Gordon, however, hasn't replaced his lucrative endorsement deal with manufacturing giant Georgia Pacific, an indication that times are tough all over, even for the NASCAR millionaires who actor Kevin Costner said at the banquet should send a vote of thanks to Richard Petty, the seven-time champion who pioneered NASCAR's popularity.
“Georgia Pacific was a personal endorsement of mine, and they were on the car as well, but they were a big endorser, and they're not coming back,” Gordon said. “I'm one of those millionaires that Kevin Costner talked about, so I'll thank Richard Petty. But … it doesn't matter if you're making millions or making thousands - it's all perspective.
“When it's been escalating going up, and then you get to a year when it's going to take a dip, it gets your attention -- and it's going to get all of our attention.”
Sponsors, clearly, are critical to the successful operation of a top-echelon Cup team. Gordon acknowledged Friday that his annual salary is roughly a third of the #24 team's annual budget. It takes somewhere near $30 million to operate a championship-caliber team for a year. Do the math.
Gordon is willing to sacrifice salary in lieu of sacrificing performance, if it comes to that.
“The way I look at is that I always say to (team owner) Rick Hendrick, 'I'll do whatever it takes for us to have the best team we can possibly have,' Gordon said. “If that means take part of my salary to keep certain people on or to hire certain people, I'll do it.”
Gordon doesn't apologise for the lifestyle he has earned, but he does admit to pangs of guilt dating to his first purchase of an expensive motor home, an accessory that's almost a requirement in the Cup garage.
“It's stupid what we spend on motor homes and planes and all this,” he said. “Do we need that? No. But things have been good for us. The sport's been good. I'm living this way because things have been very good. Now, obviously, we're having to cut back, and I have to cut back, too. …
“If me and Rick Hendrick sit down and we talk about the position that we're in - obviously I'm not the only one - but I would be open to it. Listen, I never (got into) this to make millions of dollars. I never dreamed in a million years I was going to make this kind of money. This is ridiculous.
“But, at the same time, I've put myself in a financial position because I know my contract, that I have to make sure I take care of those things and I don't just find myself in debt and going to court trying to cover my debt. Would it happen immediately? Maybe not. But could it happen over time? Absolutely.”
Kevin Harvick, who owns teams in NASCAR's Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series, says he went to his Cup owner, Richard Childress, to express his willingness to sacrifice.
