Post by dalejrfan on Sept 13, 2005 0:55:37 GMT -5
RICHMOND, Va. - Robbie Loomis doesn't know what he'll do next season, but he does know he'll do something other than serve as crew chief for four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon.
"I know that I am getting ready for a change," Loomis said Friday at Richmond International Raceway. "We have been preparing for that for a year, and it could be within Hendrick Motorsports and it might be something completely different."
Gordon touched off speculation about Loomis' future this week when he said on NASCAR's teleconference he didn't know if Loomis would be back in his current job.
"I'm ready for like a change of season, like winter, fall, spring and summer," Loomis said. "That's been brought on more by the emotions I went through last year with my mom."
Loomis' mother, Sally, went through a serious illness last year.
"I probably grew more as a person last year throughout the season with what I experienced with my mom than I have all my life," said Loomis, 41. "I know I changed more as a person. Then with what we had happen last October, that helped make me a better person."
In October, 10 Hendrick family members and friends died when a company plane crashed on its way to Martinsville, Va., for a Cup race.
"I told a buddy of mine, 'I've never been so uncertain about my future so far ahead, and never felt so good about where I'm at in my life,'" Loomis said. "When I went through that deal with my mom, it made me really prioritize. For 20-something years in my life, it's been racing, God and family. I've gotten back to God, family and racing."
Gordon has won three races this year but he's 12th in the standings and 30 points outside the top-10 entering tonight's race. Loomis took over as Gordon's crew chief in the 2000 season and won six poles, six races and a championship in 2001.
"I know that I am getting ready for a change," Loomis said Friday at Richmond International Raceway. "We have been preparing for that for a year, and it could be within Hendrick Motorsports and it might be something completely different."
Gordon touched off speculation about Loomis' future this week when he said on NASCAR's teleconference he didn't know if Loomis would be back in his current job.
"I'm ready for like a change of season, like winter, fall, spring and summer," Loomis said. "That's been brought on more by the emotions I went through last year with my mom."
Loomis' mother, Sally, went through a serious illness last year.
"I probably grew more as a person last year throughout the season with what I experienced with my mom than I have all my life," said Loomis, 41. "I know I changed more as a person. Then with what we had happen last October, that helped make me a better person."
In October, 10 Hendrick family members and friends died when a company plane crashed on its way to Martinsville, Va., for a Cup race.
"I told a buddy of mine, 'I've never been so uncertain about my future so far ahead, and never felt so good about where I'm at in my life,'" Loomis said. "When I went through that deal with my mom, it made me really prioritize. For 20-something years in my life, it's been racing, God and family. I've gotten back to God, family and racing."
Gordon has won three races this year but he's 12th in the standings and 30 points outside the top-10 entering tonight's race. Loomis took over as Gordon's crew chief in the 2000 season and won six poles, six races and a championship in 2001.