Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Gordon’s return to Brickyard culmination of whirlwind trip
NASCAR icon rushes back from France to replace Earnhardt
INDIANAPOLIS — Jeff Gordon always expected to be at this weekend’s Brickyard 400.
The tricky part was figuring out his role.
One week after Gordon asked his publicist to delay a long-planned announcement that he would drive the pace car before a race he won five times, the four-time Cup champion returned to the 2.5-mile oval as Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s replacement and the top attraction in Sunday’s race.
“When (team owner) Rick (Hendrick) said to me, ‘Are you coming to Indianapolis?’ I said ‘Yes I am. I am coming on Saturday,’” Gordon said. “He said, ‘Well, you better bring your uniform.’”
The improbable comeback takes place just a short drive away from his childhood home of Pittsboro, Indiana, and eight months after his official retirement.
He’s back for only one reason: Earnhardt continues to battle concussion-like symptoms and has not yet been cleared by doctors to climb back into the car.
When Earnhardt took himself out of the No. 88 last weekend, Hendrick contacted his longtime star who was vacationing in France. Gordon agreed to pinch hit when he returned. Gordon then texted publicist Jon Edwards, who contacted the speedway 15 minutes before the scheduled announcement.
For the Rainbow Warrior, this week’s pace has been every bit as frantic.
He flew to New York on Tuesday, then hopped on Hendrick’s plane, bound for North Carolina as Earnhardt was seeing doctors in Pittsburgh.
After landing in Charlotte, Gordon was whisked to team headquarters for a seat fitting. On Wednesday, the day it was announced Earnhardt would miss two more races, Gordon had a physical, applied for driver’s credentials and met with crew chief Greg Ives. Gordon spent the rest of the week watching Go-Pro videos, researching data and working in the simulator before practicing Friday. Qualifying will be held Saturday.
When he arrived at the track Friday, throngs of fans lined up to catch one more glimpse of Gordon.
“This is certainly the last thing I thought was going to happen, but I knew it was Indianapolis,” Gordon said. “I didn’t think about it. I felt like if there was one place that I was capable of doing it, it would be here.”
Gordon qualified 21st in the 40-car field, behind pole-sitter Kyle Busch of Las Vegas who won with a speed of 184.634 mph. Carl Edwards was second at 184.547 and Stewart, an Indiana favorite, will start third in the final race on his home track.
How much can be expected from Gordon, a 44-year-old driver who will make his season debut at one of the series’ fastest tracks and on one of the season’s hottest weekends? The heat index is expected to hit triple digits.
“All I can tell you is that I have done everything I possibly can over the last three days to get ready for this race the best way that I can,” he said.
Gordon is the only five-time Brickyard winner and can become the first driver to ever win six times at Indy.
Du Toit, coming off his junior season at Arizona State, made a 40-foot eagle putt on 18 for a 70. On Friday, he rebounded from a triple bogey and bogey with three straight birdies.
Pat Fletcher, born in England, was the last Canadian winner in 1954 at Point Grey in Vancouver, British Columbia. Carl Keffer is the only Canadian-born champion, winning in 1909 and 1914.
U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, tied for the lead with Luke List after each of the first two rounds, was a stroke back after a 71. He birdied the final hole.
Steve Wheatcroft and Alex Cejka were 7 under. Wheatcroft had a 64, and Cejka shot 69.
Jon Rahm, du Toit’s former Arizona State teammate, was in the group at 6 under in his fourth start since turning professional. The Spaniard eagled 16 and birdied 18 in a 72.
LPGA — At Gurnee, Ill., Charley Hull and surprising England grabbed the lead in the UL International Crown, and the United States advanced with a sweep against Japan.
Hull, who missed Friday’s four-ball session with a fever and trouble with her asthma, teamed with Melissa Reid for a 3-and-1 victory over their opponents from Thailand. Holly Clyburn and Jodi Ewart Shadoff routed their matchup 7 and 5, helping seventh-seeded England to a Pool B-best nine points.
The U.S., which began the day with just three points, qualified for Sunday’s singles matches with its best day so far. Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr posted their second straight win with a 4-and-2 victory, and Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller surged to a 3-and-1 victory.
CHAMPIONS — At Carnoustie, Scotland, Miguel Angel Jimenez opened a four-stroke lead in the Senior British Open, shooting a 7-under 65 in mild conditions to fall one short of matching the Carnoustie Golf Links record.
The Spaniard had a bogey-free round in wind at 6-12 mph on the cloudy afternoon. He had an 11-under 205 total after opening 70-70, putting him in position for his first major title.