Jeff Gordon unveiled his new paint scheme for the No. 24 AARP Drive To End Hunger car during a media tour in Manhattan on Monday.
The primarily crimson and black paint scheme is a big change from the flaming Dupont paint scheme, but we shall see it’s return for 13 races next season.
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[/media-credit]Gordon appeared on the CNN American Morning show and CNBC’s Squawk Box. The four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion explained the AARP Foundation’s initiative to end senior hunger in the U.S. where millions of seniors are forced to choose between food and medications.
Gordon’s new sponsorship will appear on the car at the Daytona races during Speedweeks in February. The Dupont paint scheme will appear at the Kobalt Tools 400 March 6 in Las Vegas followed by the Pepsi sponsorship at Bristol then back to D2EH logo. Sponsorships will rotate throughout the upcoming season.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver has shown so much maturity in the 16 years he has been at that organization. Gordon has married and divorced, remarried the lovely Ingrid Vandebosch and is now the proud father of Ella and Leo. Along the way life’s lessons have given him reason to focus on what is really important in life.
Gordon was quoted as saying in an SI interview. “I’ve been very successful. I’ve made a lot of money, won a lot of trophies, but there is a lot more to life than just that. These days I’m not winning like I was in the mid-to late-90’s. I think back to those days when all you thought about was racing and winning and going to victory lane and popping the champagne and hold up the trophy and smile for the cameras. That’s not really who you are and there is so much more you have to have to back that up to make you happy. If you are waiting for that next win you are going to be a pretty unhappy person because life has its own way of balancing life out.”
Some may think driving the No. 24 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports has lost some of it’s importance to Gordon. Comments get bantered about regarding how much drive he still has to win.
Let there be no doubt, Gordon is a racer and fully intends to do his job to the best of his ability in the upcoming season. He will be out from the shadow of his teammate and five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, Jimmie Johnson.
The time for a change may have been overdue. In 2011, Alan Gustafson will assume duties as crew chief for the No. 24 team. Gordon will now share the building with Mark Martin and his crew chief, Lance McGrew. Dale Earnhardt Jr. assumes Gordon’s former team and crew chief, Steve Letarte.
The change at Hendrick Motorsports may be just what Gordon needs to find his way back to victory lane, a place he has failed to see since April, 2009 at the Samsung 500 in Texas.
Gordon has shown the competitive fire still burns in some on-track controversy this year with teammate Johnson, bumping escapades during a road-course race and of course the shoving contest between he and Jeff Burton.
Those who have waited for Gordon to return to championship form just may see it during the 2011 NASCAR season. The HMS driver with 82 career wins will very likely add to that total in the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
