Drivers Gordon a Study in Public Relations

Fan Commentary by Grandstand Bob

NASCAR represents one of the best arenas to observe public relations, and the arena is bookended by two guys named Gordon.

On one end of the spectrum is four-time Winston Cup champ Jeff Gordon, with a milk mustache and legions of female and young fans. On the other end is the brash master driver Robby Gordon who has shown flashes of talent in many racing formats. Most other drivers fit somewhere between the two, with the majority leaning toward Jeff’s end of things, so to speak.

Like it or not, Winston Cup drivers are more conscientious about their image than the athletes of most sports. Because drivers also represent the companies that paint their cars and pay their bills, they have to be careful to project an image that benefits sponsors, and by extension, themselves. As I’ve said before, other sports could benefit from this sort of accountability, but that’s another topic altogether.

This accountability makes me wonder how long Cingular will continue to sponsor Robby Gordon. Many have already sounded off on how big of a boneheaded, chicken crap move Gordon’s yellow-flag pass of his teammate was, so I’ll keep my comments away from the ethics, or lack thereof, of that move.

I know that Robby has fans, because I have received e-mail from you, and yes, Robby is a hell of a driver – too good of a driver to steal wins. To drive the way he does, he needs to establish credibility on the race track and in the minds of fans. Earnhardt, Sr. is a prime example of this. After winning a few championships and inspiring thousands to dress in black number 3 gear, Senior could afford to “rattle” a few cages. That doesn’t mean that he could get away without criticism. Up until the day he died, there were still a few boos in the crowd for the number 3, and most of us worried when he was behind our favorite drivers.

The trouble with Robby Gordon is that he doesn’t have anywhere near the credibility and respect that Dale Earnhardt, Sr. had. By shooting his mouth off and irritating fans and drivers alike with his on-track antics, Robby is digging a hole for himself, likely putting his job at risk. And if he loses his job with Richard Childress, he might as well kiss his Winston Cup career goodbye, because he’ll never land a better job than the one he has.

Jeff Gordon, on the other hand, is the darling of public relations. He’s clean-cut, almost to a fault, and he’s proven himself on the track, earning the respect of both fans and drivers. Maybe we all don’t really like Jeff Gordon, but few of us have a reason not to. Even dogged by constant, nasty rumors, he has prevailed to tremendous success as both a celebrity icon and driver. Without constant attention to public relations and established success on the track, he would have none of this.