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The earlier offer BAR made to him he most likely turned down because of all the uncertainty behind it, spending a year in a different series and then testing for an unproven team, without a race ride even guaranteed, let alone one that would produce top finishes. Looking at it from that point of view, it is easy to see why Gordon turned it down. Why leave a sure thing for that?
After thinking about it again, I would not be surprised at all if Jeff Gordon would make the switch in 2005 if Williams makes an offer, contingent on if he wins the 2004 Nextel Cup championship. Right now, he is third in the championship, tied for the most victories so far and leading outright in top-10 finishes, which are the key in NASCAR's point system. He already has four championships; 2004 would make five, at the age of 33. He would be chasing the elusive seven titles that Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt have both achieved. In stock car racing, great drivers can have great careers well into their forties, so he doesn't have to fear much about losing ground if he takes a sabbatical in Europe. Say he takes the Williams gig, stays two years, and it doesn't quite work out? He will show up at Daytona in 2007 at 35. Earnhardt didn't his stride until age 35, winning six of his NASCAR titles after that age. He doesn't really have much to lose at this point, since he has a lifetime contract at Hendrick he can always fall back on.
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