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FORGOTTEN Moments in Jeff Gordon’s NASCAR Career

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Jeff Gordon is one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time. With 93 victories and 4 Championships, there are plenty of iconic moments throughout his legendary Cup Series career. Today, we focus on the moments that have been forgotten by many during Gordon’s career.

  • Jeff Gordon raced in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time from 1993-2015 with part-time starts in 1992 and 2016. He won Championships in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001. He currently works as the Vice Chairman of Hendrick Motorsports.
  • Gordon revolutionized the sport in many ways. His success at a young age proved that young drivers could compete and win in the Cup Series, and he opened the door for drivers from different disciplines to race in NASCAR.
  • Jeff Gordon is beloved by many fans, but his many great moments meant that some slipped through the cracks. All of these moments are ones that the fans may have forgotten.

5. 1998 Napa 500: Jeff Gordon Ties a Modern Era Record (Watch on NASCAR Classics Here)

Jeff Gordon was unstoppable in 1998. It was his third straight 10+ win season, including 5 wins in 6 races from Pocono in July through the Southern 500 on Labor Day. He headed into the season finale at Atlanta with the Championship locked up and a chance to set the modern-era NASCAR record for wins.

A rain-soaked season final at Atlanta was shortened to 221 laps, and Jeff Gordon had to battle with Dale Jarrett for the win. Gordon took the lead with 7 laps to go and won. It was his 13th win of the season, which tied with Richard Petty for the most wins in a season during the modern era.

4. 2007 UAW Ford 500 at Talladega: Jeff Gordon’s Most CLUTCH Win (Watch on NASCAR Classics Here)

Jeff Gordon typically won races in dominating fashion, but, this win at Talladega was anything but. Gordon started in 34th that day, and he waited patiently in the back until the time was right. With a few laps to go, he was running second to teammate Jimmie Johnson.

On the last lap, Gordon made his move to the outside into turn three. He held on to lead the final half a lap and win the race. It was the only time in Gordon’s career that he only led one lap.

3. 2004 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega: Jeff Gordon Gets Beer-Bombed (Watch on NASCAR Classics Here)

Jeff Gordon was not popular amongst Earnhardt fans throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, and that was shown at Talladega in 2004. With 5 laps to go, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were battling for the lead at Talladega when a wreck happened behind them. NASCAR had just stopped letting the field race back to the line the year prior, so, the field was frozen at the caution flag.

NASCAR ruled that Jeff Gordon was in front, and the race ended under caution. Fans showed their displeasure by throwing beer cans on the race track as Gordon tried to do a burnout. Despite their displeasure, Gordon’s win stood.

2. 2001 MBNA Platinum 400 at Dover: Jeff Gordon’s Most Dominant Performance (Watch on NASCAR Classics Here)

In terms of percentage of laps led, Jeff Gordon’s 2001 win at Dover was the most dominant of his career. He started in second and took the lead for the first time on lap one. From that point onwards, no one passed Gordon for the lead on the race track.

He led 381 of the 400 laps, with the other 19 laps led by other drivers due to pit strategy. No one was even close to Gordon on that day, and never did he have as dominant of a race as he did that afternoon.

1. 1993 Speedweeks: Jeff Gordon Impresses In First Speedweeks (Watch on NASCAR Classics Here)

Before his first Speedweeks in 1993, many expected Jeff Gordon to struggle like most rookies do. Well, Gordon quickly showed his talent on the track. He qualified 11th fastest on pole day, good for a 6th place starting spot for his qualifying race. He went on to lead 29 laps and win his qualifying race.

In the Daytona 500, he led the first lap after starting third. He sat in second in the final laps before getting shuffled out to finish 5th. This was a sign of things to come for Gordon, as he went on to win 3 Daytona 500s in his career.

What are some other Jeff Gordon moments that we forgot about? There are plenty to choose from with how many wins and Championships he had.

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