Of the several legendary rivalries over the history of NASCAR, perhaps the most popular of those was the one between Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon. However, in an episode of Undeniable with Joe Buck, Gordon revealed how the rivalry between him and the Intimidator was perhaps a little over-hyped by the fans.
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It all started back in the race at Atlanta. In that race, Gordon won against Bobby Labonte and Dale Earnhardt. And that victory made Gordon think that he could win the championship. But in order to do that, he would have to go through Earnhardt.
Gordon said, “Immediately he started playing the games that he plays, not just on the track but within the media, and built this rivalry among our fans. His fans were like, okay, he doesn’t like Gordon. Gordon’s his rival, that’s our rival. And then my fan base is growing…so it was an interesting dynamic because I didn’t understand it at first.”
For NASCAR fans of the 1980s, they had already found their undisputed king, Dale Earnhardt. Initially, they were appreciative of Gordon’s achievements on the racetrack, but as soon as he started posing a rivalry against Earnhardt, they took sides.
“I’d go to driver introductions, which is a big deal in NASCAR, and you go across the stage and they announce your name and people are booing,” said the HMS Vice Chairman.
“That told me right then how many fans Dale Earnhardt had. He just blanketed the grandstands with his gear and his hat and his fans.”
Jeff Gordon makes a case for Dale Earnhardt as a marketing genius
Ever wondered why Dale Earnhardt is such a big name in the sport of NASCAR? There have been drivers with a greater number of wins than Earnhardt, but none seem to be under the limelight as dominantly as Dale Earnhardt does.
So what is the secret?
Dale Earnhardt knew exactly how to promote the sport to the world. Not only did he win races to make his name big in the game, but he also strived every day to make the sport bigger and extend its reach further, something Gordon admitted and described.
“What he brought was not just the ability to drive a race car. He had a marketing mind that he was constantly figuring out, how can we push the envelope, make the sport bigger, grow the sport,” he said, adding that for Earnhardt, it wasn’t just about him, it was about the whole of NASCAR, something he really excelled at.
