Another win in the cards for Jeff Gordon at Darlington?
It didn’t take long for Jeff Gordon to develop a love for Darlington Raceway.
Gordon said he was hooked the first time he arrived at NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway, known for its tight corners and abrasive surface. The track reminded him of Winchester and Salem speedways, tracks he grew up racing USAC cars in Indiana.
“I loved it right away. I loved running up near the fence. I think had I not raced at places like Salem and Winchester in the midgets and the sprint cars, this track would have probably been a little bit more intimidating,” said Gordon, who will be making his final Darlington start today in the Bojangles’ Southern 500.
“It fit my style, our cars were good. I really enjoyed, right from the beginning, racing at this track. I think it was really more of what people were saying about it that stuck out in my mind prior to me coming here than when I actually got a chance to race here.”
Gordon’s love affair quickly produced results on the track. He leads all active drivers with seven victories at Darlington, including a record six Southern 500s.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver won four Southern 500s in a row from 1995-98. Gordon’s 1997 Southern 500 victory earned him the coveted Winston Million bonus, which he said is one of his favorite memories at the track.
Another memory that stood out to Gordon came during his last victory at Darlington in 2007 when his parents and sister were in attendance. His family, however, was long gone when he crossed the finish line because they thought he wouldn’t make it through the race after overheating issues in his No. 24 car.
But Gordon and his team overcame those problems and a decision to stay out late in the race by crew chief Steve Letarte helped in the victory. The radiator on Gordon’s car finally exploded when he pulled into Victory Lane.
“I don’t think my sister has ever been at a race that I’ve won. In all these years, she’s never been there,” Gordon said. “And she was here and they thought the engine was going to blow up. They heard it was overheating, and they left to beat the traffic. You can imagine. My stepdad got in a lot of trouble that day as they were listening to it on the radio driving out of here.”
Gordon was the center of attention Friday like he has been at the final stops at other tracks this season. Darlington Raceway president Chip Wile presented Gordon with a painting commemorating his seven victories at the track.
Gordon said the fanfare and hoopla surrounding his final year hasn’t been a distraction and he has been mostly pleased with how his season has gone to this point. He has yet to win this season, but an eighth Southern 500 victory would clinch a spot in the Chase for the Championship, which begins in two weeks at Chicagoland Speedway.
Gordon is comfortably in 15th spot and the top 16 drivers make it to the Chase, so he might not need a win. But he isn’t taking anything for granted.
“I want to be in the Chase. We are going to fight hard to be in the Chase and I think it would be a great way to end my career,” Gordon said. “But at the same time, and I mentioned this in Bristol, nothing is going to take away from what has happened this year off the track. Things like this every weekend — the recognition from the fans, the media, the track owners and promoters and people that are a part of this sport — have been so amazing to me that nothing is going to take away from that.
“I’m not going to let one year define my entire career. But, certainly at the same time we are motivated by this being my final year and I know my team is as well to end this on a positive note.”
This story was originally published September 5, 2015 at 6:21 PM.