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Jeff Gordon – My Brush With Greatness

By Michael Eliadis

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As part of the marketing campaign for the Chase I noticed on Tuesday that Jeff Gordon was going to be in Toronto Ontario Canada.  I had to rub my eyes in disbelief.  Could it be? Could the Jeff Gordon be crossing the border into the Great White North? He was to appear in Toronto’s Times Square so to speak at 12:00 noon yesterday. This happens to be right around the corner from my office. What an opportunity to finally meet the living legend I said to myself.  This is an opportunity of a lifetime.  I have been to many tracks and never got within a hundred yards of him or any driver for that fact so for this opportunity to present itself I was not missing it for the world.

I began watching NASCAR in the early 1980’s and Cale Yarborough was my driver.  God I loved that #11 Holly Farms car as well as the #28 Hardee’s car as well.  He was successful, old school and tough as nails.  Exactly what I loved.

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Having run a well known sports bar here in Toronto in the early 90’s business was good.  The Blue Jays were winning World Series and drawing 4,000,000 to the stadium.  That said Sunday afternoons surprisingly were not a big draw in the summer for the Blue Jays games due to cottages, the allure of a new ball park and the nice weather after usually cold winters .  Thus, I would always have it tuned to the race to offer up some viewing options for the patrons at hand, but in all honesty mostly for my ocular pleasure.  Thus in 1992 when Richard Petty stepped to the plate for the Hooters 500 it had my attention.  The usual hoopla surrounded the event, but the announcers mentioned the young “Jeff Gordon” making his first start.  For whatever reason I was glued and a new favourite driver had been established in my psyche.  Cale had retired a couple years back and no one else was appealing to me, so the attraction of a “new kid on the block” was intriguing and as Gordon being from an untraditional NASCAR market, I viewed him as a bit of an outcast.

I left my office at 10:45 and proceeded to Dundas Square with my iPad, die cast, sharpie all in my brief case. I got there at 10:50 and there wasn’t any sign of anything NASCAR there. Could it be that I would be the only one to meet Jeff?  One has to realize that NASCAR north of the border is like hockey in the deep south.  A loyal but small fan base.  Sure the internet helped us follow our drivers, but the opportunity for meet and greets is non-existent.

Staff Writer Michael Eliadis with Jeff Gordon during the Chase Across America Media Tour

A CASCAR (Canadian NASCAR) vehicle showed up and they offloaded it.  It was the #22 Scott Steckly Canadian Tire Dodge Challenger.  The car is very different than the Sprint Cup cars to the trained eye.  That drew more attention.  As noon approached a line formed in front of the table and chairs Jeff was to sit and sign in.  At this point there were about 250 people there.   I had prepared a list of three questions I wanted to ask: Expansion to Canada; his investment in a track on this side of the border near Niagara Falls; and finally what about this season was different for him compared to the last few that were a bit disappointing.

I was 10th or so in line as 12:00 noon passed.  12:30 and 1:00 also went past with nary a site of Jeff.  We were reassured Jeff was having something to eat after visiting the hockey hall of fame and the CN Tower. Jeff arrived at 1:05 in a black Cadillac Escalade and did some Chase trivia where people won gift cards. His handlers must not have prepped him properly about the store “Canadian Tire”.  Picture a Lowes or a Home Depot and throw in an automotive centre and sporting goods store as well.  To all the trivia winners he exalted at the fact that the 250 dollar gift cards could buy them either two car tires or four bicycle tires.  The crowd giggled under their breath as we all knew he didn’t know of what he spoke.

The line patiently waited for him as is typically Canadian. I got the sense as they were running late he may not sit, speak and sign so I went up to him after he did his trivia. I put my arm on his back and said to him “Jeff, I have waited 20 years for this moment” his response was “sorry you had to wait this long” with a smile.  He asked if I would like my die cast autographed as I had forgotten it was in my hand. I did not say anything as I was in disbelief as he was asking me if I wanted an autograph.  He signed it and I wished him good luck and shook his hand to which his response was “Canadian fans are so nice and thank you for your well wishes”. It was all over. He was whisked away to some television interviews, meeting with dignitaries and my questions went unasked.  This 20 years of waiting for 20 seconds of meeting him happened in a flash. I never thought I would say this but…I have become a bigger Jeff Gordon fan than I was before the encounter.

My biggest reflection as how much class and professionalism was embodied in that tiny frame of a man.  Some may dislike him for what he has done for NASCAR and that being bringing it to main stream America and expanding its fan base internationally.  He has made lots of money for him, his family, and for NASCAR not to mention exposure.  The organization could not ask for a better ambassador for the sport.

From Gordon’s social media posts it looks as if he had as much fun here in Toronto as we did hosting him.  There are multiple photos of him with the Stanley Cup, him doing interactive games at the Hockey Hall of Fame, peering down the glass floors of the CN Tower.  Thanks Jeff and NASCAR for sending your marquee driver up to us here in the land of hockey, lakes and never ending kindness.

Michael Eliadis is a contributor at beyondtheflag.com on the FanSided network. Follow us on Twitter at:@Beyond_The_Flag and make sure to “Like” us on Facebook.

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