Jeff Gordon’s final Daytona 500: ‘You want to win this race’

Jeff Gordon has received plenty of kind words and adulation since announcing 2015 will be his last full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage called him the “Michael Jordan” of the sport; established veteran drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson told stories of what Gordon had meant to them; and young drivers remembered idolizing him back in the day.

That’s been nice for Gordon, but now it’s time to shift the focus to what turned him into the superstar he became — winning races.

Gordon has won 92 races, the most in the modern era (1972-present), and none are more special than his three Daytona 500 victories. It’s NASCAR’s biggest race at one of the most iconic sports venues in the world, famously dubbed “The Great American Race.”

“I always say there is just nothing like race day for the Daytona 500,” Gordon said. “You just feel the energy. You feel a little bit more anxiousness and nerves as a competitor. But you feel that you are part of a very special event and you are getting that energy from the fans, from the media, from your team, from everybody.

“Whether you like restrictor-plate racing or not, you want to win this race. You are excited to just be a part of it and be in the race. I have always had great memories here, so those memories sort of come back from my first Daytona 500 to the ones that we have won over the years.”

Gordon made his Daytona 500 debut in 1993, starting third and finishing fifth. Pretty impressive for a first-timer, but it took him four more tries before he won the race in 1997. He won it again in 1999, and then had a mini-drought until his victory in 2005.

He hasn’t made a trip back to Victory Lane since his ’05 run. This, however, would be the year for him to return. Sure, it might feel too scripted, but it would also be fitting.

Gordon is closing out a remarkable career and is still a championship contender. If not for Brad Keselowski ruining his title hopes at Texas in November, he very well could have gone on to his fifth Cup championship.

This year, Gordon figures to be in a similar position. He couldn’t have gotten off to a better start to the season by being the pole-sitter for Sunday’s race and finishing second in the first Budweiser Duel race on Thursday.

“This race always means a lot,” Gordon said. “It’s a big deal to win here.”

Gordon then recalled his memorable celebration following his ’05 win, how he was able to enjoy it with his family and team more than his previous wins.

“It is one of the greatest celebrations that I can remember ever having from a win,” Gordon said. “That right there just kind of alludes [to] and reminds me of how much this race means to win.”

Daytona wasn’t always a positive experience for Gordon, though. He told the story about his first time at the track in 1991 for what was then a Busch Series race. He failed to qualify.

Did he ever think he’d go on to accomplish what he has at Daytona, becoming one of only five drivers to win the Daytona 500 at least three times?

“We were slow [in 1991] and we didn’t make it because we were slow,” Gordon said, laughing. “It was frustrating to come here and not make the race. But at the same time we were pretty realistic about it.”

Today, Gordon is still realistic and knows he has as good a chance as anyone to win. If he does, he’d join an even more exclusive club with Richard Petty (7) and Cale Yarborough (4) as the only drivers to win at least four Daytona 500s.

Gordon smiled as he thought about the possibility.

“To do it in my final one would just make it far more emotional than ever before,” he said. “There is excitement and there is pride that you have to win this race.

“But this year I think all these thoughts of my whole career kind of coming into one moment, one season. I think if I win anywhere it’s going to be kind of like that this year. To do it in the Daytona 500 would be unbelievable, almost surreal for me to even think about it right now.”

This story was originally published February 21, 2015 at 6:58 PM with the headline "Jeff Gordon’s final Daytona 500: ‘You want to win this race’."