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Debbi Willis, Daw613@bigfoot.com

Real Champions

Well, the season is ended and we have the Winston Cup Champion for the year. Somehow, it's insignificant. It's hollow like the Champion. There were no struggles, no fierce battles to win, no close calls, Jeff Gordon just breezes around the track and wins (actually, "miraculously" steals last lap leads and wins!). He makes it look so disgustingly easy that he even discredits himself. Only Mark Martin challenged him all year! Rusty got him at Richmond, intentionally or not, he got him, showing Jeff's real driver ability in dirty air! Dale Earnhardt challenged him real good when he nosed up to his back bumper without touching, Jeffy couldn't handle the car well then either. Dale Jarrett ran him down at the end of the season, but couldn't hold on!

I will always beleive the forbidden Jurassic Park car rode around that track all this year, mildly disguised but nonetheless present. No other car has seized the track like that one did in that Winston race last year! It wasn't driver either, no matter what the Gordon fans want to shower Gordon with for driver skill, anyone would have looked good in that car! Early in the season, Gordon blamed a second place finish to a cold he had and how he wasn't fully up to speed!!! Get real, Jeff, you lost!

Gordon may have sewn up the championship already but the real champions are in the places below 1st! Mark Martin suffered the loss of his father and family, all the while suffering from a bad disc in his back ( waiting to do surgery after the season) and yet he showed perseverance, endurance and good sportsmanship !!

There are others too that have been there all year long and ignored because the golden boy with the silver spoon is better for PR and Nascar's new image!

Dale Earnhardt gave us the most emotional season opener in Daytona and showed his class by not saying anything bad about Larry McReynolds as his season dwindled to nothing (his improved 2nd half proves the change was good for him)! You don't have to see the race to know when Dale takes the lead in any race!!

Dale Jarrett has been there all season and even with the gall bladder problem that he refused to let get him down, he's holding on to 3rd place now! Rusty has been so good natured this year, and so competitive! Ernie Irvan drove great this year but realized the most important "things" may not be on the track after his scary accident at Talladega! Bill Elliott , the ever present gentleman, continued on despite losing his father too this year and suffering a horrendous accident at Talladega, which crushed the year early on for him,(his luck never seemed to turn around after that), but he continues to stay in the race!

Terry Labonte, a champion just a few years ago, was his usual Mr. Consistent, even though he appeared to be treated like a red headed stepchild in his own camp! Darrell Waltrip amused us all the while he was racing hard again in Dales car for Steve Park! Just when everyone thinks old DW is done, he's back stronger than ever and enjoying every moment! And there's the Burtons and Bodines, Andretti, Spencer, Mayfield and too many more drivers to list, who keep the sport alive with their desire to be the best on the track!!

However, the REAL CHAMPS are the fans of all the drivers, especially the fans of all the other drivers who have put up with walking in the shadows of the wall street limelight Gordon projects and who know they don't have to like Gordon if they don't. The real champs are fans who know how to stand by their driver in good and bad years, and good and bad times or behaviors. The real champs are the fans who know racing isn't a matter of popularity but skill and integrity and that indomitable spirit to compete! Even Nascar's commercial points out that the fans are what makes this sport great! I couldn't agree more!!

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