Gordon, Johnson still find Daytona 500 special

By Rea White - Associate Editor

Sunday, February 17, 2008

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Sam Greenwood / Getty Images

TALLADEGA, AL - OCTOBER 05: (L-R) Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, speaks with teammate Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Dupont/Pepsi Chevrolet, in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 5, 2007 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Jeff Gordon

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jeff Gordon says it’s difficult to put into words just what it means to win the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

Three of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers who will be racing today have won the season-opening event: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

Gordon, a four-time Cup champion, says he has never forgotten how it felt the very first time he pulled into this track to race in 1992.

“I just remember the very first time that I ever drove through the tunnel to come here and test the Busch car and how in awe – of course the track is legendary and has a lot of history, but you really have no idea until you drive through that tunnel and see the steep banking and just an incredible race track,” he said.

He says he still gets that same feeling when he’s pulling into the track. With all the history, with the names of drivers that have won the
season-opening event, everything about the Daytona 500 seems a little different.

“It’s just a really awesome, [a] very cool place to race to perform and then over time you learn the history of our sport, the history of Daytona from the beaches over here to this incredible speedway,” he said. “ Who’s won it, who hasn’t won it. When you do go to victory lane for the first time, it’s very, very special. I feel like the third time was even more special than the first time because I have a greater appreciation today than I’ve ever had not for just the sport and the history, just how competitive and how hard it is to go to victory lane especially in this race.”

Teammate Jimmie Johnson agreed.

Although he grew up in Southern California and cut his teeth in off-road racing, and even though he’s a two-time defending NASCAR Cup champion, Johnson still seems a little amazed by the Daytona experience.

“NASCAR was worlds away,” Johnson said of his experience growing up. “ So to find my way into this sport and to drive for Hendrick Motorsports and all the things that take place and then to win the Daytona 500, I never thought it was attainable. To be able to experience it and go through it, it’s impossible to put it into words. There’s nothing like it.”