File this under "good things happen to good people": Jeff Gordon got a fitting salute Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Sprint Cup's race is Gordon's last at the track, and the speedway offered this appropriate gesture of appreciation.
Tribute to 5-time Atlanta winner Jeff Gordon on Lap 24 at @AmsUpdates. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/2I9gNhOUGD
— Jeff Gordon Online (@JGinfo) March 1, 2015Not that the day was without problems. Gordon told his crew via radio he was having tire problems early in Sunday's Flags of Honor QuikTrip 500.
"Right side tires are just gone," Gordon said.
When the mandatory competition caution occurred at Lap 25, the No. 24 crew checked the car's rubber. Whatever Gordon was feeling, he was told the tires weren't that bad.
After that round of pit stops, crews scrape off extra rubber to check tire wear. https://t.co/aPTmi7OpbY
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 1, 2015At least Gordon wasn't have the problems plaguing Austin Dillon. Driving the No. 3 car, Dillon had one tire come apart, bringing a caution, and lost another one when racing resumed, bringing another caution.
Lots of damage to the back of the No. 3 car. https://t.co/zafpmMNg7d
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 1, 2015That wasn't Dillon's only problem.
Austin Dillon will be held one lap for pulling up to pit. That's when you do not maintain your track position before a pit stop.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 1, 2015Such is the joy of racing at Atlanta.
Teams have 13 sets of tires for race. If Goodyear/#NASCAR want, they could give them more. If not, teams must make sure they are OK to end
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 1, 2015Dillon's car needed work in the garage, where a spark triggered a fire that was quickly extinguished. It was that kind of day.
Still, teams didn't have the amount of tire trouble they expected.