That used to be the saying in NASCAR garages, and I guess it still holds true in Gordon and Johnson camps. I think Gordon will miss Steve Letarte more than Johnson will miss Chad Knaus. Johnson has already proven that he can get by without Knaus. I am not that he is not needed, but Johnson survived Knaus’ suspension for the first four races last year. Letarte’s pit calls are directly responsible for a couple of Gordon’s wins, but Gordon has so much momentum right now that he may not miss a beat. Should be interesting to watch.
“If (Earnhardt’s) not winning, it’s going to be my fault,” Hendrick says. “If he’s winning, it’s going to be because of his talent.” [source: Sporting News, June 25, 2007]
Those of you in management will understand that last quote. As far as NASCAR goes, I always liked Gordon (he is around my age), Stewart (great open wheel talent), JPM (at least in NASCAR), and I cannot wait to see Earnhardt, Jr. behind the wheel of a Hendrick car.
Of course Earnhardt, Sr. was the best:
“I wasn’t trying to wreck him, I just wanted to rattle his cage.” [August 30, 1999; Bristol – Earnhardt took out Terry Labonte]
Anyway, the next few races should be interesting to watch to see if Gordon can keep things together, or if he starts to slip.
