Team owner
Rick Hendrick put
Gordon in his No. 24 Chevrolet for the final
race of the 1992 season, but Gordon managed 164
laps before a crash ended his run. In his first full season in '93 Gordon finished 14th in the points with
seven top-fives and 11 top-10s.
Gordon began a dominating
stretch in 1995 by winning his
first Cup title. That season he posted
seven victories, 17 top-fives, 23 top-10s and eight poles. He
next year he recorded the first of his three consecutive double-digit win
seasons with 10, finishing second in points.
Gordon won back-to-back title in 1997-98 with 10 and 13
victories, respectively. In '97, at age 25, he became the youngest
winner of the Daytona 500. His '98 season included 26 top-fives and 28 top-10s in 33 races.
Gordon won his fourth championship in 2001, beginning a four-year run of finishing in the top five in points. He became the first driver to
eclipse $10 million in season earnings in 2001 and holds numerous other
records, including all-time
money won. He also has won consecutive races
20 times.
Going into the 2006 season
Gordon has amassed 73
victories, 199 top-fives and 269 top-10s in 437 starts spanning 14 years.