Gordon set to become NASCAR’s Iron Man

Associated Press

LOUDON, N.H.

Jeff Gordon had a knack for pinpointing the unprotected wall when the No. 24 crashed.

His car was shot.

Gordon rarely was.

Sure, he bruised his ribs in 1999 at Texas Motor Speedway. He had a minor headache when the car lost its brakes, sliced through the grass and mud and slammed the wall in 2006 at Pocono Raceway. His 2008 wreck at Las Vegas tore the radiator out of the car and left it a mangled mess.

Gordon always walked away.

And he always slid back in the seat for the next race. Track after track. Year after year.

Gordon’s mettle through a 23-year career long ago solidified him as one of racing’s greats. And he’s first yet again, NASCAR’s new Iron Man.

Without much fuss, Gordon will make his 789th consecutive start today at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, passing Ricky Rudd for the record. Rudd, who once used duct tape to keep his swollen eyes open so he could drive, set the mark in 2002 when he broke Terry Labonte’s streak of 655 consecutive races.

“I remember when Ricky Rudd did that and Terry Labonte and other guys that had these incredible records and streaks. I thought, ‘Man they are old. I will never be around long enough to set that record or achieve that,”’ Gordon said. “Now here I am. Yeah, I’m old, too, but now I appreciate what those guys did and the effort they put into it and the commitment.”

The 44-year-old Gordon, married with two young children, will retire this season and shift into the Fox broadcast booth.

He has four championships, 92 career wins, spent his entire career in the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports and leaves a legacy as the face of the sport as it swept into popularity a generation ago.

But before the TV gigs, the charity work and the “Four Time” nickname, there was race No. 1.

Gordon’s streak began with his Cup debut on Nov. 15, 1992, at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He has never missed a race and holds the record for the longest consecutive starts streak from the beginning of a career.

His first race came in the last one for Hall of Famer Richard Petty. Gordon’s streak is all the more impressive because he started in an era before 36 races a season was the norm.