Jeff Gordon clarifies 'tech center' remark
CONCORD, N.C. – After last week’s Pepsi 500 Sprint Cup race at Auto Club Speedway, Jeff Gordon spoke of feeling as if he was second class compared to Jimmie Johnson.
When I asked why he thought his cars weren’t as good as Johnson’s, Gordon said, “Ask the tech center. I have no idea.”
That led some people to speculate that he was inferring that the “tech center” – the NASCAR Research and Development facility – knew something sinister about Johnson’s cars after going over them with a fine-tooth comb the last several weeks.
On Thursday, Gordon slightly clarified what he meant. He said that at Hendrick Motorsports, “We see everything on paper; we talk about sharing enough notes and information among all the teams.”
“I've answered that question so many times about that: It's equal. It comes down to the team and the people, and you've got to give respect to [Johnson’s team] and what they've accomplished,” he continued. “I guess there was a little bit of frustration and smart-alec in me that threw that out there.”
But Gordon was then asked whether he thought Johnson or Mark Martin’s cars had something his did not.
“I’ll let you answer that,” he said.
