NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon finished 5th in Las Vegas, Nevada at the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 on Sunday for his best finish of the season so far. Monday, he was headed back to Charlotte, North Carolina, and to stop in Fort Worth for a few hours, to visit and tour the Lockeed Martin Aeronautics plant.
“It’s such an honor to have you here,” said an employee of Lockeed Martin as he walked into a hangar, housing an F-16.
His tour guide was Bill Gigliotti, an F-35 test pilot. It appears, that both Gigliotti and Gordon have a need for speed.
“We have a job that is very similar in that way, but we don't really feel the speed that Jeff does everyday going on the race track,” says Gigliotti. “You know we go a lot faster. Certainly being on a race track at 180 miles per hour, probably feels very different then when I'm up there at 400 miles per hour.”
Gigliotti ushered Gordon into a cockpit of an F-16. “So the question of the day,” says Gordon, “Is how true to life was top gun, ha ha ha. I get asked that question all the time. ‘Days of thunder,’ that really happens right?” says Gordon. “Well there you go,” Gigliotti says laughing out loud.
“I certainly believe you have to get in a certain mindset to get out in a race car and compete like we do. It takes a whole lot more than that to get out there in a fighter jet an F-16, and do battle.” Gordon says.
Gordon wil be back in Fort Worth for the Samsung Radio Shack 500 on April 9th. He finished 5th on Sunday, and is currently 9th in the standings. His best finish in Texas is 2nd. He missed the Nextel Chase for the Cup in 2005, finishing 11th overall, narrowly missing the top ten.
“Making the Chase, yes it’s important because if you make the Chase, you've got a chance at the championship, but I don't want to just make the Chase.” he said. “Last year, I think in some ways we could have made the chase, but we would have been a non factor. I want to make the chase and be a factor for the championship.”
Gordon also had a chance to test an F-35 simulator, a plane that won’t begin full tests until August 2006. He didn’t get to fly on this day, claiming his experience with the Navy Blue Angels a few years ago, was enough.
“It’s only because the aircraft is far more capable than my body is capable of, and unless you’re trained for it, its tough. It’s an impressive experience, but not necessarily a fun experience.”
After a round of interviews with Televison and Radio crews, Gordon left, headed home before traveling to Atlanta, Georgia this weekend, for Sunday’s race, the Golden Corral 500.
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