But then at the same time it's kind of the best thing that could have happened for us this year because we were able to make a bunch of changes, the race car, crew chief, pit crew, a lot of different things, to get ourselves more geared up for this year. Really we tested things at the end of last year, you know, that we only would have had the chance to do January. We were able to do it in November. That definitely I feel like was a real positive that came out of that tough year we had.
Q.
The five-year anniversary of Earnhardt's death. We were talking about nobody has stepped up to fill his role in the shop area. Is it possible for anybody to fill his role?
JEFF GORDON:
I think nobody -- I don't think even Dale really chose to be the leader. It just kind of happened over time. His personality I think kind of led to that, and his success on the racetrack.
You know, I think that really just expecting someone else to be the leader, I don't know if that necessarily happens. I think we all play a role. We all play our own certain role. We do it together as drivers. It is our responsibility to bring up certain issues, try to do our best to keep the sport growing.
But the sport has been growing. It's been doing good. I don't necessarily know if it's the same as it used to be, where there's going to be just one guy.
You know, Dale chose to do that in some ways, and then other people chose -- expected him to do it in others. I don't know who that person is. I know that people have asked me, "Why haven't you done that? Why haven't you done that?" I never really felt like it was my place to do that.
![Jeff Gordon addresses the media in Las Vegas. [Pic Credit Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/192824.jpg)
