NASCAR Indianapolis 2014 recap: It’s ‘Jeff Gordon Day’ at the Brickyard

INDIANAPOLIS -- Of course Jeff Gordon would win on the day named in his honor by the local mayor. Of course it would occur on the 20-year anniversary of him winning the very first Brickyard 400. And of course all this had to come at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in front of the fans who watched him ascend from young prodigy to superstar to NASCAR great.

Because that’s just how it goes for Gordon at the fabled track located at 16th and Georgetown. Ever since he first raced and won there in 1994, Indianapolis has been the place where he adds to his legacy.

Yet another chapter was written Sunday when Gordon drove away for his fifth Brickyard 400 triumph. And that he did so by overcoming one of his weaknesses only added to the enchantment.

Recently restarts have hampered Gordon, who frequently concedes track position to his rivals when the field is bunched together. While others see opportunity, it all too often has come at Gordon’s expense.

Not Sunday, however, when it was most critical with just 17 laps showing left on the scoreboard.

Positioned in second and to the outside of teammate and race leader Kasey Kahne, Gordon knew the race would be won or lost here. A bad restart and Kahne -- or whoever else got in front -- would likely put enough distance between themselves and Gordon with not enough time to recover.

Gordon never gave Kahne an opening. Staying level with his Hendrick Motorsports brethren, Gordon out-muscled Kahne through the corner with a bold outside pass for the lead and ultimately the checkered flag. He now has won more races at Indianapolis than any other NASCAR driver. (Retired Formula One driver Michael Schumacher also owns five Indianapolis wins.)

“I’m terrible on restarts,” Gordon said. “Restarts didn’t go great for us all day today. I didn’t think I wanted to see a restart. Out of nowhere, I have the restart of my life at the most important moment that you could ask for in a race like this. That was awesome, just awesome.”

Said Kahne: “Jeff just beat me. We got into Turn 1 he held me down and he was able to momentum off of Turn 1 which he did a better job.”

The similarities between Sunday and his victory 20 years ago are many, but it is what’s different that stood out.

In 1994 Gordon was a 23-year-old on a rocket ship to motor sports immortality. Now he’s on the backside of his career, regularly asked about retirement. The wins are also fewer with his last championship 13 seasons ago.

“You never know when your next win’s going to come,” Gordon said. “We’ve been close a couple of times to getting number five. But every time I come here to Indianapolis I feel like we have a shot at winning. It’s just a special place and I love racing here.”

The specialness of Gordon winning extends beyond just the graybeard that emerged victorious from the No. 24 Chevrolet.

For the past few years interest in the Brickyard 400 has considerably waned. Ticket sales have plummeted such that you can’t turn your head at Indianapolis without seeing vast sections of vacant bleachers. The reasons are numerous, the blame shouldered by many.

What people needed was a reminder of why Indianapolis mattered and why the track deserves a place on the Sprint Cup schedule despite its challenges in staging a quality stock car race. That was provided by Gordon on Sunday.

In large part because of his Indiana roots, Gordon’s win resonated with the masses. Fans chanted his name -- “Jeff! Jeff! Jeff!” -- as he walked into the media center. There was a sense of excitement that was noticeably absent beforehand.

“A Brickyard 400 win, it just doesn’t get any better,” Gordon said. “To just see everybody standing and cheering, that’s awesome. That sends a chill up your spine as a race car driver in a race that is so important to you to have so many fans out there supporting you at the same time.”

Maybe it’s fleeting. Or perhaps it’s an indelible moment that will signify the resurgence of a race that used to be transcendent. If so, that would make for another addition to the storybook that is Gordon’s career at Indianapolis.