Gordon boycotts victory lane

[kevnz]

Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon refused to take the traditional trip to Victory Lane in defiance of NASCAR president Mike Helton, instead stopping at the finish line and celebrating with teammates.

Earlier Sunday, Helton delivered a blunt message to drivers about cooperating with corporate sponsors in Victory Lane.

The traditional celebration is a choreographed event for television that allows NASCAR to plug its official sponsors in front of a large audience. Often times, NASCAR's sponsors conflict with those of the individual drivers, which has prompted several winners to try to block those product placements from view.

While Gordon said his act was not intentional, he later hinted otherwise.

"Everybody has their sponsorships to take care of," Gordon said. "I think there needs to be a meeting of the minds to work this out. We all need to understand what it's worth to one another."

NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said officials would meet with team owner Rick Hendrick after the race. They also planned to meet with Gordon before deciding whether to issue a penalty.

"We are exploring it," Hunter said. "I don't think it was preconceived. Hopefully, it was one of those impromptu things, where this is Indy and he won it.

"When he was finished (celebrating on the track), he went to Victory Lane. So the question is, was that ignoring our protocol?"

It wouldn't be the first time a driver was penalized for such an act.

Jimmie Johnson was fined $10,000 this week for using a sign to hide the name of a sports drink made by a NASCAR sponsor because he has his own deal with a rival company.

When Johnson climbed from his car after winning at Pocono last week, he placed a sign in front of the PowerAde bottle that NASCAR officials put atop his car.

PowerAde, an official sponsor of NASCAR, is made by Coca-Cola. Johnson has a sponsorship deal with Pepsi.

Now that just seams plane silly. What the hell is Gordon gonna do if he wins the Coca Cola 600 next year? Not take the trophy? Come on...I think NASCAR is being a bit silly, but I think the Drivers are being even sillier by knocking the bottles over. It's not like a driver doesn't get handed the drink that sponsers him and swigs it down for the TV cameras....Does it really matter that coke has a product on his car? I mean he's with the other guys, coke isn't gonna use him to advertise....Far from it. To skip victory lane was a classless act on Gordons part.

[xjjeep90]

NASCAR is having some real problems lately. They really need to set rules out for an entire year and be very clear with them instead of changing them half-way through the season. With the money involved, all drivers, sponsors, team owners, and NASCAR are heading for more of these problems in the future.

[BengalszoneBilly]

I don't think he so much boycotted victory lane as much as he waited until the televised portion of the race was over...THEN he drove over there.

Now I'm sure later this week Nascar will issue a statement saying you've got "X" amount of time to get you and your car/team to victory lane after a win, you watch!

I do love watching this little power struggle going on between Nascar and it's drivers and sponsors!

[IfItsBrownFlushItDown]

According to what I heard on the radio on the way home, Gordon had said he would boycott if he won this weekend. The guy on the radio said that the reasoning was to "get back" at NASCAR for slapping the fine on his teammate Jimmie Johnson last week.

NASCAR is definately having a power struggle. The only thing these guys are still controlling is the fact that liquor sponsors are still not allowed in the sport. IMO before too long, Jr. will get out of his car, have a Bud, and wash it down with a couple of shots of Jack Daniels.

[Kirkendall]

Now that just seams plane silly. What the hell is Gordon gonna do if he wins the Coca Cola 600 next year? Not take the trophy? Come on...I think NASCAR is being a bit silly, but I think the Drivers are being even sillier by knocking the bottles over. It's not like a driver doesn't get handed the drink that sponsers him and swigs it down for the TV cameras....Does it really matter that coke has a product on his car? I mean he's with the other guys, coke isn't gonna use him to advertise....Far from it. To skip victory lane was a classless act on Gordons part.

I heard that Jimmie Johnson was told to make sure his sponser was on his car and not his sponsers' competitors -- I heard he was told that from his sponser. If the drivers are being told to do something from their primary sponser and something else from the sports' sponser, I guess there's going to be a collision somewhere.

NASCAR is having some real problems lately. They really need to set rules out for an entire year and be very clear with them instead of changing them half-way through the season. With the money involved, all drivers, sponsors, team owners, and NASCAR are heading for more of these problems in the future.

I don't think it's that bad. There's definitely problems out there and they've done a poor job dealing with, but NASCAR is still growing as sport. As long as the Drivers don't go union, their problems will continue to be minor compared to the big sports picture. Note to drivers: "Don't ruin it!"

I do love watching this little power struggle going on between Nascar and it's drivers and sponsors! 

Yea.. I thought Jimmy Johnson's stunt last week was simply brilliant.

NASCAR is definately having a power struggle.

NASCAR needs to take a more aggressive, "don't f with us" approach. They seem uncertain with controversy looking like a deer in the headlights.

[kevnz]

The solution is really very simple. NASCAR needs to stop signing up sponsers. They are taking money away from teams that could be using it to improve the product on the track. What the heck does having McDonalds as the official greasey spoon do for NASCAR except take away a sponser for a team(Don't believe me, when was the last time Maccas was on a car? Maybe right before they became an official sponser maybe?) Hell, the TV contract pays NASCAR enough that they don't even need to have a sponser for a race anymore. Fine, have some official sponsers, every sport does, but don't whore them on TV every chance you get....Don't eleminate sponsers cause someone else is an official something (howmany teams lost out on a sponser cause Nextel is the title sponser?) That's BS. It's especially bad now with the TV deal cause the networks don't like giving the paying sponsers time unless they pay more money. I mean I remember when Lowes Motor Speedway was renamed and the TV broadcast didn't want to call it that....What the hell??? TV networks call stadiums by the sponsered name....why should NASCAR be any different?

But until then everybody needs to smile for the Camera and drivers just need to be less obvious about dodging the other guys. Don't jump on the hood. Go around to the back of the car(where the drink sponsers logo is normally at and do the interview there. Hell then you could prop up a sign back there cause you wouldn't be covering up anything....Hell, anything's better than the hat shuffle.......

[Sox]

Nascar needs a reality check.It's about the drivers,who can't compete without their sponsers.

I could care less who nascar sponsers.The drivers and teams however,need sponser support,or they couldn't race each weekend..

[WHO DEY AGAIN?]

To skip victory lane was a classless act on Gordons part.

I agree 100%! It reminds me of the stroll Jarrett made to victory lane at the DHL 400. Do you think he had some pressure to be seen on camera? I can see if he lost at the wire but he came in 3rd.

It's ok to be loyal to your sponser but don't make an ass of yourself doing it.