Jeff had often spoken of his uncanny communication with Ray and his hope that they would continue to work together throughout his career. Many Gordon fans were outraged, flooding message boards with words of condemnation for Ray for what they saw as his abandonment of Jeff. Others blamed Hendrick Motorsports for not giving Ray the promotion wanted sooner. Some were merely saddened that two friends would part in a way that, with Jeff s lifetime contract with Hendrick and the dissolution of Gordon-Evernham Motorsports, had an ever increasing air of finality. The reality of the situation is things change.
People grow and strive for new challenges.
Racing is a business, just like any other business. The reality may be that Jeff and Ray's relationship was a business relationship that worked very well for both of them for a certain length of time. They worked exceptionally well together and understood each other, which translated into their extraordinary success on the race track. The fact that they liked each other and were friends, within the context of their working relationship, was an added bonus for each of them. At that certain stage of their careers, Ray needed Jeff and Jeff needed Ray.