last year) because my crew chief (Robbie Loomis) was going to wring my neck if I didn't because I was chewing him out so bad at the beginning of the race," Gordon said.
"We were so far off at the beginning, but I think most of it was just traffic. I think the car was pretty good and then we made some major adjustments."
Though he's a two-time winner of the Daytona 500 Gordon said his first win at Indy remains the most memorable of his 58 Winston Cup victories.
"When I look back, I think winning the inaugural Brickyard 400 is my most cherished victory," Gordon said. "I never thought that I would have the chance to race here and it was only my second victory in Winston Cup. All those things added up really made that victory special to me."
Busch, who will be competing in his second Brickyard 400 Sunday on his 24th birthday, said racing at IMS is special.
"The adrenaline is always pumping when you come to Indy," Busch said. "You just know when you come through the gates that this is Indianapolis and you're here to race."
Busch said the test at Indy is crucial to finding the proper setup for race day.
"This place is so different than any other racetrack," said Busch, who is fifth in Winston Cup points. "That's why NASCAR mandates we come here and test. The speeds you achieve here, the way the track changes with temperature and the balance of handling versus aerodynamics is something that we don't normally battle with as much as we do here at Indianapolis."
Jones, in Indianapolis this week to drive in a USAC Silver Crown race at Indianapolis Raceway Park, will drive the No. 50 Conseco Pontiac in Sunday's Winston Cup race. Mike Wallace will drive Foyt's other entry, the No. 14 Conseco Pontiac.
Jones, a former open-wheel driver in the CART FedEx Championship Series, is a two-time winner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and has been competing in the NASCAR Busch Series since 1999.
Grissom replaced Buckshot Jones in Petty Enterprises' No. 44 Winston Cup Dodge earlier this season and competed in nine races before being replaced last week by Jerry Nadeau.
"We had to make a very tough business decision this week," Spencer said. "Our responsibility as a race team is to generate media exposure for the United States Air Force and provide them with marketing tools to recruit young men and women to protect our country.
Grissom has 11 wins in 233 career Busch Series starts.
Waltrip, who retired from driving following the 1999 season and now serves as an analyst for Fox's Winston Cup telecasts, will pilot the No. 17 Tide Dodge -- which will carry the same paint scheme as his winning car in the 1989 Daytona 500.
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