When he pulled the shades up in his motorhome, he saw his mother walk by. Although a championship would have been the pinnacle, the zenith, the ultimate way to cap a career, how the day actually transpired was still befitting Gordon’s stature as a certain first-ballot NASCAR Hall of Famer and one of the all-time greats across the spectrum of motorsports.
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It would be hard to top his performance Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Truex, who never found himself outside the Chase cutline before advancing to the Championship 4, said the team worked throughout the night after practice on Saturday and also throughout the entire race to find the right setup.
Busch started the season in a hospital bed in Daytona Beach and ended it with a trip to the championship stage in Homestead.
“I’ll say it again”, said Busch, 30. After a green-flag cycle of pit stops around lap 215, Keselowski cycled back to the front and led until Busch got by for the top spot on a restart with seven laps remaining.
“Congratulations to Kyle Busch”, said Gordon.
“We came here to win and I am disappointed that we didn’t give it a better effort”, said Truex. “Tears were pouring down my face”. In the moments before he climbed into his auto, they each exchanged small talk with Gordon on the grid. Logano was dominating at Martinsville earlier this month when Matt Kenseth intentionally wrecked him late in the race. He responded that night by running into the crowd to high-five those who remained in the dark an hour after he won.
The race, as with many in this year’s Chase, was marred by rain delays, but despite fears presented by many members of the media over the past week, it was not shortened from its scheduled 267-lap race distance. Gordon invited the fan to watch Gordon’s press conference. The victory in the 2015 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 was the last in Gordon’s career, which began at the end of the 1992 season.
Gordon qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup on points after not earning a win in the 26-race regular season, but advanced through two rounds to force he and Hendrick to dare believe this sort of ending was possible.
“Today is pure joy that he’s actually going out like this, ” Gordon’s wife, Ingrid Vandebosch said. “He’s a champion, no matter what”.
Having developed a friendship after meeting a few years back at the Super Bowl, Gordon and Hamilton regularly communicate with the popular subject on when Hamilton was going to come to a NASCAR race.
There was a strong sentimental push for Gordon to go out on top in his final race. They hugged three times.
“He said I love you and I said I love you, ” Hendrick said. “Until right now it wasn’t over”. Furthermore, he hadn’t won a race run in August or later since his rookie season in 2005.
Drivers tweeted their appreciation. For those who have been close to Gordon as he rose from California-via-Indiana sprint vehicle dervish to template for modern drivers – NASCAR, IndyCar, the lot – this dash for a final title may have been no surprise.
Danica Patrick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson wore Gordon hats. The sport responded with a standing ovation in the drivers’ meeting and again during driver introductions.
“I knew it was time to go”, Busch said.
Truex gambled to pit early on Lap 168 and momentarily held the lead. His fast restart helped him take the lead from Brad Keselowski.
Born in California, Gordon and his family moved to in when it became apparent he was a special talent. Ella is 8, and Leo is 5.
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Holding her son in Victory Lane while the celebration raged on behind her, Samantha Busch paid tribute to her husband, and she also acknowledged the role little Brexton played in both of their lives.
