25 Days until the Brickyard: Gordon masters Brickyard four times

Today starts the countdown to the second most prestigious race on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar, the Brickyard 400 from the self proclaimed Racing Capital of the World, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. Last year I gave you some of my top favorite personal memories and moments from the track that has given me too many to count.

This year I’ll bring back a few of those memories while also sneaking in a few previews and, to some extent, giving you some great reasons to watch the Brickyard 400 on Sunday the 26th. Although, if you’re reading this, you’re more than likely already planning on tuning in, but hopefully you enjoy the countdown to the biggest race of the year (in my books) anyway.

Today we focus on the kid who grew up in Pittsboro, Indiana, and along with Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton and Mark Martin is only one of four drivers to have competed in all 15 Brickyard 400s. Jeff Gordon has won four Brickyard 400s and has set numerous records along the way at The Brickyard.

The driver with the most top fives? Gordon (9). The most top ten finishes? Jeff Gordon (12). The driver with the most poles? Not fellow Hoosier Ryan Newman, but Jeff Gordon (He has 3). Bet you can guess who has led the most laps too. That’d be Gordon as well (with 440).

Gordon (pictured here with Mark Martin in 2008) has won four times at Indianapolis

Jeff Gordon burst onto the Cup scene in 1993—his rookie season—and won a pole, a fifth place finish at the season opening Daytona 500 and finished second a few times. In 1994 Gordon won his first race, the Coke 600 at Charlotte. He followed that up a month and a half later with a victory in the first stock car race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, widely considered his home track.

Since then, Gordon has been a contender in every Brickyard 400 (sans the 1996 race where he endured an extremely hard hit to the turn 4 wall 40 laps in, and finished 37th). He has brought his car owner, Rick Hendrick, four of his six Brickyard titles.

Gordon flashes through turn one in last year's Happy Hour session before the now infamous '08 400

And, although many people say Gordon is getting old and starting to show his age, the 2009 season has been one of resurgence for the aging superstar. He sits second in points right now, and he’s won once—at Texas—showing that he’s still in championship form. Could this be the year that Gordon wins his fifth Brickyard 400? Could this be the year that Gordon wins his fifth title?

Both are real possibilities, and the #24 team is strong this year. With a hungry Gordon behind the wheel and the best equipment in the garage, Gordon is staring at yet another chance to win that elusive fifth title, and possibly his fifth Brickyard 400 trophy. Inn both 1998 and 2001 Gordon won the 400, and went on to capture the title. Could 2009 be the third time for Gordon?

It’s too early to make predictions, but I can say with certainty that Gordon will contend for the opportunity to kiss the bricks in 25 days. His track record proves that’s he’s the one everyone will be chasing when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rolls into the famed track in Speedway in just three weeks.