Jeff Gordon is unquestionably the leader among the stable of superstar drivers at Hendrick Motorsports. While all the drivers are successful in their own right, Gordon is the eldest and most experienced member of the team and Rick Hendrick depends on him for his leadership in times of need. A role Gordon handles with pride and the utmost professionalism. So much so that he often puts his own needs after the needs of the team as a whole. That’s why Jeff Gordon has announced his decision to regrow his trademark mustache from his youth in an attempt to right the ship.

Say what you will but that mustache and we had a lot of success together. We had our first kiss together, we drank our first beer together, Gordon said. When I first started out in NASCAR the stache made me look older around the veterans. It helped me fit in a bit more but it did something else too. It got me respect. Winless this season, Gordon believes the mustache is just the thing to bring the respect back to Hendrick Motorsports.

Gordon explains his decision as being nothing more than simple math, mustache + respect = victory. He describes the initial split with his mustache nearly a decade ago amicable and mutual and doesn’t anticipate any problems with the renewed partnership. We are going to be bigger and better than ever. Handlebar style? Fu Manchu? We’ll just have to see. Right now we’re just really excited about working together again, Gordon said. What I can tell you is, next time you see this upper lip, there’s gonna be some magic on there baby! That I can guarantee!?

While Gordon understands the benefits associated with the mustache, he also understands the consequences including sleeping on the couch and not being able to kiss his wife and newborn daughter. Ingrid isn’t too happy about the idea and won’t let me near the baby but she’ll change her tune once she sees me struttin’ my mustacheoed stuff back in victory lane, Gordon said with a smile. Show some class, grow a stache.