GORDON A FAVORITE FOR DARLINGTON VICTORY

    
    DARLINGTON, S.C. - Jeff Gordon does not have a favorite track, but he 
sure has taken a liking to Darlington Raceway.
    Gordon, driver of the No. 24  Chevrolet, did not fare too well 
early in his NASCAR Winston Cup career at the egg-shaped track, notching only 
one top 10 in his first five starts. 
    "We didn't have the finishes we would have liked in our first few races, 
but I've always enjoyed racing here," Gordon said. "We ran well but either 
had mechanical problems or I knocked the fenders off the car.
    "It just took a little time before it all came together."
    Five races to be exact as he won in his sixth start. And his seventh. And 
his eighth. In fact, over a span of eight races from 1995 to 1999, his worst 
finish was third at the track "Too Tough Too Tame."
    "It's still too tough to tame," Gordon said. "You have to respect the 
track every single lap and take what it gives you. If you try and take more 
than it will allow, you can count on a ‘black stripe' on the side of your car 
at the very least."
    Gordon enters this Sunday's event after his first top 10 of the year, a 
second-place finish at Atlanta. The finish moved the four-time NASCAR Winston 
Cup champion up 12 places to eighth in the points standings, 141 points 
behind the leader.
    "We didn't win in Atlanta, but we led laps and battled hard for the win," 
said Gordon. "That was our first good finish of the season – even though 
we've run well at each event – and I think that will give us some momentum 
this weekend.
    "We ran well in this event last year and I thought we had a great shot to 
win, but the car suffered some damage in a wreck which ruined our chances. We 
won the Southern 500 which should give the  team a little extra 
confidence when we arrive this weekend."
    That marked his fifth Southern 500 victory, tying him with Cale  
Yarborough for the most victories in the annual Labor Day weekend event. His 
six wins overall trail only David Pearson (10 wins) and Dale Earnhardt (9 
wins) for all-time victories at the South Carolina track.
    Along with those six wins, he has 11 top-five's, 14 top-10's and has led 
at least one lap in all but three of his 20 career starts. He has led a total 
of 1,299 laps which leads all active drivers. With those statistics, 
Darlington surely must be his favorite track.
    "I like all the tracks," Gordon said. "If you hate a track, you're 
probably defeated before the car is unloaded on Friday.
    "Let's just say it's one of my favorites."